NHRA NEWS : Anderson Earns King Demons Crown At Rt. 66 Raceway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: NHRA Communications Dept., (626) 914-4761


ANDERSON EARNS KING DEMON CROWN IN ROYAL FASHION:  


CLOCKS QUICKEST PRO STOCK PASS IN NHRA HISTORY


 

            JOLIET, Ill. -- Three-time NHRA champion Greg Anderson used
the quickest Pro Stock pass in NHRA history to capture the title of the
22nd annual King Demon Crown with a victory over teammate Jason Line
Saturday at Route 66 Raceway. 

Anderson's 6.620 at 208.20 mph earned him $50,000, while Line earned
$10,000 for his runner-up finish.  

The race between Anderson and Line's identical Summit Racing Pontiac
GTOs was a stunner with Line shooting out to an early lead with a
.017-second reaction time ahead of Anderson's .031-second start. But
Anderson's hot rod tracked Line down and passed him just before the
finish line to give Anderson his second King Demon Crown title in the
last three years by just .003 seconds. Line finished with a 6.637 at
207.53.

"That was the best drag race I've ever been a part of," Anderson said.
"I shoved it in high gear and peeked over and we were dead even. I
thought there was no way I could do anything else to get ahead because
he has the exact same stuff as we do. Somehow I crept ahead by an inch
or two in the last hundred feet.

"For Jason to have a light like that and run a 6.63 and still not win is
cruel. He's become quite a driver and he always races me tough. I think
he just relaxes and has fun when we race one another and that's what it
all about. We've got work to do tomorrow but we're going out as a team
and celebrating this race tonight. We're going to spend some of that
King Demon money."

The King Demon Crown invites the top eight qualifiers from the last 23
races, beginning at last year's eighth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA
Nationals in Chicago. Racers accrue points based on their qualifying
position at each national event. A No. 1 qualifying effort is worth 175
points down to a 16th-place qualifying position, which is worth 85
points. Drivers who do not qualify for an event do not earn points at
that race.

Additionally, the low qualifier at each event earns $3,000. Anderson had
10 No. 1 starts, meaning he won a total of $80,000 from King Demon Crown
over the past year.

Starting the day as the No. 1 qualifier, Anderson beat Vieri Gaines and
Richie Stevens Jr. to get to the finals. Second-place qualifier Line
took out Allen Johnson and Erica Enders. Enders and Stevens earned
$3,000 each for their semifinal finishes. Allen Johnson, Kurt Johnson,
Warren Johnson, and Gaines received $2,500 apiece for making the field.

Anderson is now eligible for a $25,000 "double-up" bonus from NHRA
should he win Sunday's race.

Although Anderson's final-round pass is the quickest ever it will not
count as a national record because it didn't take place as part of the
qualifying or elimination racing at this weekend's national event.

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