From Pit Lane To Boardroom: Antron Brown On Tech, Team Building, And The Next Title Run

Welcome And Guest Intro

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Antron is with us. You're nice.

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Antron Brown. Oh my goodness gracious, alive. Well, you know, miracles do happen. Antron, good morning to you.

SPEAKER_03 0:14

Good morning. How you guys doing? Well, uh, we're doing pretty good. How are you? I'm doing good, doing good. We're just getting it all together here.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

I saw an interview that uh you did with uh Mr. Pedragon about uh PRI show. That was pretty interesting.

SPEAKER_04 0:30

Oh, yeah, it was uh it was good stuff over there. Let me go out here in my other room here.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Okay.

What PRI Is And Why It Matters

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Yeah, PRI show. Um explain to everybody what the PRI show is and what it does for you race car guys.

SPEAKER_04 0:45

Well, the PRI show, what it actually does is is like our performance race industry show. So when we when we get to go there and everything else, is that uh we get to go see all the new latest technology out and everything, and just see what's going on in today's performance world is what we do.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

So And you put many of the rumors over there about who's going there, who's not fired, who's got fired, uh all the latest equipment. It's a big fun fab. It'd be like a shopping screen for the lady. Yes. Yes, they don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:24

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Yeah. So now that's not that's a show that's not open to the public, is it?

SPEAKER_04 1:29

Uh I I believe they open it up last year. They opened it up on Saturday where the public could come in. And uh, and and I think they still do that, but it's is a race injured show where you have to be part of some company. But let me tell you something, everybody makes it in there. All you gotta do is fill out all the stuff. Yeah, and everybody that's in racing is is uh is affiliated with some performance shop or some performance place. You can you can sign up and come right in. And if I mean, and it's open to everybody. You'll see a whole bunch of people in racing, you'll see people from dirt track racing, bracket like NHRA bracket racing, drag racing, pro mod cars, like the no-prep stuff. You'll see everybody and anybody that's in any form of racing there. You know what I mean? So I think that's what makes the PRI show so special.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

So when you go to PRI, you being an owner, you go there and say, Oh, I want four of those, I want five of these, some of that, and you can have a copy of this where you go.

SPEAKER_04 2:27

Yeah, like we we already

New Tech, Tools, And Deals At PRI

SPEAKER_04 2:29

know what we order, but you just go on there because you never know what's new that's coming out. You'll see something new and special, and when you see it, you're like, hey, check that out. And somebody will bring a like, you know, a new intake out. Or you have like a new valve with this special coating that they're bringing out at PRI, so they're introducing it and and talking about it. Or you'll walk down, you can go to Machinery Row, and you'll see some new machines that are out. Like on like on the aisles, like Centroy came out with their new uh CNC and uh 560 XL, which we got one of those last years, but they got new bells and whistles out, and uh Lincoln Electric will have some new things out. Like you'll you just go down the aisle and you'll see so many different things. There's somebody got a new diamond cut blade out that you could use for fabricating or cutting stuff, and it's pretty awesome when you go through the show and you see all the new innovation that's coming out to make your job easier, you know, to do what you need to do out there on the racetrack or in the shop to make things better. And uh, and some people bring out uh big discounts. It's kind of like Christmas shopping before Christmas. This is the black this is the Black Friday sale. We can hook you up.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Yeah, day only. So you buy the wife a new blower or something like that for Christmas.

2025 Season Review And Lessons

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Yeah. Well, let's talk uh about you and the 2025 season first. How do you feel about what happened last year?

