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NHRA - Odds favor Greg Anderson in Pro Stock


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LAS VEGAS (April 12, 2007) - Millions visit Las Vegas each year to bet on the odds. The drivers of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series do the same, but for a different reason.

Gamblers look for monetary reward. A driver's reward is a NHRA "Wally." Twice a year, these drivers come to Las Vegas to win their class title, this time at the eight annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

Greg Anderson, driver of the KB Racing LLC, Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO, has been installed by Station Casinos' odds maker Micah Roberts as a five-to-nine favorite in Pro Stock. His teammate, Jason Line, who drives the second Summit Racing Pontiac, has been established as the second favorite, at five-to-two odds.

Now one can see where Roberts got those odds. In the four races that have been contested in 2007, Anderson has been in two final rounds, winning both. Line, too, has visited the final round twice, coming away with a win at the last race in Houston. Thus, the Summit Pontiacs have claimed three wins and one runner-up in four races.

Additionally, at the two races held annually - one in the spring and one in the fall - at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Anderson has been a dominate force since 2003. In the spring races, the three-time NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champ has two wins and one runner-up. He posted the same numbers at the fall editions of the event. Those numbers add up for Anderson to four wins and two runner-ups for the eight races from 2003-2006.

But wait a minute, Anderson says, "Easier said than done.

"I know sometimes it looks easy when we go through and win these races, but really it's beyond hard," continued Anderson. "It takes a lot of hard work and a lot of luck. You sweat it out. It doesn't matter how well you run, you still need some luck along the way. The bottom line is that you've got to execute perfectly and when you don't you hope luck is on your side. We're human. We're not machines. That's why gamblers play the odds. You can have a large payday playing someone with high odds if it's their turn to win.

"As far as the odds go it shows we have had a lot of success in this Summit Pontiac on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but we were shut out both races here last season. So it's not always easy."

There are four races down and 13 to go in the "Countdown to Eight" segment of the "Countdown to the Championship," Anderson currently sits atop the pack. He has 368 points, 45 more than his teammate and reigning POWERade Pro Stock champion Jason Line, who is second in his Summit Racing Pontiac. Rounding out the top five are Dave Connolly, 116 behind Anderson, Jeg Coughlin, 151 back, and Mike Edwards, minus 155.

Also, while in Las Vegas, the hometown of the owners of KB Racing LLC, Anderson had the opportunity to be part of the festivities as Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities honored local businessman and team owner Ken Black for his contribution to motorsports in the Las Vegas area at the Mel Larson Night of Champions last evening. Also, on hand at the Bellagio, were Ken's family - wife, Judy, son, Kenny, and his wife Michele, Ken's mother and father, the entire KB Racing Family, and representatives of KB Racing LLC sponsor, Summit Racing Equipment. On hand from Summit were Jeff Winters, marketing team manager, and Kirk Heinbuch, motorsports and event manager.

"Ken, Judy, and Kenny are the finest owners that anyone can have in all motorsports and it is fitting that Ken should be honored for his contribution to motorsports," said Anderson. "One couldn't have a better teacher in how to run a winning motorsports program than Ken. His leadership has given me the tools to run the business side of the program and as a leader he is unequaled. His optimism and the glass is half full mentality, not half empty, provides this team with the mindset that with hard work we can win all the time. Hopefully, that next win will come right here in his hometown of Las Vegas this weekend."

QUALIFYING: Qualifying for the Pro Stock cars begins on Friday (April 13), with two sessions at 3 and 6 p.m. Qualifying for the Pro Stock class concludes on Saturday (April 14), with two sessions at 12 noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations for all teams begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Times are local Las Vegas time (PT) and subject to change.

TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the Eighth annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD Saturday evening (April 14) from 6 until 8 p.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (April 15) from 7-10 p.m. The elimination show repeats early Wednesday morning (April 18), from 4-6 a.m. Also, NHRA Race Day is back providing the drag racing fan with the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The SummitRacing.com Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen this Sunday (April 15) from 11-11:30 a.m. Television times are ET and subject to change without notice. Check your local listing.

KB RACING LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and his son Kenny Black. In the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, KB Racing LLC fields two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, one driven by Greg Anderson, a native of Duluth, Minn. who now lives in the Charlotte, N. C. area, and the other by Jason Line, a native of Wright, Minn. who now lives in the Charlotte, N. C. area, and a Top Fuel dragster, managed by Kalitta Motorsports, and driven by Hillary Will, a native of Fortuna, Calif. who now resides in Ypsilanti, Mich. Anderson won three consecutive POWERade Pro Stock Championships (2003-2005) and finished second in the point standings in 2006. Line, who finished second in points in his rookie season in 2004 and third in 2005, is the reigning 2006 POWERade Pro Stock Champion. Line was honored with the 2004 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, presented to the outstanding rookie in a professional category. Will finished No. 10 in her rookie season in Top Fuel in 2006 and was nominated for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award. The Pro Stock shop of Anderson and Line is in Mooresville, N. C. and the Kalitta Motorsports racing operation is in Ypsilanti, Mich.