From Nightline. Did You Have a Survivor from Sandy in Your Garage?

USAA Changes Policy After ABC News Investigation Into Sandy-Damaged Vehicles Sold on Used Car Lots

By GERRY WAGSCHAL, DANIEL MORRIS, ERIN BRADY, MICHAEL CAPPETTA

How Did a Sandy-Damaged Truck Land on a Used Car Lot?

In the wake of an ABC News investigation into superstorm Sandy-damaged cars being sold on used car lots, a major American insurance company acknowledged that its salvage vehicle branding process after Sandy was "unsatisfactory," and it is making changes to help keep those damaged cars off the road. 

USAA, which focuses on providing financial services and insurance to U.S. military members and their families, is now facing questions, which were raised by an ABC's "The Lookout" report in July, over its failure to brand at least one of its flood-damaged vehicles -- a 2006 Ford F-350 -- as a salvage vehicle before selling it at auction. 

In a follow-up interview with "The Lookout's" Bill Weir, Kevin Bergner, the president of USAA's Property and Casualty Insurance Group and a former Army general, said the team's report was "shining the light on something that is troubling all of us." 

"We went back and looked at our process, and we said 'unsatisfactory,'" Bergner said. "We are changing it, and we will maintain that highest standard. That even a parts-only sale will involve a [salvage] branded title." 

When superstorm Sandy pummeled the Northeast last October, the damage was widespread. Nearly 300 people lost their lives, and thousands more lost their homes. Then there were the cars. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an estimated 250,000 cars were submerged for days in corrosive saltwater. 

Thousands of these flood-damaged vehicles were temporarily stored at the Calverton Executive Airpark in Long Island. In the months following Sandy's destruction, these cars began to disappear. Where did these flood cars go? 

In a seven-month investigation, ABC's "The Lookout" found these cars turning up on used car lots across the country.Christopher Basso, public relations manager at CarFax, explains the potential hazards of flood-damaged vehicles, adding that "flood cars literally rot from the inside out."

Because of how easily the damage can be concealed, Basso warns prospective buyers to bring the vehicle to a mechanic for an inspection. "While this car looks great on the outside and to the untrained eye, things are falling apart inside this car. It may not happen immediately, but days, weeks or months down the road, parts that are on this car are going to fail."

CarFax estimates that more than 100,000 Sandy-damaged vehicles are now back on the road across the United States.

When ABC's "The Lookout" team went undercover at used car dealership D&D Auto Sales in Old Bridge, N.J., it discovered a Ford F-350 truck totaled by superstorm Sandy selling for $19,999. The truck's Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, and auction records indicated it had been damaged by a flood.

A D&D's salesman sold the car to an ABC's "The Lookout" producer for its asking price and referred to a flood alert on the vehicle history report CarFax as only "a glitch." 

But Alan Picker, owner and certified mechanic at All-Time AutoBody in Point Pleasant, N.J., knows the CarFax alert was no glitch. "The Lookout" team brought the truck to him to examine the dangers a cleaned-up flood vehicle can often conceal. Picker discovered the car had serious damage, including a corroded transmission, as well as potentially hazardous airbags that could randomly deploy while driving. 

D&D Auto Sales responded to "The Lookout" team's findings and stated, "D&D auto sales sincerely regrets the unfortunate misrepresentation of the product by the salesperson. We do not condone such business practices and have terminated the salesman as a result of his independent action. This is in no way reflective of typical business practices at D&D." 

The Ford F-350's previous owner, Mike Kennedy of Point Pleasant, N.J., is a retired Navy man and his insurance company is USAA, which had declared the truck as a total loss after it flooded during Sandy. 

According to New Jersey authorities, once the insurer declares a vehicle a total loss, pays off its insured and takes possession of the vehicle, the insurer becomes the owner of the vehicle. New Jersey authorities say it is then the insurer's responsibility to brand the vehicle's title as flood-damaged, forever marking it as a salvage vehicle, before it goes to auction. But when USAA became the owner of Kennedy's Ford F-350, it failed to do that. 

The company claimed Kennedy's title was lost, and instead of asking for a new one, it says it told the auction house to sell the Ford F-350 for parts only. But somehow, the truck ended up on D&D Auto Sales' lot in one piece. As in many states, in this circumstance, failure to obtain a salvage title is illegal in New Jersey. 

