[coverattach=1]Mooresville, N.C., September 30, 2009 – Summit Racing Pontiac pilot Greg Anderson has a long history of success in the ultra competitive Pro Stock category, with his 59 career wins ranking third behind Hall of Fame racers Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson. Even so, by his own admission, the three-time champion’s most recent win in Dallas three days ago may have slightly altered his approach to competition.
Although the goal – to win races – remains the same, the method by which the desired results are achieved has changed slightly, as having the best car in the category is now a preferred, but no longer required, element. This weekend, Anderson will put this new philosophy to the test, as he looks to duplicate his winning performance at the O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, TN.
“I know most of the class doesn’t have this mindset, but we used to think that if we didn’t have the best car we probably wouldn’t win,” said Anderson. “However, based on our Summit Racing Pontiac’s performance last weekend in Dallas, I guess we proved in spades that we could win without the fastest car, which is a tremendous boost for the entire team.
“Would we still rather have the best car? You’re doggone right. Are we going to give up trying to make ours the best? Absolutely not – that’s why we spent one day this week testing. The bottom line is that it opened our eyes to the fact that even if you don’t have the fastest car on the grounds, you can still win. I know 90% of Pro Stock already felt that way. Still, it was an eye-opener for us, and gives us added confidence heading into Memphis.”
Further adding to the KB Racing crew’s confidence is the location of this weekend’s event. Located in the outskirts of the River City, Memphis Motorsports Park has been the site of numerous Summit Racing successes, with either Anderson or his teammate Jason Line reaching the final every year since 2003, winning a total of three times. In addition, the cooler temperatures forecast lend themselves to the high-horsepower set-ups preferred by the Mooresvil le, NC-based team. Despite all indications that this could be another productive weekend, with so much on the line Anderson knows they must hit every mark.
“Now that we’re in the middle of the Countdown, every race is crucial for the Summit Racing crew, just as it is for everyone else,” said Anderson. “We can’t win the championship this weekend, but we could certainly take ourselves out of the running. We bought ourselves some time with that win, and now it’s up to us to find some performance. At the very least, we need to continue to keep pace with Mike (current points leader Edwards), and hopefully we’ll be able to gain ground on him.
“Of course, we’re pleased to be goin g back to Memphis where our team has had so much success, and it looks like we’re going to get a break with the weather. Our engines perform better the closer the atmospheric conditions are to sea level than they do in the hot 95-degree days we faced in Dallas, so the cooler temperatures could be just what the doctor ordered. I plan on using the same +car I won with last week – after all, it worked flawlessly all weekend, so it would be foolish to swap right now, even though I know there is nothing wrong with the car I parked.
“Although the racing surface is not one of our best, we do make plenty of power in Memphis. Besides, we have historically been able to match the racetrack a little better than our competitors, so I’m not about to complain about it. Still, it will be a challenge this weekend, especially with the increased power we’ll be making, but we’ve do ne well there before, so we welcome the opportunity to do it again. We established some positive momentum we last week, and it’s important we maintain it.”
Anderson Memphis Motorsports Park Stats –
RacesWinsFinals#1 Qual.Rounds WRounds LPct.
9231146.700
Fast Facts on Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
at the O’Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals:
Greg has had major success in Memphis: In eight career starts at Memphis Motorsports Park, Greg has two wins in three final round appearances and four finishes of the semifinals or better.
Anderson Looking to Double Down: 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.
The odd years have been kind to Anderson in Memphis: Since 2003, Greg has advanced to the final round at Memphis Motorsports Park in each of the odd-numbered years, scoring wins in 2003 and 2005, while scoring a runner-up finish in 2007.
Anderson is a Top Five Starter In Tennessee: Greg has started in the Top Five in each of his last six MMP starts, highlighted by his No. 1 qualifying performance in 2006. Overall, he has a 5.33 average starting position in Memphis.
Event Schedule:
Friday, October 2: Two qualifying sessions at 2:15 & 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, October 3: Two qualifying sessions at 11:15 a.m. & 2:15 p.m.
