Summit Racing Greg Anderson NHRA Pre Race: Anderson Courts
Sixth U.S. Nationals Win
Contact: Jon Knapp
Summit Racing PR
Ph: 704.662.3121
J2Racing@aol.com
Anderson Courts Sixth U.S. Nationals Win
Mooresville, N.C., September 2, 2010 – This weekend, our nation will observe Labor Day, an annual holiday designed to honor the men and women in the workforce with a day of rest. It also marks the unofficial end of summer, with children returning to school after a lengthy vacation. However, in the world of drag racing the first weekend in September signifies it is time for the biggest race of the NHRA season, the legendary Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, IN.
Pro Stock standout Greg Anderson has been a part of the “Big Go�?? since he was young, when he accompanied his father to the race, took in the entire spectacle and decided that racing was how he would make a living. In subsequent years, he realized his childhood dreams and achieved tremendous success in the Hoosier state, first as a crew chief for Hall of Famer Warren Johnson, and then as the driver of his Summit Racing Pontiac, where his five victories put him in a very select group, a showing he partially credits to his perspective.
“I’ve always considered the U.S. Nationals to be the most important race of the year, the one where doing well means the most to me, and, thank the Lord, our Summit Racing team has had a lot of great success there�?? said Anderson. “I love going to Indy to race, and believe part of the reason I’ve done so well there is because of how I feel about it. I go there and I’m just happy that I’m able to race at an event of this magnitude. It’s the biggest race in drag racing, comparable to any other series’ marquee event, the one with the most history and the biggest tradition, as well as the largest payout.
“In the weeks before the race and throughout the weekend at the track, I let that significance stay in my mind. I put more preparation and thought into this event, and buckle down more than at any other stop on the circuit, putting a little extra pressure on myself and my team. It’s an approach that has produced results in the past, and one that I’m going to stick with this weekend.�??
This year’s event will have an added twist for the Top Ten competitors in each of the four professional classes in the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, as the NHRA’s version of a championship playoff, the Countdown to One, kicks off at O’Reilly Raceway Park. With the points reset to bunch the field and only six races to determine this year’s champion, every action, whether positive or negative, is magnified, taking this prestigious event to an even higher level, a move applauded by Anderson.
“Obviously the first race of the Countdown, no matter where it is held, is going to have huge implications,�?? said Anderson. “As the first of the six races, you can’t win the championship, but you can probably lose it. If you happen to have a bad weekend and don’t perform well, you could dig yourself too deep a hole and essentially knock yourself out of the running. When you add in the fact that the first race is the U.S. Nationals, it just puts it over the top.
“I know there are some people who don’t like that this race is the first race of the Countdown. To be honest, I’m not sure that I mind it, because it will make it the most important race to everyone who rolls into the grounds, which is how it should be. It promises to be a barn-burner, a stressful, emotion-filled weekend, which is exactly how I like it.�??
Finally, after a two-week stretch between races, the three-time champion is excited at the prospect of returning to the track. Realizing this would be their final opportunity to prepare for the six-race championship run, since returning from Brainerd Anderson and his KB Racing team have worked long hours at their shop in Mooresville, NC, searching for added performance. Although the results will not truly be known until this weekend, there is a sense of cautious optimism in the Summit Racing camp.
“I believe things have gone well and feel very confident that we’re going to have a couple great Summit Racing Pontiacs this weekend,�?? said Anderson. “I’ve always liked Indy for the facility and the racing surface because it seems to play into our strengths and we always seem to run well there.
“In addition, we’ve done a tremendous amount of work over the last two weeks and believe we have made our product better, and will have two great hot rods for Jason (teammate Line) and myself. Going into the U.S. Nationals, I think we have a serious chance of either Summit Racing Pontiac winning the race, which is all we can ask for. We may not dominate, but we will definitely be in the thick of it. It’s our biggest race, and we’re going to be a serious player.�??
Notes for Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
At O’Reilly Raceway Park:
Anderson has been impressive in Indianapolis: This weekend Greg will be competing in his 12th U.S. Nationals. In his ten prior starts at ORP (he did not make the race in his initial attempt in 1998), Greg has five wins in seven final round appearances and eight finishes of the semifinals or better, posting an impressive 85.3 elimination round win percentage.
Greg is among select company at the “Big Go�??: With five U.S. Nationals wins coming into this weekend, Greg is one of only seven professional racers (four of which are currently active) in the 55-year history of drag racing’s most prestigious race with five or more wins. (The other six are Don Garlits, Tony Schumacher, Ed McCulloch, Bob Glidden, Warren Johnson and Dave Schultz, with Schumacher, WJ & possibly Glidden still competing)
Anderson’s U.S. Nationals Qualifying Stats: In his ten previous starts at O’Reilly Raceway Park, Greg has been the #1 qualifier three times, most recently in 2006, with eight starts in the top five positions. Having qualified outside the top half of the field only once, Greg’s average starting position in Indiana has been 3.5.
Event Schedule:
Friday, September 3: A single qualifying session at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 4: Two qualifying sessions at 3:00 & 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 5: Two qualifying sessions at 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Monday, September 6: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Sunday, September 5 – (three shows)
1. 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
2. 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
3. 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Monday, September 6 – 1:00 – 6:00 p.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, September 5 – 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. # # #
