DSR ties its own record Brown continues hot streak with Matco Tools Top Fuel team by winning Las Vegas, heads to Pomona with chance to repeat BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Antron Brown helped Don Schumacher Racing match its record of 22 NHRA Mello Yello titles in one season by winning Top Fuel on Sunday in the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Brown joins his DSR teammates next week in Southern California at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona for the 24th and final event of the season. Not only does Antron Brown and the Matco Tools ‘Tools for the Cause’ Top Fuel dragster roars that give DSR’s to its fourth title of the season Sunday at Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of AutoImagery.com) seven teams an opportunity set a record by winning Top Fuel and/or Funny Car titles, but Brown is the only DSR driver who still has an opportunity to win an NHRA world championship. For Brown, the reigning champion with his Matco Tools team led by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald, it is a longshot but he still has a shot. Al-Anabi Racing’s Shawn Langdon will start the NHRA Finals with a 102-point lead over Brown, who has won two of the past three events to give him four titles this year and jump from fifth to second in points last weekend. "We're still in it. We've just got to take it one step at a time,” Brown said after winning the 41st title of his career and the 218th for DSR. “We're loving this NHRA series right now. We're loving it.” The most points a driver can earn at Pomona are 150 and that would include setting an NHRA national elapsed time record. While a record at Pomona might seem like a remote chance, Brown’s DSR teamate Tony Schumacher with the U.S. Army team did just that in 2006 when he won his fourth career championship by winning the final round with a record time. Although John Force clinched his 16th Funny Car world championship Sunday at Las Vegas and it eliminated Matt Hagan and the Rocky Boots/Mopar team from winning its second championship in three years, nothing can take away from the miraculous turnaround that team produced this season. After going through 2012 without winning an event title or No. 1 qualifying spot and not qualifying for the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff, the team led the points standings from June to October with four event titles in eight final rounds, won five poles and 40 rounds of eliminations. All are season-bests for Hagan, who credits crew chief Dickie Venables, assistant Michael Knudsen and the Rocky/Mopar team. DSR’s season totals (TF=Top Fuel, FC=Funny Car, PS=Pro Stock, PSM=Pro Stock Motorcycle) (DSR BESTS) YEAR TITLES/CHAMPIONSHIPS CATEGORIES 2013 22/? (thru 23 of 24 events) TF (11) FC (11) 2012 22/2 (TF-Brown, FC-Beckman) TF (12) FC (10) 2011 18/1 (FC-Hagan) TF (10) FC ( 8) 2010 15/0 TF (10) FC ( 5) 2009 14/1 (TF-Schumacher) TF ( 7) FC ( 7) 2008 21/1 (TF-Schumacher) TF (16) FC ( 3) PSM (2) 2007 16/1 (TF-Schumacher) TF ( 6) FC ( 9) PSM (1) 2006 22/1 (TF-Schumacher) TF ( 7) FC ( 8) PS (2) PSM (5) 2005 21/2 (TF-Schumacher, FC-Scelzi) TF ( 9) FC ( 8) PS (1) PSM (3) 2004 21/1 (TF-Schumacher) TF (10) FC ( 5) PSM (6) 2003 9/0 TF ( 4) FC ( 4) PSM (1) 2002 4/0 TF ( 2) FC ( 2) 2001 3/0 TF ( 0) FC ( 3) 2000 4/0 TF ( 4) 1999 1/1 (TF-Schumacher) TF ( 1) NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (Official through Oct. 27 Las Vegas; DSR drivers in CAPS) TOP FUEL driver points/wins behind 1. Shawn Langdon 2,530/6 -- 2. ANTRON BROWN 2,428/4 (-102) *3. Doug Kalitta 2,392/1 (-138) *4. SPENCER MASSEY 2,388/4 (-142) *5. Morgan Lucas 2,367/2 (-163) *6. TONY SCHUMACHER 2,363/3 (-167) *7. Clay Millican 2,326/0 (-204) *8. Khalid alBalooshi 2,254/1 (-276) *9. Bob Vandergriff 2,219/1 (-311) *10. Steve Torrence 2,166/1 (-364) * eliminated from championship contention FUNNY CAR driver points/wins behind **1. John Force 2,581/4 -- 2. MATT HAGAN 2,429/4 (-152) 3. JACK BECKMAN 2,410/0 (-171) 4. Robert Hight 2,375/2 (-206) 5. Courtney Force 2,366/2 (-215) 6. RON CAPPS 2,354/3 (-227) 7. Cruz Pedregon 2,341/4 (-240) 8. Del Worsham 2,269/0 (-312) 9. JOHNNY GRAY 2,257/4 (-324) 10. Tim Wilkerson 2,206/0 (-375) ** clinched championship Popular ‘TJ’ to replace