Mooresville, N.C., June 22, 2011 – One year ago at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Greg Anderson had the type of weekend most racers only dream about. As the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series arrived in Norwalk, Ohio the Summit Racing team was somewhat in flux due to the combination of team owner Ken Black’s health issues and Anderson’s devastating house fire suffered in the off-season. Although they had compiled a solid record in the first 12 races, including a runner-up finish at the season-opening Winternationals, they had yet to reach the winner’s circle.
However, all that changed in the matter of two days. On Saturday, Anderson won the K&N Horsepower Challenge specialty race for the third time, sandwiching a win over Allen Johnson between holeshot victories over Rodger Brogdon in the first round and Mike Edwards in the final. He then topped that impressive showing by winning his sponsor’s race on Sunday and earning a $25,000 “double up” bonus. It was a performance that the Mooresville, N.C. resident credits with propelling the team towards their fourth championship.
Understandably, as the world’s best quarter-milers return to central Ohio for this year’s edition, Anderson is looking to repeat that performance and regain some much-needed momentum. Having had to rebuild his operation after suffering a transporter fire four days after the end of the 2010 season, Anderson has gotten off to a solid start, winning once in three final round appearances, although he is still looking for the competitive consistency he will need to successfully defend his title.
“Our weekend in Norwalk last year was just one of those special moments,” said Anderson. “We had gone into the weekend not running well and hoping not to embarrass ourselves in front of everyone from Summit. Fortunately, we learned a few things in the week leading up to the race and ended up winning both the K&N Horsepower Challenge on Saturday and the Summit race on Sunday. That proved to be the spark we needed, kick-starting our season and putting us on the road that would bring us the championship.
“As strange as it may sound, we seem to be going into Norwalk in the same type of situation this year, struggling with my race car, trying to get it to perform. We’ve been racking our brains trying to come up with a solution that has so far evaded us, but know we’re one tick away from having something really good. Hopefully, history will repeat itself and we can get the job done in Norwalk. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
For most competitors, the trifecta of racing in a race and at a track bearing your sponsors’ name with numerous employees, including many high-ranking executives, in attendance would be the ultimate pressure situation. Although acknowledging the event’s significance, the KB Racing crew’s pre-race preparation will remain the same as it is for any race they enter. It is an approach that has served them, with Anderson and Line winning three of the four national events held at Summit Motorsports Park.
“With 22 races on the schedule, you really don’t want to peak at a particular race, so you prepare for them all the same, and try just as hard to win each one,” said Anderson. “However, there’s no denying that this particular event carries a little more importance than some of the others.
“After all, not only does Summit sponsor the race and the track, but being about an hour’s drive from their headquarters, we know a lot of the employees will be coming out to watch us race, so naturally we want to put on a good show and make them proud that we carry their name on our race cars.
“We’re definitely looking forward to getting to Norwalk. It’s one place we love going to every year with the Bader family and their staff doing everything they can to make it a tremendous experience for both the racers and the fans. There’s a lot of good karma for us at that racetrack, which could be exactly what the doctor ordered. We’re ready to get back on the winning track.”
However, this race will also include another event of great significance, Saturday’s K&N Horsepower Challenge, which pits eight of Pro Stock’s drivers in a three-round shootout, with the winner taking home $50,000.
“The K&N Horsepower Challenge is our most fun event of the year,” said Anderson. “Not only do we get to race for a lot of cash, but we get to do it without having to worry about points. If you can win that race, it’s your biggest single-day pay check of the season, especially if you can double up like we did last year. You also get this incredible trophy, and, best of all, you help a fan win a new car. It just doesn’t get better than that, and I want to thank Steve Williams and everyone at K&N for sponsoring this event, as well as everything they do for our sport.
“Any way you look at it, this is our biggest weekend of the year, from the K&N Challenge to racing in a Summit race at a Summit track in Summit’s backyard. It’s the type of situation in which this team usually excels, and I see no reason why we can’t do it again this year. Between Jason, Ronnie and myself we should have three fast race cars, and it’s our job to make sure one of them ends the day in the winner’s circle.”
However, all that changed in the matter of two days. On Saturday, Anderson won the K&N Horsepower Challenge specialty race for the third time, sandwiching a win over Allen Johnson between holeshot victories over Rodger Brogdon in the first round and Mike Edwards in the final. He then topped that impressive showing by winning his sponsor’s race on Sunday and earning a $25,000 “double up” bonus. It was a performance that the Mooresville, N.C. resident credits with propelling the team towards their fourth championship.
Understandably, as the world’s best quarter-milers return to central Ohio for this year’s edition, Anderson is looking to repeat that performance and regain some much-needed momentum. Having had to rebuild his operation after suffering a transporter fire four days after the end of the 2010 season, Anderson has gotten off to a solid start, winning once in three final round appearances, although he is still looking for the competitive consistency he will need to successfully defend his title.
“Our weekend in Norwalk last year was just one of those special moments,” said Anderson. “We had gone into the weekend not running well and hoping not to embarrass ourselves in front of everyone from Summit. Fortunately, we learned a few things in the week leading up to the race and ended up winning both the K&N Horsepower Challenge on Saturday and the Summit race on Sunday. That proved to be the spark we needed, kick-starting our season and putting us on the road that would bring us the championship.
“As strange as it may sound, we seem to be going into Norwalk in the same type of situation this year, struggling with my race car, trying to get it to perform. We’ve been racking our brains trying to come up with a solution that has so far evaded us, but know we’re one tick away from having something really good. Hopefully, history will repeat itself and we can get the job done in Norwalk. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
For most competitors, the trifecta of racing in a race and at a track bearing your sponsors’ name with numerous employees, including many high-ranking executives, in attendance would be the ultimate pressure situation. Although acknowledging the event’s significance, the KB Racing crew’s pre-race preparation will remain the same as it is for any race they enter. It is an approach that has served them, with Anderson and Line winning three of the four national events held at Summit Motorsports Park.
“With 22 races on the schedule, you really don’t want to peak at a particular race, so you prepare for them all the same, and try just as hard to win each one,” said Anderson. “However, there’s no denying that this particular event carries a little more importance than some of the others.
“After all, not only does Summit sponsor the race and the track, but being about an hour’s drive from their headquarters, we know a lot of the employees will be coming out to watch us race, so naturally we want to put on a good show and make them proud that we carry their name on our race cars.
“We’re definitely looking forward to getting to Norwalk. It’s one place we love going to every year with the Bader family and their staff doing everything they can to make it a tremendous experience for both the racers and the fans. There’s a lot of good karma for us at that racetrack, which could be exactly what the doctor ordered. We’re ready to get back on the winning track.”
However, this race will also include another event of great significance, Saturday’s K&N Horsepower Challenge, which pits eight of Pro Stock’s drivers in a three-round shootout, with the winner taking home $50,000.
“The K&N Horsepower Challenge is our most fun event of the year,” said Anderson. “Not only do we get to race for a lot of cash, but we get to do it without having to worry about points. If you can win that race, it’s your biggest single-day pay check of the season, especially if you can double up like we did last year. You also get this incredible trophy, and, best of all, you help a fan win a new car. It just doesn’t get better than that, and I want to thank Steve Williams and everyone at K&N for sponsoring this event, as well as everything they do for our sport.
“Any way you look at it, this is our biggest weekend of the year, from the K&N Challenge to racing in a Summit race at a Summit track in Summit’s backyard. It’s the type of situation in which this team usually excels, and I see no reason why we can’t do it again this year. Between Jason, Ronnie and myself we should have three fast race cars, and it’s our job to make sure one of them ends the day in the winner’s circle.”