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has now suspended D&D Auto Sales' license to sell cars, pending an investigation. The New Jersey Attorney General's office launched its own criminal investigation into the dealership, which includes the cars USAA sold at auction that the dealer bought. 

After ABC's "The Lookout" report aired, Bergner said in a follow-up interview at USAA headquarters in San Antonio that USAA went back through 3,872 vehicle titles -- the total number of USAA member cars he said were declared losses as a result of superstorm Sandy. Of those, Bergner said the company found 174 cases where USAA had sold flood cars without branded titles at auction in New Jersey, just as it did with Kennedy's Ford F-350. 

That means it is possible that all of those 174 cars are on the road today -- USAA doesn't know. But it says it now plans to get salvage titles for all those vehicles. 

"That's what we're working with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to do, is go track down every one of those vehicles, 174, and we'll not stop until we are able to say all of them are off the road, [and] are in the right place, which is where that Ford F-350 sits today, in the salvage yard," Berger said. 

Before our interview with USAA, ABC News identified four flood vehicles sold by USAA at auction in New Jersey without branded titles. Three, a Honda CRV, a Chrysler Town and Country and a Lexus RX330, were subsequently sold with clean titles and are today being driven by unsuspecting new owners.

USAA would not tell ABC News exactly how it disposed of the remaining 3,698 cars the company insured and declared total losses as a result of superstorm Sandy. The company refused to comment on whether any or all were also sold with unbranded titles. 

USAA spokesman Roger Wildermuth said "more than 90 percent of them were in New Jersey and New York," when Sandy hit. He added, "New York has a separate process that does not require a salvage title, and we are confident that we have complied fully with those regulations." 

Following our interview with USAA, the auction house involved said in a statement to ABC News that its company "fully supports USAA's practice of branding titles on vehicles they intend to sell for parts only, and we will continue to comply with the accepted practice of the NJ MVC." 

Howard Nusbaum, the administrator of the National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program, a law enforcement support organization, said more work still needs to be done to protect the public.

"There are a number of states that have titling statutes with tremendous loopholes that exempt numbers of significantly damaged vehicles from being branded at all," Nusbaum said. "If Hurricane Sandy had taken place in one of those states, many if not most of those vehicles would never have gotten branded. This is an unacceptable risk for the public." 

To protect yourself, experts encourage drivers to do their homework before spending their money and thoroughly check a car's history, as well as get the car inspected by a certified mechanic. ###

From top to bottom for Antron

Thrill of dramatic run to earn U.S. Nationals Top Fuel pole 

still a highlight for Matco's Brown despite first-round loss

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 2, 2013) - No form of motorsports is as finicky as Top Fuel drag racing with its 10,000-horsepower land rockets.

Within about 18 hours, Antron Brown and his Matco Tools went from the very high to the very low in the 59th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals.

On Sunday evening, Brown with crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald went from the No. 16 to No. 1 qualifying position on the event's last qualifying session with a time of 3.811 seconds at 320.58 mph at Lucas Oil Raceway. That made Brown's 10-minute ride to his home in Pittsboro, Ind., a fun one.

But the ride to Pittsboro was not nearly as enjoyable Monday afternoon after the Matco Tools team lost in the opening round to Morgan Lucas, who qualified in the last spot in the 16-car field. Lucas quicker time of the opening round at 3.784 beat Brown's 3.825.

"We're really disappointed, especially after how we qualified (Sunday) night," said Brown, the reigning Top Fuel world champion

"We went out there and threw a shot in the first round. The track was real good, so it sucked a little bit of it up. After running that 3.81 last night, we just built off that and we were going up there hoping to run a 3.77.

"The track just ate us up a little bit and we couldn't make the number. We knew what Morgan Lucas and his team was capable of and we didn't want to leave anything on the table. They threw a great run out there. They threw the number that they needed to win."

Antron & the Matco makes it to the Top at Indy.

Brown, Matco team show plan working to perfection 

as reigning world champs vault to No. 1 at U.S. Nationals

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 1, 2013) - Antron Brown and his Matco Tools crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald have been saying for several weeks that their plan was to peak at the right time to defend their NHRA Top Fuel world championship.

After winning two Mello Yello Series titles early in the season, the team began experimenting in preparation for another championship run.

Despite falling to sixth in points heading into this weekend's U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis, the Matco brain trust proved Sunday their plan is on track.

