Mooresville, N.C., August 19, 2009 – Motivation has never been an issue for Greg Anderson. Whether at the track or back at the Summit Racing team’s shop in Mooresville, the three-time champion can always be found working tirelessly on ways to better his performance. However, buoyed by the 58th national event win of his career this past weekend in Minnesota, the three-time champion’s energy level has risen even higher.
“That win in Brainerd gives me a compl etely new outlook heading into Reading,” said Anderson. “I know it sounds strange, but I had started to wonder if I could still get the job done. In fact, the day after it happened, I had to check the paper to make sure I actually had won.
“Now that I’ve broken the ice, I’m just going to go out there and have fun, seeing what I can do to put a few wins together. To be honest, the next race can’t come soon enough. I’m definitely going to have more energy going into this weekend than I have had at any other race this year, and hopefully this Summit Racing team can have a lot more fun.”
Adding to Anderson’s elevated spirits is the recent unparalleled performance of his Summit Racin g team. In each of the last two races, Anderson and his KB Racing running mate Jason Line have been the last cars standing in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, splitting the victories between them. As a result, he enters the weekend cautiously optimistic about his chances of winning consecutive races for the 24th time in his career.
“Right now, everything is going great for this Summit Racing team, with everyone excited and working even harder than normal,” stated Anderson. “I see this win as being similar to when we brought out last year’s car out for Jason before Norwalk. There was really nothing wrong with the other car – in fact, we’re bringing it back out this weekend with Ronnie Humphrey driving. It’s just that we couldn’t get it to run the way we wanted it to.
0A
“Knowing we needed to do something to turn things around, we made the decision to switch and Jason’s been to the final round every race since. That’s what can happen when you have one good thing – it can usually snowball, and I’m looking forward to that continuing this weekend in Reading.”
The final piece of the winning puzzle could be Anderson’s solid record at Maple Grove Raceway, site of this weekend’s event. With two wins in three final round appearances, the Rob Downing-led crew certainly has a handle on what it takes to succeed at the Pennsylvania quarter-mile, information they hope to put to good use.
I saw on the internet where the NHRA has re-upped with Maple Grove for the next few years, which I was happy to see,” said Anderson. “When the conditions get really cool and overcast, you can set records there. But the weather isn’t the only factor - the surface is good, too, and they pay attention to it when it needs it. It can get a little rough, but they try and address it as quickly as possible. It was very good last year, and we hope it will be again this year.
“Those are the type of tracks you enjoy going to. After all, we’re racers – we love running fast, and we’ve definitely run some of our best e.t.’s there in the past. Although the forecast for this weekend may not lend itself to record time, just knowing that potential exists and the fact that the crowd really enjoys Pro Stock really pumps you up. Between the track and my Summit Racing team, my outlook for this weekend is pretty darn positive, almost better than it has been all year. We’re ready to race.”
Anderson Maple Grove Raceway Stats –
RacesWinsFinals#1 Qual.Rounds WRounds LPct.
8234176.739
Fast Facts on Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals:
Greg has been golden at the ‘Grove: In eight career starts at Maple Grove Raceway, Greg has two wins in three final round appearances and five finishes of the semifinals or better.
Most recent win: Greg’s most recent Reading win coming into this weekend was in 2006, when he qualified second and defeated Max Naylor, Kurt Johnson, Mike Edwards and Greg Stanfield.
Track Record Holder: Greg holds both ends of the Maple Grove Raceway track record, based on his 6.583-second elapsed time and 209.88 mph top speed from 2007.
Doubling Up: Greg is looking to follow a win with another for the 24th time in his career. The last time he won consecutive races was in 2008, when he won the Englishtown, Norwalk and Denver events.
Since 2003, Anderson has been a top two starter in Reading: Greg has been the No. 1 qualifier four times in Reading (in eight career starts), and has started in the top two positions every year since 2003. Overall, he has an average starting spot of 4.2 in Maple Grove.