SPEAKER_04 3:54

Well, last year we started off really good, and uh, I believe that we stepped up the performance of our car and we got more consistent. We just, man, it seems like we were always in the wrong place at the wrong time last year. Because that's a lot of the racing luck, too, where we'll come out and we'll be like one of the three fastest cars on a race day first round, except for the person we race picked us, where they like they leave with us like off the reaction time, and then they ran with us or outran us by a hundredth. And then we could be anybody else except for the person we raced, and we were just like sitting like, what do we have to do? Like, we won some rounds, but we lost some rounds that could have easily gone the other way, and uh, and we just gotta capitalize on that and just be better. It doesn't make a difference who you race when you race them. We just gotta work on being the best we can every round to be better for this next season coming up. And the countdown, we came in in the top five like we wanted to, and we just had some bad races in a countdown where we qualified this year. We did a lot better qualifying effort where we qualified in the top five, we averaged qualifying in the top five all year long. You know what I mean? So we we set that goal out, and normally when you do that, you set yourself up better for on Elimination Day, but it didn't go our way this year. It's one of those years where we zigged when we should have zagged and and we pushed sometimes where we spun the tires where we could have easily won the round, and then we went out there and uh and we spun the tires where all we had to do is go down racetrack and win the round. So it's one of those deals where you you got to learn to do the right things at the right time, but this was the year it didn't go that way. And the year before we made all the right moves to win a championship in 2024.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

So Frank's an usher song, uh that's life. That's what all say that's it. I hear that uh you got a new member of the team coming on for 2026.

SPEAKER_04 5:52

Yes, uh uh we're pretty excited about it. And uh uh Brian Karate and Brad Mason, who's always been leading their helm, and uh and like you know, Mark Oswald was always in that in that in that role for us, and then uh it felt really good when uh like we we teed it up with John Medlin to come over, especially

Staffing Moves And Detail-Driven R&D

SPEAKER_04 6:12

on the RD side and the process side. And John Medlin knows how to race also, too. But Brian and Brian and Brad have that type of mind on them. And the other thing that we've been looking at, it's just all little small details. Like right now, people understand the drag racing that we can't make big gains anymore. There's no more, oh, we're gonna redesign the cylinder head, or we're gonna change this, and we're gonna make this, we're gonna do this and do that, or we're gonna change the blow, or we've got a brand new blow, or we're gonna do this to the car. There's no more big gains on power-wise and uh in development of the cars like that anymore. So you really have to start looking at every milk and cranny on how to make it better, and not just show up and race. And uh, I think that's one thing that John Medlin will bring to the party where he's that guy that looks at all the little things, and and when he talks about it, people listen. You follow what I mean? You can have a lot of people with great ideas, but you also have to have somebody that everybody respects to go, hey, this is what we gotta do to make it better, or we gotta try this. And I know one thing is that uh Brian, he he tries anything, he could take anything and manipulate it and make it work. And uh, and Brad does really good at like whatever we need done at the shop, he puts it all together and puts the car together. He's kind of the uh the elf in Santa shop, hey, we need this gift, he makes it happen, you know? And now you got Medlin, who's the creator and uh and the guy that is really down on all the little milks and crannies. Where if you want to get really good lemonade, he's gonna get everything in that lemonade, including the lemon peel, and make it taste right. So that's what we're trying to formulate and put together, and I think that's what you have to do to race against Alan Johnson, Brian Houston, and all those guys and gals over there at Coletta Motorsports, because they're definitely going to be a team that the championship goes through. And uh, and I said it last year when we were racing last year, even after we won the championship, because we just squeezed out and got the championship uh from Justin Ashley, Sean Langdon, and Doug Coletta. It was a it was a four-race battle in 2024, and in 2025, it included a lot of other people running for that championship, but Doug pretty much shut

Second Car Plans And Partnerships

SPEAKER_04 8:30

everybody out by before even the last race before the last two races came. So we're gonna make it a little bit more challenging in 2026, and we're gonna give it all we got. Well, you know, you talked about power, and as you mentioned, uh the power is there now, and there's not too many big games that you can make in power, but you can oh absolutely, and uh, and and the one thing that we have going for us too at A B Motorsports, we have another business you see on my head hat and uh and uh it's got fab on the side of my hat. And uh and and yeah, and and the cool part it says A B on it. That's our machining part division of our of our business, and uh we can make and do anything that we that we need. You know what I mean? So that's what that's what makes it really, really cool for me right now is that uh we have all this all the stuff there. We just gotta keep uh keep working and keep pending and make it happen.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

You know, I also heard you say that uh we're looking maybe at about a team two uh A B Motorsports, and maybe not in 26 but 27. You're talking about Angel?