Johnny in DSR Funny Car next season Popular drag racer Tommy Johnson Jr. will drive the nitro Funny Car currently piloted by Johnny Gray in NHRA's 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Gray drove the Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car under the Pitch Energy banner in 2013 and sponsored the season with his sister, Terry Chandler, who will continue to sponsor the operation for the entire 2014 season as Gray steps back from full-time racing. Johnson brings experience to the table with nine wins in 22 final rounds as a professional NHRA driver, including seven Funny Car victories and two Top Fuel titles. "Choosing a driver took a long time, but we just feel that TJ has earned the position," said DSR owner Don Schumacher. "He has been part of DSR's family for a number of years, and he deserves the opportunity. We believe that he will come out here and be a championship driver from the first hit. Chandler has designated the 2014 season as "A Year of Giving," and plans to utilize the (AutoImagery.com photo) Funny Car to raise awareness for Don Schumacher looks on as Terry Chandler announces that Tommy Johnson Jr., left, will replace her brother Johnny Gray next various yet-to-be-named charities year in the DSR Funny Car. At right is DSR senior vice president throughout the year. Mike Lewis during the announcement Saturday at Las Vegas. "I never dreamed that I would be blessed in a way that would allow me to help others," Chandler said. "Helping people is one of the most important things in the world to me – my daddy, John R. Gray, was an extremely giving man, and I learned from him how important it was to bless the lives of others. That’s why this means so much to me. I feel very fortunate to be in this position. "It was very important for me to keep the team together. I've come to care for everyone on this team, and they've been a big part of making this last year special for my brother. "Choosing a driver, though, was truly one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to be part of. Tommy and I have always just gotten along great, and I've seen how hard he works and been very impressed by that. I've also seen his heart, and I know what driving means to him – he's a lot like my brother, really. Driving is in Johnny Gray's heart, just the same way it is for Tommy. He's going to fit in great with our team, and I really see this as one big family that will be working together. I'm going to miss my brother being out here – I'm going to miss him so bad I can't hardly stand it – but having Tommy as our driver to complete this team is sure going to help." Big crowd visits DSR drivers at New York-New York A big crowd met with DSR drivers at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas the night before the start of the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photos courtesy of DavidAllio.com) DSR drivers await opening of autograph session at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. NHRA Countdown to the Championship schedule, results Sept. 13-15 – zMAX Dragway, Charlotte, N.C.; Winners: TF/Morgan Lucas, FC/Robert Hight Sept. 19-22 – Texas Motorplex, Dallas; Winners: TF/Doug Kalitta, FC/Cruz Pedregon Sept. 27-29 – Gateway Motorsports Park, St. Louis; Winners: TF/ANTRON BROWN, FC/John Force Oct. 3-6 – Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.; Winners: TF/Shawn Langdon, FC/John Force Oct. 24-27 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Winners: TF/ANTRON BROWN, FC/John Force Nov. 8-11 – Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, Calif. About Don Schumacher Racing Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., starts 2013 with seven professional NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel world champion Matco Tools dragster driven by Antron Brown and the U.S. Army dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Spencer Massey; and in Funny Car, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Valvoline/MTS Mail for Wounded Warriors Dodge Charger R/T, 2011 world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Pitch Energy Dodge of Johnny Gray. DSR has won 218 NHRA national event titles and 11 world championships. Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing. .