Antron Brown opened the week at Miramar College in San Diego telling students not to set limits on what they believe they can accomplish in their careers.

He did that at the start of his NHRA career, when he mistakenly believed Pro Stock Motorcycles was all he could ever accomplish. But after a decade on bikes, Brown made the leap to Top Fuel dragsters.

Five years after moving up to NHRA’s most prolific division, Brown goes into this weekend’s finals at Pomona with the chance to become the first black champion. He takes a 65-point lead over teammate Tony Schumacher.