Summit Racing Greg Anderson NHRA Pre Race: Anderson Sees Houston as Site to Accelerate Learning Curve

Contact: Jon Knapp
Summit Racing PR
Ph: 704.662.3121
J2Racing@aol.com
Anderson Sees Houston as Site to Accelerate Learning Curve
 
Mooresville, N.C., April 7, 2010 – Participation in the NHRA’s Full Throttle Drag Racing Series is a continuous learning process. Whether a rookie in his or her first race or a seasoned veteran with multiple national event wins, the search for speed never stops.  Therefore, as the straight-line set prepared to head to Houston, TX for this weekend’s O’Reilly Spring Nationals, Pro Stock standout Greg Anderson and his Summit Racing team worked to extract extra performance from their record-setting Pontiacs. 
 
“We’re looking forward to getting to Houston and returning to our normal two-lane routine,�?? said Anderson.  “Of course, the issues I had at the last race were completely unrelated to the different format – I would have been in trouble if we were racing one-wide.  For some reason, we struggled with our race cars all weekend in Charlotte. We just couldn’t get them off the starting line.  
 
“For the last week, we’ve been working to find a way to make my Summit Racing Pontiac happy.  I believe we did some things wrong at the last race that we learned from, and, as a result, I think we’ll have a better product when we get to Houston.  I’m not ready to say we’ll be bad to the bone there, but I do think we will be a lot better than we were in Charlotte.�??
 
Located in the Houston suburb of Baytown, Houston Raceway Park is acknowledged as one of the sport’s true speed plants, with the combination of sea-level altitude and a fast racing surface capable of producing record numbers under the right conditions.  Although this weekend’s seasonable spring temperatures may prevent any attempts at a national mark, teams know they will still need to be at their very best in order to contend on race day.  With two prior wins, Anderson knows what it takes to succeed at the Lone Star state quarter-mile, knowledge he and he crew will look to convert into their first win of the season.
 
“We’ve had good success at Houston Raceway Park in the past, which we hope to duplicate this weekend,�?? said Anderson.  “I like the track’s layout and it’s always good for performance, with the Pro Stock Cars usually running well there.  It’s a fast racetrack, which is exactly what this Summit Racing team likes, so we can’t wait to get there. 
 
“Given the right conditions, we could see some pretty strong numbers this weekend.  Of course, that all depends on Mother Nature.  If we see 70’s or lower, it’s going to be a very, very fast racetrack, but if it’s hotter than that, we’ll have our first exposure of the season to a hot and greasy racetrack, requiring a completely different set-up.  We tested in the heat last week in North Carolina, so if that’s what we run into this weekend, we’ll have a few laps already under our belt, which should help.  In either case, we need to be ready for whatever’s thrown at us, and I’m confident we will.  It’s time for us to get back on a winning track, and Houston would be a great place to start.�??
 
Notes for Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
At Houston Raceway Park:
 
Anderson at HRP: In ten career starts at Houston Raceway Park, Greg has two wins in as many final round appearances and three finishes of the semifinals or better.  Greg’s most recent Baytown win coming into this weekend was in 2008, when he qualified sixth and defeated Greg Stanfield, Matt Hartford, Allen Johnson and Kurt Johnson for the 53rd win of his Pro Stock career.
 
Anderson’s Baytown Qualifying Stats:  In ten career Houston Raceway Park starts, Greg has one No. 1 qualifying performance (in 2004), and seven starts in the top three positions.  Overall, he has an average starting spot of 4.5.
 
National Record Holder: Greg currently holds the NHRA Top Speed Record for the Pro Stock category at 212.46 mph, which he set in Charlotte two weeks ago, bettering his own mark of 212.36 mph.
 
Event Schedule:
            Friday, April 9:                      Two qualifying sessions at 2:45 & 5:15 p.m.
            Saturday, April 10:               Two qualifying sessions at 11:30 a.m. & 2:15 p.m.
            Sunday, April 11:                 Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
 
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
            Qualifying:                Saturday, April 10 – 10:30 p.m.  – 12:30 a.m.
            Eliminations:                        Sunday, April 11 – 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.
            RaceDay:                  Sunday, April 11 – 2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
(All times Eastern – please check local listings)   
 
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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