Going to the starting line late Sunday afternoon for his final qualifying session, Brown was sitting in the 16th and last position for Monday's championship eliminations.

Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher was in the pair right before Brown and Schumacher was not yet qualified but he ripped off a time that sent him to the No. 1 spot.

And then Brown and his Matco team went out and ran 3.811 seconds to take over the pole and bump his teammate to the No. 2 spot heading to Sunday's eliminations, which begin at 11 a.m.

"We planned on it. We really planned on it going out there for that last lap and doing that," Brown said. "We've been tip-toeing up on a time like that all week. On that last run, Brian and Mark and all of the Matco boys looked at it and said everything we learned in testing we can throw out the window we gotta come in and focus and make this better.

"They put their heads down and they go 'we have nothing to lose'. This is the last race before the Countdown and we're not going out by just half-stepping it. We're going to give it our full effort and they weren't scared. That's the same mindset we have to have going into the Countdown. We are just practicing it right now. So did our teammate (Schumacher) and his U.S. Army car. They had the same thought process. We stepped up to the plate and there were some great runs in that session.

"Tomorrow it's going to be cooler. Track conditions are going to be even better. We have a run to work off of now because I guarantee you tomorrow in the first round with Morgan Lucas it's going to be a tough, tough matchup.

"That's like a final round match-up in the first round. It's probably going to take a mid 3.70 out there tomorrow morning to get the job done if the conditions are what we think they are going to be."

TRAXXAS TOP FUEL NITRO SHOOTOUT
SATURDAY
Round 1: ANTRON BROWN (3.985 sec., 316.60 mph) def. Khalid alBalooshi (7.672, 78.80); Steve 311.77) def. Bob Vandergriff (4.219, 245.54); Shawn Langdon (3.874, 316.60) def. Brittany Force (3.866, 313.22).Torrence (3.878, 316.02) def. TONY SCHUMACHER (3.904, 316.90); SPENCER MASSEY (3.931, 311.77) def. Bob Vandergriff (4.219, 245.54).

SUNDAY
Semifinals: Torrence (3.815, 325.61) def. MASSEY (4.392, 198.58); Langdon (3.821, 322.34) def. BROWN (3.880, 316.08).
Final: Langdon (3.821 320.05) def. Torrence (3.828 323.04).

TOP FUEL DRAGSTER
No. 1 qualifier: Antron Brown (Don Schumacher Racing) 3.811, 320.58

ANTRON BROWN, MATCO TOOLS DRAGSTER
Qualified: No. 1
First-round opponent: Morgan Lucas
FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 4.806 sec., 138.80 mph
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 2 (Shootout round 1): 3.985, 301.67
SATURDAY QUALIFYING/SHOOTOUT
Session 3 (Shootout semis): 3.880, 316.08 (lost)
Session 4: 3.811, 320.58

FordMustang Draft

xt-generation designs of its body and soul -- the Mustang and F-150.
Ford sits between a rock and a hard place when approaching the redesign of its iconic muscle car, as sales of the Mustang have crashed and haven't been able to regain much momentum. This will be Ford's attempt to kill the retro styling and bring the car into the 21st century as a lighter and faster sports car.

Graph by author. Information cred: Automotive News DataCenter. 2013 estimated with sales through July.

In addition to reviving sales in the U.S., Ford needs to expand its sales to the global market -- a tough balancing act.
"Ford wants the car to appeal to a global market, but the last time the company tried to make a global Mustang, we ended up with the Ford Probe," Andrew Stoy, digital editor of Autoweek, told me. "Any time a halo vehicle as quintessentially American as the Mustang is re-engineered for broader markets, the risk of alienating the car's core audience rises. That risk is even more acute in the face of the Mustang's strong domestic competition -- namely the Chevy Camaro."

