Ready or not, Brown made transition to Top Fuel look easy
Antron Brown could have stayed in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class and continued to be a force in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. But after 10 seasons and 16 motorcycle victories, Brown got a chance to drive a Top Fuel dragster last season and knew immediately he was hooked.
“The bikes were a lot of fun, but nobody on this earth is seasoned when they come in to run Top Fuel or Funny Car,’’ Brown said in a phone interview. “You don’t get prepared until you do it. You don’t know how much you’re going to like it or if you’re going to dislike it until you get the chance to do it… Details
The asphalt at the Famoso drag strip was hot, the bike licked with red and orange flames when Jesse James stepped up to the starting line and threw a leg over the 1,000-horsepower, nitro-powered dragster.
A flicker of green light, a twist of the grip and James was off. Seconds later, at a top speed of 161 mph, James had won the respect of the seasoned racers who trained him and sighs of relief from the production crew that was capturing it all on camera for his new Spike TV show, “Jesse James Is a Dead Man.”
James had defied the program title, just as he’d done when he caught himself on fire, and when he rode shotgun in an F-16D fighter plane, subjecting his 210-pound frame to nine Gs.
James, who turned 40 last month, insists he isn’t …Â Details
Today’s 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 is taking place at a weird time in motorsport. Actually, there really never isn’t a weird time in motorsport, but the ongoing financial collapse and tepid, sort-of, kind-of recovery, coupled with tanking sales and bankruptcies in the auto industry, has made this moment extra-weird.
Just for background, there are three main types of car racing that matter: IRL, of which the Indy 500 is a marquee event; Formula One; and NASCAR. Each has its own flavor. The first two are “open wheel” categories, featuring the exotic-looking race cars outfitted with sculptural aerodynamic technologies and uncovered wheels. NASCAR showcases “stock” cars that are supposed to be based on existing Chevys and Fords but that are, in fact, custom-built …Â Details