SPEAKER_04 9:39

Yeah, well we're we're working on it. We we're working on it hard. And uh we got her in the car and she took to it, man. We we prepare prepared alright, we did all the right things, and uh got her the seat time she needed in that A-fuel car, and we've just been building on it, you know what I mean? So it's been it's been pretty special with all that stuff with her, and uh it's been it's been really, really good. And to seeing her develop to come in, and she still hasn't love her drag racing. But the main thing of it is is that uh we want a second car so bad, but we have to crawl before we walk. We you know, we gotta keep on working on our partnerships and stuff like that. Where you know, it's been hard out there in in all the motorsports realm to find those partnerships, and we just gotta put our effort in this next year and really go after it.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

When you were uh driving motorcycles, did you ever race her?

SPEAKER_04 10:28

I raced her a lot.

Pro Stock Motorcycle History With Angelle

SPEAKER_04 10:30

Oh yeah, oh yeah, like like like hold on, look in my shop here. You can see all the old school pictures up top, and then I'll show you one. This will make you laugh, so you'll see it. Look, that's us when we raced together right there for the U.S. Army.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

Oh my gosh. See the picture right there?

SPEAKER_04 10:50

Yeah, and then and then and uh that was probably in 2000, I want to say 2004. And then you can see another picture right there. That's back in the Power Aid days. And then look, you can see a picture right there where she's actually holding my little girl, Ariana, on the pro stop bike team. We all raced on the U.S. Army together. So we've been teammates for a very, very, very long time. Very long time.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

We all know each other very well, and you know, there's gotta be uh a lot to be said for that because uh, you know, partnerships like that don't last for a long time typically, but this one here seems to work real well with you guys. Right partnerships and relationships are both the same both, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:34

Absolutely, and uh we've just been together for a long time and and uh racing with each other, working each other, and uh that's what happens when you are like best friends, you know what I mean? So it's one of those deals where you race together, you resonate with each other, and you make great things happen. Just think about when we raced a pro-stock motorcycle team. I never forget she won the championship that year and just net net edged me out. I believe it was in uh 20 and 2002, and I got second place, and then she lost the Winston deal, and then uh Troy was focusing on football, and we had our own team. So then uh I took over the team and I had to start working on it and and figure out how we're gonna keep racing. And uh oh, sorry about that. What's up, buddy? Yeah, yeah, they're outside. So I had to so they all came in and they're barking at me, but it's all part of it. The the whole gang. I got I got the three stooges.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

Well, hey, do you have your Christmas presents bought yet? Can you sit down for a couple of days and maybe uh enjoy the moment? Take a breath. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:43

No, I'm actually as soon

Holiday Sign Off And Show Close

SPEAKER_04 12:45

as I get off this interview right now, I'm about to go meet my mom, and we're gonna go we're gonna go shopping a little bit. We got a couple little knicks necks.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

That's what it's all about. That's what I'm saying. You gotta do things like that.

SPEAKER_04 12:53

Yeah, we gotta get a couple nicknames. We gotta get a couple knickknacks.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

I love it. Antron, it's always a pleasure, and uh, and it's uh we're we're very honored to have you join us every once in a while, and thank you so much. We'll let you go do your Christmas shopping. Best of luck in 2026, and hopefully we're going to uh be talking with you soon with uh lots more to tell us.

SPEAKER_04 13:14

Absolutely, absolutely. Well, hey, I always appreciate you all having us on the show, and we always love being on the show, and you too, all you guys have a blessed Christmas, and everybody's listening, have a blessed Christmas, and uh have a have a wonderful new year.

SPEAKER_01 13:28

You do the same, my friend. Thank you. Thank you. Anthron Brun Motorsports NHRA Top Fuel Champion. Hey, it's always great to talk to him. All right, uh time now uh for a quick break here on the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show. I'm Don Armstrong, inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning, 8 to 11 AM Central on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and our InWheelTime.com website. Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartPodcast, PodcastAddict, TuneIn, Pandora, and Amazon Music. Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.