Stoy hit the nail on the head. Ford has to avoid the worst-case scenario of losing its core U.S. consumer with a modern design, yet if it doesn't evolve enough to appeal to a new global audience, it will fall short of Ford's sales ambition.
Simply put: For the Mustang to succeed overseas, it needs to shed a few hundred pounds and shrink in size.
'Stang on a diet?
The current Ford Mustang weighs in at 3,523 pounds, and according to Edmunds, Ford is working with lighter materials to remove a minimum of 400 pounds for the 2015 model. To provide the smaller vehicle necessary to sell overseas, it's believed the next-generation Mustang will be as much as 15 inches shorter and 6 inches narrower.
For those worried that the weight loss will make the muscle car any less "Ford tough," there's nothing to worry about. "They are going to use more aluminum, better structural engineering in terms of spot welds, and so on and so forth, basically using less material and making it stronger," an unnamed source said, according to Edmunds.
There are rumors that the Mustang will receive an EcoBoost engine, which left some 'Stang loyalists puzzled and anxious. I doubt there is anything to worry about, as Ford has a lot of engine flexibility that will help it sell well here in the U.S. and overseas. A turbocharged EcoBoost would help sell the muscle car in Europe, while the power-hungry U.S. consumer will no doubt have a top-of-the-line V-8 option. Also to the delight of U.S. loyalists, the pony car will finally kick the live rear axle in favor of an independent rear suspension.
Investing takeaway
Ford's had an excellent run of success with vehicle sales lately, and that's helped boost Ford's stock price up 70% over the past 12 months, as of this writing. Ford set a July record for sales in China, topping over 72,000 in wholesale units -- good for a 71% gain over last year. Ford's year-to-date sales are up a staggering 50% in China through July versus last year. Ford is also increasing its market share in Europe amid an industry still in decline -- pretty impressive.
That recent success is due to the Fusion, Fiesta, Focus and Escape, which continue to sell well globally. Ford now looks to bring its Mustang to the global lineup in hopes it will bring yet another surge in sales and market share.
One thing is for sure: Ford is on a hot streak of designing successful vehicles, and that's brought the company back strong from the brink of bankruptcy. For that reason, I expect the 2015 Mustang to be yet another hit here, and abroad -- much to the delight of Mustang loyalists and investors alike.

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Another explosion in Sonoma for Antron!

Antron Brown and NASCAR??

Test has drag racer Brown interested in more

The NHRA's reigning Top Fuel champion, Brown tested a K&N Pro Series car Tuesday with NASCAR's Rev Racing team at Motor Mile in Langley, Va. It was a first experience making left turns for a driver more  comfortable going straight for a quarter mile. .

"I started off easy at the beginning just getting my feet wet -- not really worried about times," Brown said. " When the track got hot, I was pretty much running what some of the other drivers were running. I was right in the ballpark. Just worked at getting more consistent with it where I could duplicate each lap, and run on the marks, and stuff like that."

Rev Racing driver Brian Gifford was on the radio helping Brown hit his marks on the race track. Brown said he did about 100 laps -- and got into the throttle a little too early on the last one, and spun out exiting a turn.
"All in all, I had a little bit of everything," said Brown, a 37-year-old native of Chesterfield, N.J. "I even learned about spinning out, and learned about going around the track, learned about corner speed, learned about lines and being smooth. It was a lot to take in ? but we made some really big, big strides, and it was a lot of fun."

Brown said he had plenty running through his head early in the test, when he tried to get comfortable thinking about getting on and off the gas and how much to carry into a corner -- factors very different from the ones he's accustomed to in drag racing.  "What was big was building your confidence up enough to trust yourself that you could drive the car in deeper, and be smooth and fluent with it," he said.

The adjustments were physical as well as tactical. ""I think the biggest thing is just getting into the shape to drive the car," Brown said. "Not physical shape, but just driving shape, is what you would call it. The only way you get in driving shape is by driving the car. With your neck, that was the biggest deal there, was that it was actually taxing on your neck because you have to keep up with the Gs and stuff when you're turning and holding your neck right."

It all left Brown ready to try some more -- and perhaps try his hand at a late model race.
"The next step is just that we're going to be back in contact and try to come out and maybe do some testing in a late model car," he said. "Go do some testing in a late model car, and then actually maybe that same week we can make a race with it. And that's the next step. That's our next step that we're going to talk about, and that we have to plan and we have to do when the schedule's got an opening, but I definitely want to get back and try to do it some more."

Antron Brown is the reigning NHRA Top Fuel champion, but he's becoming interested in stock car racing. (Photos courtesy of JW Martin)

Antron & The Crew Win in Georgia!!

 

Brown, Matco Tools team post second Mello Yello title

of 2013, move within 5 points of DSR teammate, points leader

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 11, 2013) - Antron Brown and Don Schumacher Racing's Matco Tools team were not daunted by barely losing the No. 1 qualifying position and settling for the second seed to start Saturday's NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

The team merely went out during the rain-delayed Southern Nationals and dominated the four rounds of championship eliminations to win its second title of the season and move to within five points of DSR teammate Tony Schumacher.