Event Schedule:
Friday, August 21: Two qualifying sessions at 3:00 & 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 22: Two qualifying sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 23: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Sunday, August 23 – 1:00 - 3:00 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, August 23 – 10:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, August 23 – 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
(All times Eastern)
Established in 1968, S ummit 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.
“That win in Brainerd gives me a compl etely new outlook heading into Reading,” said Anderson. “I know it sounds strange, but I had started to wonder if I could still get the job done. In fact, the day after it happened, I had to check the paper to make sure I actually had won.
“Now that I’ve broken the ice, I’m just going to go out there and have fun, seeing what I can do to put a few wins together. To be honest, the next race can’t come soon enough. I’m definitely going to have more energy going into this weekend than I have had at any other race this year, and hopefully this Summit Racing team can have a lot more fun.”
Adding to Anderson’s elevated spirits is the recent unparalleled performance of his Summit Racin g team. In each of the last two races, Anderson and his KB Racing running mate Jason Line have been the last cars standing in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, splitting the victories between them. As a result, he enters the weekend cautiously optimistic about his chances of winning consecutive races for the 24th time in his career.
“Right now, everything is going great for this Summit Racing team, with everyone excited and working even harder than normal,” stated Anderson. “I see this win as being similar to when we brought out last year’s car out for Jason before Norwalk. There was really nothing wrong with the other car – in fact, we’re bringing it back out this weekend with Ronnie Humphrey driving. It’s just that we couldn’t get it to run the way we wanted it to.
0A
“Knowing we needed to do something to turn things around, we made the decision to switch and Jason’s been to the final round every race since. That’s what can happen when you have one good thing – it can usually snowball, and I’m looking forward to that continuing this weekend in Reading.”
The final piece of the winning puzzle could be Anderson’s solid record at Maple Grove Raceway, site of this weekend’s event. With two wins in three final round appearances, the Rob Downing-led crew certainly has a handle on what it takes to succeed at the Pennsylvania quarter-mile, information they hope to put to good use.
I saw on the internet where the NHRA has re-upped with Maple Grove for the next few years, which I was happy to see,” said Anderson. “When the conditions get really cool and overcast, you can set records there. But the weather isn’t the only factor - the surface is good, too, and they pay attention to it when it needs it. It can get a little rough, but they try and address it as quickly as possible. It was very good last year, and we hope it will be again this year.
“Those are the type of tracks you enjoy going to. After all, we’re racers – we love running fast, and we’ve definitely run some of our best e.t.’s there in the past. Although the forecast for this weekend may not lend itself to record time, just knowing that potential exists and the fact that the crowd really enjoys Pro Stock really pumps you up. Between the track and my Summit Racing team, my outlook for this weekend is pretty darn positive, almost better than it has been all year. We’re ready to race.”
Anderson Maple Grove Raceway Stats –
RacesWinsFinals#1 Qual.Rounds WRounds LPct.
8234176.739
Fast Facts on Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals:
Greg has been golden at the ‘Grove: In eight career starts at Maple Grove Raceway, Greg has two wins in three final round appearances and five finishes of the semifinals or better.
Most recent win: Greg’s most recent Reading win coming into this weekend was in 2006, when he qualified second and defeated Max Naylor, Kurt Johnson, Mike Edwards and Greg Stanfield.
Track Record Holder: Greg holds both ends of the Maple Grove Raceway track record, based on his 6.583-second elapsed time and 209.88 mph top speed from 2007.
Doubling Up: Greg is looking to follow a win with another for the 24th time in his career. The last time he won consecutive races was in 2008, when he won the Englishtown, Norwalk and Denver events.
Since 2003, Anderson has been a top two starter in Reading: Greg has been the No. 1 qualifier four times in Reading (in eight career starts), and has started in the top two positions every year since 2003. Overall, he has an average starting spot of 4.2 in Maple Grove.
Event Schedule:
Friday, August 21: Two qualifying sessions at 3:00 & 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 22: Two qualifying sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 23: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Sunday, August 23 – 1:00 - 3:00 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, August 23 – 10:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, August 23 – 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
(All times Eastern)
Established in 1968, S ummit 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.
