Words by NHRA Communications

Antron Brown raced to victory in the Traxxas Nitro Shootout on Saturday of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, earning a $100,000 payday!

Brown, the 2012 Top Fuel world champ, took the victory at the Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis despite having to pedal his Matco Tools dragster down track, running a 4.147-second pass at 220.62 mph to defeat Doug Kalitta in the final of the all-star bonus event. It was Brown’s first win in the Traxxas Nitro Shootout, having defeated J.R. Todd and Richie Crampton to reach the final.

“The main thing is we were able to sneak away with that win,” said Brown, who also won the Pro Stock Motorcycle all-star race at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in 2000. “When you race a Kalitta car in the final for $100,000, they’ll throw a big run on you. We both didn’t make it down cause we were pressing hard and we knew what was at stake.”

Kalitta, appearing in his first Traxxas Nitro Shootout final, ran a 6.588 at 86.46 after his DeWalt Tools dragster quit shortly after the hit of the throttle. He defeated Shawn Langdon and fan vote lottery winner Clay Millican en route to the final.

TRAXXAS TOP FUEL SHOOTOUT ELIMINATIONS ON SATURDAY

FIRST ROUND: No. 8 Clay Millican (3.897 sec., 299. 26 mph) def. No. 1. Tony Schumacher (3.906, 316.01); No. 2. Antron Brown(3.868, 318.69) def. No. 7 J.R. Todd (4.462, 188.83); No. 3. Richie Crampton (3.977, 280.78) def. No. 6 Steve Torrence (4.474, 238.64); and No. 4. Doug Kalitta (8.139, 93.14) def. No. 5 Shawn Langdon (18.723, 48.81).

SEMIFINALS: Brown (3.826, 320.43) def. Crampton (4.225, 233.56); Kalitta (3.946, 307.44) def. Millican (4.067, 270.59).

FINAL: Brown (4.147, 220.62) def. Kalitta (6.588, 86.46)