"This is big, especially down here at the Southern Nationals," Brown said. "This track has always been special to us. It's our fifth time winning - two times in Pro Stock Motorcycle and three times now in Top Fuel. So, we like this place a lot. It reminds me a lot of tracks where I grew up in (New Jersey), like one of the grassroots tracks that's been around forever. It's got that special atmosphere, and the fans here are just intense."

When Brown beat Brandon Bernstein in the championship round, it marked the 205th national event win for DSR, 39th career title for Brown and the fourth time this year and 36th since 203 when DSR has won two or more titles at the same NHRA national event.

After rain wiped out the Southern Nationals last weekend, the Mello Yello Series returned to the track north of Atlanta for abbreviated qualifying with only two sessions on Friday to determine the top-16 for Saturday's championship eliminations.

"The track was a challenge these last two days," Brown said. "We ran a (3.78) in the semis but Brandon threw the gauntlet out there with a (3.76 in the semifinals), so we thought we needed to set up for speed in the final.

"But then, like Atlanta does, the clouds went away and the sun came out and the track got warmer. We knew what we needed to do to get the job done. If we got beat, we got beat, but we wanted to go A to B and put on a race and not throw it away. We were fortunate to get the job done."

Bernstein's run in the semifinals was the quickest run over the two days.

"When he busted that (3.76) out in that semifinal round, all of our guys were looking at each other, (crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald) were looking at their computer screens, and telling me, 'We'll make this happen.'

"Then the sun came out and I saw our boys go back to their (computer) boxes doing different things. Those guys are just incredible. I'm very blessed to have them and to be a part of this Matco Tools/U.S. Army team. Those guys make it happen. They dialed back the car because the sun was out for so long before our run. All I do is pull the trigger on that bullet and hold on tight."

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series moves to Heartland Park Topeka next weekend for the Kansas Nationals, an event Brown has never won in five tries.

The following are Brown's results and other notes from the NHRA Southern Nationals:

TOP FUEL
Event winner: Antron Brown (DSR)
No. 1 qualifier: Shawn Langdon (Al-Anabi Racing) 3.791 sec., 324.36 mph

Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster
Qualifying position: No. 2

SATURDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: BROWN (3.857 sec., 324.98 mph) def. Pat Dakin (4.007, 295.21)
Second round: BROWN (3.798, 318.24) def. Spencer Massey (4.286, 205.13)
Semifinals: BROWN (3.798, 320.43) def. Doug Kalitta (4.864, 150.68)
Final: BROWN (3.801, 321.35) def. Brandon Bernstein (7.105, 90.64)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 3.876 sec., 316.52 mph
Session 2: 3.826, 321.35

It was tough, but Antron Brown Wins Again!

Brown, Matco Tools team post second Mello Yello title

of 2013, move within 5 points of DSR teammate, points leader

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 11, 2013) - Antron Brown and Don Schumacher Racing's Matco Tools team were not daunted by barely losing the No. 1 qualifying position and settling for the second seed to start Saturday's NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

The team merely went out during the rain-delayed Southern Nationals and dominated the four rounds of championship eliminations to win its second title of the season and move to within five points of DSR teammate Tony Schumacher.

"This is big, especially down here at the Southern Nationals," Brown said. "This track has always been special to us. It's our fifth time winning - two times in Pro Stock Motorcycle and three times now in Top Fuel. So, we like this place a lot. It reminds me a lot of tracks where I grew up in (New Jersey), like one of the grassroots tracks that's been around forever. It's got that special atmosphere, and the fans here are just intense."

When Brown beat Brandon Bernstein in the championship round, it marked the 205th national event win for DSR, 39th career title for Brown and the fourth time this year and 36th since 203 when DSR has won two or more titles at the same NHRA national event.

After rain wiped out the Southern Nationals last weekend, the Mello Yello Series returned to the track north of Atlanta for abbreviated qualifying with only two sessions on Friday to determine the top-16 for Saturday's championship eliminations.

"The track was a challenge these last two days," Brown said. "We ran a (3.78) in the semis but Brandon threw the gauntlet out there with a (3.76 in the semifinals), so we thought we needed to set up for speed in the final.

