Antron Brown and Martin Truex Jr. Take Turns in Fast Rides

NASCAR’s Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing and NHRA’s Antron Brown, driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster for Don Schumacher Racing, met today at zMAX Dragway and Charlotte Motor Speedway to experience a little of each other’s motorsport.

The two New Jersey natives started at zMAX Dragway, the only four-lane all-concrete drag strip in the country and the host of the upcoming NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 13-15. Brown, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Top Fuel points leader, took the wheel and Truex strapped in behind him in a two-seat dragster provided by Roy Hill’s Drag Racing School.

“The first time, I wasn’t really ready for it. It all happened kind of fast, so I didn’t get to look around or see anything,” Truex said of his ride with Brown. “The second time I made sure I kept my head around and it was a lot cooler. You really feel that pressure and you’re really accelerating, but at the same time it almost feels like it takes a long time to get down there. It’s almost like your mind puts it in slow motion because you’re scared… It’s crazy.”

After assaulting the Bellagio of drag strips, the duo moved across the street to try out Charlotte Motor Speedway. Truex took the wheel of a two-seat stock car provided by the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the two logged some laps on the famous 1.5-mile superspeedway.

“That is incredible. Incredible,” Brown said of riding shotgun with Truex. “When that whole ride started, I was like, ‘alright, we’re going to go out on the track and we’re going to break it in, easy.’ He was mat-to-the-floor right to the first turn… I’m like, ‘we ain’t slowing down for this corner.’ It was one of the rides of all rides. It was incredible… Side-by-side, trading paint, I tell you what, I’ve always had respect, but I have a whole new meaning for NASCAR.”

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