Sunday, October 4: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Saturday, October 3 – 10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, October 4 – 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, October 4 –  ; 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.
Although the goal – to win races – remains the same, the method by which the desired results are achieved has changed slightly, as having the best car in the category is now a preferred, but no longer required, element. This weekend, Anderson will put this new philosophy to the test, as he looks to duplicate his winning performance at the O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, TN.
“I know most of the class doesn’t have this mindset, but we used to think that if we didn’t have the best car we probably wouldn’t win,” said Anderson. “However, based on our Summit Racing Pontiac’s performance last weekend in Dallas, I guess we proved in spades that we could win without the fastest car, which is a tremendous boost for the entire team.
“Would we still rather have the best car? You’re doggone right. Are we going to give up trying to make ours the best? Absolutely not – that’s why we spent one day this week testing. The bottom line is that it opened our eyes to the fact that even if you don’t have the fastest car on the grounds, you can still win. I know 90% of Pro Stock already felt that way. Still, it was an eye-opener for us, and gives us added confidence heading into Memphis.”
Further adding to the KB Racing crew’s confidence is the location of this weekend’s event. Located in the outskirts of the River City, Memphis Motorsports Park has been the site of numerous Summit Racing successes, with either Anderson or his teammate Jason Line reaching the final every year since 2003, winning a total of three times. In addition, the cooler temperatures forecast lend themselves to the high-horsepower set-ups preferred by the Mooresvil le, NC-based team. Despite all indications that this could be another productive weekend, with so much on the line Anderson knows they must hit every mark.
“Now that we’re in the middle of the Countdown, every race is crucial for the Summit Racing crew, just as it is for everyone else,” said Anderson. “We can’t win the championship this weekend, but we could certainly take ourselves out of the running. We bought ourselves some time with that win, and now it’s up to us to find some performance. At the very least, we need to continue to keep pace with Mike (current points leader Edwards), and hopefully we’ll be able to gain ground on him.
“Of course, we’re pleased to be goin g back to Memphis where our team has had so much success, and it looks like we’re going to get a break with the weather. Our engines perform better the closer the atmospheric conditions are to sea level than they do in the hot 95-degree days we faced in Dallas, so the cooler temperatures could be just what the doctor ordered. I plan on using the same +car I won with last week – after all, it worked flawlessly all weekend, so it would be foolish to swap right now, even though I know there is nothing wrong with the car I parked.
“Although the racing surface is not one of our best, we do make plenty of power in Memphis. Besides, we have historically been able to match the racetrack a little better than our competitors, so I’m not about to complain about it. Still, it will be a challenge this weekend, especially with the increased power we’ll be making, but we’ve do ne well there before, so we welcome the opportunity to do it again. We established some positive momentum we last week, and it’s important we maintain it.”
Anderson Memphis Motorsports Park Stats –
RacesWinsFinals#1 Qual.Rounds WRounds LPct.
9231146.700
Fast Facts on Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
at the O’Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals:
Greg has had major success in Memphis: In eight career starts at Memphis Motorsports Park, Greg has two wins in three final round appearances and four finishes of the semifinals or better.
Anderson Looking to Double Down: 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.
The odd years have been kind to Anderson in Memphis: Since 2003, Greg has advanced to the final round at Memphis Motorsports Park in each of the odd-numbered years, scoring wins in 2003 and 2005, while scoring a runner-up finish in 2007.
Anderson is a Top Five Starter In Tennessee: Greg has started in the Top Five in each of his last six MMP starts, highlighted by his No. 1 qualifying performance in 2006. Overall, he has a 5.33 average starting position in Memphis.
Event Schedule:
Friday, October 2: Two qualifying sessions at 2:15 & 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, October 3: Two qualifying sessions at 11:15 a.m. & 2:15 p.m.
Sunday, October 4: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Saturday, October 3 – 10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, October 4 – 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, October 4 –  ; 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.