"But then, like Atlanta does, the clouds went away and the sun came out and the track got warmer. We knew what we needed to do to get the job done. If we got beat, we got beat, but we wanted to go A to B and put on a race and not throw it away. We were fortunate to get the job done."

Bernstein's run in the semifinals was the quickest run over the two days.

"When he busted that (3.76) out in that semifinal round, all of our guys were looking at each other, (crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald) were looking at their computer screens, and telling me, 'We'll make this happen.'

"Then the sun came out and I saw our boys go back to their (computer) boxes doing different things. Those guys are just incredible. I'm very blessed to have them and to be a part of this Matco Tools/U.S. Army team. Those guys make it happen. They dialed back the car because the sun was out for so long before our run. All I do is pull the trigger on that bullet and hold on tight."

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series moves to Heartland Park Topeka next weekend for the Kansas Nationals, an event Brown has never won in five tries.

The following are Brown's results and other notes from the NHRA Southern Nationals:

TOP FUEL
Event winner: Antron Brown (DSR)
No. 1 qualifier: Shawn Langdon (Al-Anabi Racing) 3.791 sec., 324.36 mph

Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster
Qualifying position: No. 2

SATURDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: BROWN (3.857 sec., 324.98 mph) def. Pat Dakin (4.007, 295.21)
Second round: BROWN (3.798, 318.24) def. Spencer Massey (4.286, 205.13)
Semifinals: BROWN (3.798, 320.43) def. Doug Kalitta (4.864, 150.68)
Final: BROWN (3.801, 321.35) def. Brandon Bernstein (7.105, 90.64

Antron Scores Again!

Brown completes rebound with Gatornationals Top Fuel title  to give Don Schumacher Racing 200th NHRA event trophy

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 17, 2013) - Exactly one month after Antron Brown's horrific crash at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Series season-opener at Pomona, Calif., the reigning Top Fuel world champion experienced diametrically opposite emotions.

On Sunday, in the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla., Brown and his Matco Tools team led by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald did more than just win the event title.

After Don Schumacher Racing teammate Johnny Gray set the table by winning the Funny Car title, Brown sealed the deal to give DSR its 200th NHRA national event title.

"I just feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this whole organization," said Brown, who has contributed 20 titles to the list. "To bring that 200th win home with Johnny and myself, it was all of us together. It wasn't just my team or his team, it was all of us together at DSR."

DSR owner Don Schumacher, who won the first of his five NHRA Funny Car titles in 1970, was emotional when he met with media members.

"It's a tremendous reward," said Schumacher, who will be inducted May 2 into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega, Ala.

"I can't say what this personally feels like. When we won both championships in November, my mother passed away on the day of the banquet the next day. I haven't had joy really since then.

"Today brings a special meaning to all of my efforts out here for all of these years."

For Brown, he reflects back to Sunday, Feb. 17, when an engine failure led to a crash that he was able to walk away from.

"Everything that Don has been orchestrating in all the years he's been in drag racing has been about building the quickest, the fastest and absolutely the safest cars. I believe he's done that, especially with the way I was able to walk away from that accident at Pomona."

Returning is one step, but dominating so soon is another.

"We knew we wanted to come out here and have some fun, but we had to execute. The Top Fuel class right now by far is the toughest it's ever been. Different people are setting low ETs and you never know what to expect. To go up against our teammate in the semis, that was like a final too."

Brown guided his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.761 second run at 318.77 mph to finish in front of Clay Millican, who posted a 3.813 at 319.67, in the championship round.

Before that, Brown outran Larry Dixon, Steve Torrence and DSR teammate Spencer Massey in the first three rounds.

The win enabled the Matco team to move around teammate Tony Schumacher for the points lead.

The following are Brown's results from this weekend's NHRA Gatornationals and other notes:

TOP FUEL 

Event winner: Antron Brown (DSR) 

No. 1 qualifier: Doug Kalitta (Kalitta Motorsports) 3.779, 326.32 mph

Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster 

Qualifying position: No. 2 

CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS 

SUNDAY 

First round: BROWN (3.782 sec., 321.81) def. Larry Dixon (3.881, 302.55)  

Second round: BROWN (3.771, 326.48) def. Steve Torrence (3.793, 326.08) 

Semifinals: BROWN (3.777, 320.74) def. Spencer Massey (3.799, 325.92) 

Final: BROWN (3.761, 318.77) def. Clay Millican (3.813, 319.67)