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By all accounts, Summit Racing Pro Stock standout Greg Anderson is in a prime position to capture his fourth NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock championship. With a 115-point lead following his highly emotional win in Las Vegas two weeks ago, there are multiple scenarios in which he can clinch the title short of winning Sunday’s Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, CA. Even so, neither he nor his KB Racing crew are about to abandon the aggressive approach they have used to good effect throughout the Countdown to One playoff season.
“The championship isn’t won until they hand you the trophy and the big check, so this Summit Racing team is going into Pomona with guns blazing,” said Anderson. “After all, as we have seen in the past, lightning can strike at any point during the final race, changing what most would consider a done deal. Having already had a pretty crazy year, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point.
“Still, we’re not going to take it easy or race defensively. I’ve seen teams in many different sports lose when they play that way, so I’m certainly not going to do it. We’re going to be as aggressive as we’ve ever been, doing whatever it takes to win the race. After all, if you want to be the champion, you don’t want your last race to be a dud. You want to finish off with a bang, so you can step on that stage on Monday night knowing you had a great weekend. There’s a lot on the line, so we’re not about to lift off the throttle.”
For the second consecutive race, Anderson will deploy his not-so-secret weapon in the form of team owner and close friend Ken Black. Encouraged by his crew’s stellar performance in his return to the racetrack in Las Vegas where both Summit-backed entries advanced to the final, Black has decided to make the trip to California for this weekend’s race, where his presence will undoubtedly provide his team with an extra spark.
“We’re not about to worry about the championship, because just like in Las Vegas, it’s going to be a great weekend no matter what happens because Ken (team owner Black) will be with there with us,” said Anderson. “He’s actually going to go on the road and travel to a race for the first time all year. His presence certainly made a difference in Vegas, because even though we struggled in qualifying, we kept a positive attitude, and had great results with both Summit cars in the final. With him back out there, we can handle anything that gets thrown at us, and as along as we go in with that attitude, things are going to work out just fine.”
However, Anderson’s objective for this final race extends beyond his own pursuit of the title. With running mate Jason Line rising steadily through the ranks over the last few events, the opportunity exists for the two to finish atop the Pro Stock standings, an outcome Anderson is determined to help happen.
“As important as it is for us to wrap up the championship, we also have to focus on getting Jason as high as we can in the final points standings,” said Anderson. “If things go our way, he could finish as high as second, which would be an awesome result for Ken, Judy and Kenny Black, as well as everyone from Summit Racing Equipment. Therefore, I’m going to help him in whatever way possible, with all three cars including Ronnie’s (Humphrey) Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pontiac trying to eliminate Jason’s competition wherever we can. It will take some doing, but I think we’re up to the task.”
One final factor further aiding Anderson’s pre-race confidence is his strong record at the Auto Club Raceway, site of this weekend’s event. His nine wins on the Pomona quarter-mile are most at any single track throughout his career (and second most among all Pro Stock competitors, trailing only Bob Glidden), and include the last two Finals, a record he hopes to embellish with this year’s edition.
“Whether we are in hunt for the championship or not, I love this racetrack and this race, period,” said Anderson. “It’s the end of the year, and no matter how much we might have struggled before, we always seem to get our act together and put ourselves in a position to win this race. There is a lot of tradition associated with this one race, so I look forward to it under any circumstances, but think we can do a lot of good this weekend. It means a lot to me to finish off on a strong note, so I’m anxious to get there and get going.”
Notes for Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
At The Auto Club Raceway at Pomona:
Pomona has been very good to Greg Anderson: In his 19 previous starts at the Auto Club Raceway, Greg has nine wins (the second highest of any professional competitor) in ten final round appearances and 13 finishes of the semifinals or better. Greg’s most recent Pomona win came at this race one year ago.
Defending champion x2: Greg comes into this weekend as the two-time defending Finals champion, having won here in 2008 & 2009. In each instance, after advancing past the first round, Greg defeated Greg Stanfield in the second round, Mike Edwards in the semis and Kurt Johnson in the final en route to the win, with KJ bowing out of both final rounds on a red light.
Greg’s Pomona Qualifying Stats: In 19 prior career starts at The Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Greg has qualified in the top four positions 14 times, highlighted by eight No. 1 qualifying performances, most recently in the 2009 Winternationals. Overall, he has an average starting position of 3.63 at the Fairplex, and has only qualified outside the top half of the field once since the 2002 Finals (a span of 16 races).
Aiming for Five Straight: Having advanced to the final round at the last four races in Charlotte, Dallas, Reading & Las Vegas, Greg is looking to make five consecutive final round appearances for the fourth time in his career. The last time he accomplished this feat was in 2004, when he advanced to the finals in Madison, Denver, Seattle, Sonoma and Brainerd.
Event Schedule:
Thursday & Friday, November 11 & 12: A single qualifying session at 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 13: Two qualifying sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 14: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage:
Qualifying: Saturday, November 13 – 10:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
Eliminations: Sunday, November 14 – 9:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. (ESPN)
RaceDay: Sunday, November 14 – 10:00 - 10:30 – a.m. (ESPN2)
(All times Eastern)
Note: Final Eliminations Online Video Coverage also available on ESPN3.com on Sunday, November 14 starting at 2:00 p.m. (ET)/11:00 a.m. (PT)
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 Summit Racing ? High Performance Car and Truck Parts l Edelbrock, ACCEL, Moroso, K&N, MSD, Holley & More!.
