Summit Racing Greg Anderson NHRA Pre Race: Anderson Hopes
to Get that Hometown Feeling at zMAX Dragway
Contact: Jon Knapp
Summit Racing PR
Ph: 704.662.3121
J2Racing@aol.com
Anderson Hopes to Get that Hometown Feeling at zMAX Dragway
Mooresville, N.C., March 24, 2010 – NHRA Pro Stock standout Greg Anderson is a Concord resident, living within minutes of zMAX Dragway, site of this weekend’s Four-Wide Nationals. Therefore, one would assume the Summit Racing driver would have a home field advantage going into the event, a familiarity with the racing surface that would give him an edge over the competition. However, a quick review of the first two national events held in the brief history of this spectacular facility reveals an uncharacteristic lack of either Anderson or his teammate Jason Line’s names among the previous winners, an omission the three-time champion is determined to correct this weekend.
“Being located right in our back yard, we want zMAX Dragway to be among our favorite racetracks, but so far, it just hasn’t worked out that way, which is something this Summit Racing team would like to change,�?? said Anderson. “We could try and blame our previous struggles on the racing surface, but it’s the same for everybody, so we just need to do a better job. Just as with any other track we go to, you have to be able to figure out what set-up you need to make good runs every time out. We have yet to do that in Charlotte, but we will.
“This is a very serious matter to us. After all, this is our home track, the one where all of our families and friends as well as our employees and their families can come out and watch us race, so we have to find a way to do well. No one wants to flop in front of their friends, which is why we’ve been working non-stop since the last race to improve our program. We’re looking to find better set-ups that will make our cars happier, so we can celebrate in the winner’s circle with all of our hometown fans.�??
If the pressure of performing in front of a hometown crowd were not enough, this weekend Anderson and his KB Racing crew will also have to contend with something completely new, as the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will make history with the introduction of four-wide racing. Following a well-received exhibition by the nitro categories at last September’s Carolinas Nationals, the NHRA’s professional categories will take full advantage of the unique layout at the Concord quarter-mile with four competitors running simultaneously during qualifying and final eliminations. Although some of specifics remain to be explained, the primary concept and objective remain the same.
“Despite everything that will be different about this weekend’s race, nothing is fundamentally going to change,�?? said Anderson. “We’ll still be racing our Summit Racing Pontiac down whatever lane we happen to be in, trying to make good runs every time out. The potential problem area comes in the driver’s mindset, watching four different sets of staging lights come on as you try to determine what exactly is going on, getting prepared to leave at the right time. That will be the tough part, especially considering we’re still not quite sure how they’re going to set up the trees, something I guess we’ll find out on Friday.
“That’s my main concern about the four-wide format. With four to pick from, lane choice could be a factor, but in Pro Stock, the race is often decided at the starting line. We don’t have the luxury to be off by a couple hundredths – if you are, you’re pretty much done. We need to be as close to perfect as we can be on every run, with the additional two lanes only adding to the challenge. We’ll just have to make sure and adapt to it better than our competition. The bottom line is that no matter how many cars we race, we always want to be the first one across the finish line, and quite honestly, it would be pretty cool to be the first to win the Four-Wide Nationals.�??
Greg Anderson zMAX Dragway Scorecard –
Races
Wins
Finals
#1 Qual.
Rounds W
Rounds L
Pct.
2
0
0
0
1
2
.333
Notes for Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
At zMAX Dragway:
Autograph session: Greg Anderson will be signing autographs on Thursday, March 25 from 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. at the Wal-Mart located at 5825 Thunder Road in Concord, NC.
Looking to follow his teammate’s lead: Greg is looking to follow his KB Racing stablemate Jason Line’s success at the last race in Gainesville, FL with a win of his own for the eighth time in their collective careers. The last time Anderson won a race immediately after a Line win was in Brainerd last year, where he defeated his teammate in the final.
Anderson just getting started at zMAX Dragway: In two prior starts at zMAX Dragway, Greg has a best finish of the quarterfinals, which he accomplished at the inaugural event in 2008.
Anderson Looking at Add zMAX to his Resume: zMAX Dragway is the only track on the 2010 Full Throttle circuit where Greg has yet to make a final round appearance, and one of only two on the NHRA circuit (the other being Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL) where he has yet to win a national event. In his career, Greg has won at 20 different tracks, scoring multiple wins at 17 different facilities.
Anderson Aims to better his zMAX Qualifying Stats: In two career zMAX Dragway starts, Greg has one top half starting performance, with his eighth-place qualifying performance in 2008. Overall, he has an average starting spot of 9.5. In his career, Greg has been the No. 1 qualifier 73 times and started in the top three positions in 59% of his 225 starts.
Event Schedule:
Friday, March 26: Two qualifying sessions at 1:15 & 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, March 27: Two qualifying sessions at 11:45 a.m. & 2:15 p.m.
Sunday, March 28: Final eliminations starting at 12:00 noon
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Saturday, March 27 – 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, March 28 – 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, March 28 – 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
(All times Eastern)
Established in 1968, Summit Racing Equipment is the leading high performance parts and accessories company. Summit Racing offers the largest selection, lowest prices, and best customer service in the high performance industry via catalogs, Internet, and Retail Super Stores. The company is headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio with retail locations in Tallmadge, Ohio; Sparks, Nevada; and McDonough, Georgia. For more information, please visit www.summitracing.com.
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