“The championship isn’t won until they hand you the trophy and the big check, so this Summit Racing team is going into Pomona with guns blazing,” said Anderson. “After all, as we have seen in the past, lightning can strike at any point during the final race, changing what most would consider a done deal. Having already had a pretty crazy year, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point.
“Still, we’re not going to take it easy or race defensively. I’ve seen teams in many different sports lose when they play that way, so I’m certainly not going to do it. We’re going to be as aggressive as we’ve ever been, doing whatever it takes to win the race. After all, if you want to be the champion, you don’t want your last race to be a dud. You want to finish off with a bang, so you can step on that stage on Monday night knowing you had a great weekend. There’s a lot on the line, so we’re not about to lift off the throttle.”
For the second consecutive race, Anderson will deploy his not-so-secret weapon in the form of team owner and close friend Ken Black. Encouraged by his crew’s stellar performance in his return to the racetrack in Las Vegas where both Summit-backed entries advanced to the final, Black has decided to make the trip to California for this weekend’s race, where his presence will undoubtedly provide his team with an extra spark.
“We’re not about to worry about the championship, because just like in Las Vegas, it’s going to be a great weekend no matter what happens because Ken (team owner Black) will be with there with us,” said Anderson. “He’s actually going to go on the road and travel to a race for the first time all year. His presence certainly made a difference in Vegas, because even though we struggled in qualifying, we kept a positive attitude, and had great results with both Summit cars in the final. With him back out there, we can handle anything that gets thrown at us, and as along as we go in with that attitude, things are going to work out just fine.”
However, Anderson’s objective for this final race extends beyond his own pursuit of the title. With running mate Jason Line rising steadily through the ranks over the last few events, the opportunity exists for the two to finish atop the Pro Stock standings, an outcome Anderson is determined to help happen.
“As important as it is for us to wrap up the championship, we also have to focus on getting Jason as high as we can in the final points standings,” said Anderson. “If things go our way, he could finish as high as second, which would be an awesome result for Ken, Judy and Kenny Black, as well as everyone from Summit Racing Equipment. Therefore, I’m going to help him in whatever way possible, with all three cars including Ronnie’s (Humphrey) Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pontiac trying to eliminate Jason’s competition wherever we can. It will take some doing, but I think we’re up to the task.”
One final factor further aiding Anderson’s pre-race confidence is his strong record at the Auto Club Raceway, site of this weekend’s event. His nine wins on the Pomona quarter-mile are most at any single track throughout his career (and second most among all Pro Stock competitors, trailing only Bob Glidden), and include the last two Finals, a record he hopes to embellish with this year’s edition.
“Whether we are in hunt for the championship or not, I love this racetrack and this race, period,” said Anderson. “It’s the end of the year, and no matter how much we might have struggled before, we always seem to get our act together and put ourselves in a position to win this race. There is a lot of tradition associated with this one race, so I look forward to it under any circumstances, but think we can do a lot of good this weekend. It means a lot to me to finish off on a strong note, so I’m anxious to get there and get going.”
Notes for Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
At The Auto Club Raceway at Pomona:
Pomona has been very good to Greg Anderson: In his 19 previous starts at the Auto Club Raceway, Greg has nine wins (the second highest of any professional competitor) in ten final round appearances and 13 finishes of the semifinals or better. Greg’s most recent Pomona win came at this race one year ago.
Defending champion x2: Greg comes into this weekend as the two-time defending Finals champion, having won here in 2008 & 2009. In each instance, after advancing past the first round, Greg defeated Greg Stanfield in the second round, Mike Edwards in the semis and Kurt Johnson in the final en route to the win, with KJ bowing out of both final rounds on a red light.
Greg’s Pomona Qualifying Stats: In 19 prior career starts at The Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Greg has qualified in the top four positions 14 times, highlighted by eight No. 1 qualifying performances, most recently in the 2009 Winternationals. Overall, he has an average starting position of 3.63 at the Fairplex, and has only qualified outside the top half of the field once since the 2002 Finals (a span of 16 races).
Aiming for Five Straight: Having advanced to the final round at the last four races in Charlotte, Dallas, Reading & Las Vegas, Greg is looking to make five consecutive final round appearances for the fourth time in his career. The last time he accomplished this feat was in 2004, when he advanced to the finals in Madison, Denver, Seattle, Sonoma and Brainerd.
Event Schedule:
Thursday & Friday, November 11 & 12: A single qualifying session at 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 13: Two qualifying sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 14: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage:
Qualifying: Saturday, November 13 – 10:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
Eliminations: Sunday, November 14 – 9:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. (ESPN)
RaceDay: Sunday, November 14 – 10:00 - 10:30 – a.m. (ESPN2)
(All times Eastern)
Note: Final Eliminations Online Video Coverage also available on ESPN3.com on Sunday, November 14 starting at 2:00 p.m. (ET)/11:00 a.m. (PT)
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 Summit Racing ? High Performance Car and Truck Parts l Edelbrock, ACCEL, Moroso, K&N, MSD, Holley & More!.
