Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson added yet another accomplishment to his impressive racing resume on Saturday, successfully defending his title at the K&N Horsepower Challenge at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. Starting from the fourth position, Anderson defeated Ron Krisher and Erica Enders in the opening rounds before squaring off against Mike Edwards in a replay of last year’s championship round.
Although Edwards was able to gain the advantage at the start, Anderson was able to run him down, using a 6.587-second, 209.17 mph pass to eclipse his rival’s 6.632-second, 208.65 mph effort. It was Anderson’s fourth win in Pro Stock’s annual specialty race, tying him with Kurt Johnson for the most in the event’s 27-year history, and earning him a $50,000 payday.
“Last year we came into this race struggling a little bit and didn’t have a great hot rod, but we ended up winning the K&N Horsepower Challenge which turned our season around,” said Anderson. “It really wasn’t that different this year, because we’ve been fighting with the tune up on my race car.
“Although our first two qualifying runs were nothing great, we found something before the second round of the Challenge, and my Summit Racing Pontiac really came around. In the final round it was just fantastic, and really bailed me out. It’s a great feeling, and hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come.”
After nearly matching his qualifying performance with a 6.605-second, 209.17 mph run in his first round win over veteran Ron Krisher, Anderson squared off against Erica Enders in the second round, who had captured the No. 1 qualifying position with a 6.585-second pass in the opening stanza.
Using a lightning-quick .008 reaction time, he gained the advantage by nearly three hundredths of a second at the start, powering into his fourth consecutive Horsepower Challenge final with the quickest and fastest pass of the day at 6.583-seconds, 209.52 mph, setting the stage for his final round encounter against Edwards, his fourth consecutive appearance in the event’s money round.
“Going into the second round, I was asking the heavens for some good fortune.” said Anderson. “We had yet to make a decent run, and Erica and her team have been doing a great job all year, so I knew they were going to be tough. I was absolutely shocked that the race car came around as well as it did, but my guys did an absolutely fantastic job, hitting the bulls-eye, giving me the best race car I’ve had all year.
“That was so huge not only for me, but for this entire Summit Racing team. They did a tremendous job today, allowing me to drive around Mike Edwards in the final, which, knowing what kind of hot rod he has is not an easy chore.”
Anderson’s win also made a winner out of Harold Goldberg of Rio Rancho, N.M., who won a new 2011 Ford Explorer as part of the K&N-sponsored contest held in association with the event. Mr. Goldberg was one of eight finalists in attendance on Saturday, and was paired up with Anderson on Friday, with his performance earning him the new wheels.
“Between Harold and myself, I don’t know who was more excited,” said Anderson. “When I came off the track at the top end, he came over as soon as I stopped and was yelling at me in the car, congratulating and thanking me at the same time. He had an old Ford F-150 that he was thinking of replacing, and this couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m so glad to be able to help him win it.
“Getting the fans involved is just one of the many neat things that Steve Williams and the people at K&N put into this Horsepower Challenge. Every year, they do something to make it better, and it really makes you appreciate what they do for Pro Stock. We’re lucky to have them promoting our class, and I’m proud to be a part of it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s held at Summit Motorsports Park, allowing us to enjoy the win with all our friends from Summit. It’s just a great event.”
In addition to matching Kurt Johnson’s win total in the bonus race, Anderson also became the fifth driver in its history to win in consecutive seasons. However, with the trophy and cash in hand, the four-time series champion now turned his focus on tomorrow’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, where he starts ninth, with another win garnering a $25,000 “double up” bonus as he had done last year.
‘It’s really cool to tie Kurt for the most wins in the Horsepower Challenge,” said Anderson. “Back in the day when I worked with Kurt and Warren, it seemed KJ was winning this event every year. It’s taken a lot of years to get close to him and now tie him, with our next goal being to try and get ahead.
"But for now we’re going to enjoy this moment. We’ve got this beautiful trophy and ring and that $50,000 pay day, which is so exciting to every member of this KB Racing team. It was a fantastic day, and I want to thank Steve Williams and everyone at K&N for this tremendous program. Of course, now we have to see what we can do about doubling up again tomorrow.
“Tonight, I’m going to sleep like a baby, happy as can be and come out here tomorrow with confidence up to my earlobes, and hopefully have a good race. Today was a huge turnaround, and I want to thank every member of this KB Racing team for getting it done. They won this race for me, and hopefully turned our season around. It’s a great day, and I can’t thank everybody enough, from this race team to K&N and Summit – they made it all possible, and I believe it’s only the start.”
Although Edwards was able to gain the advantage at the start, Anderson was able to run him down, using a 6.587-second, 209.17 mph pass to eclipse his rival’s 6.632-second, 208.65 mph effort. It was Anderson’s fourth win in Pro Stock’s annual specialty race, tying him with Kurt Johnson for the most in the event’s 27-year history, and earning him a $50,000 payday.
“Last year we came into this race struggling a little bit and didn’t have a great hot rod, but we ended up winning the K&N Horsepower Challenge which turned our season around,” said Anderson. “It really wasn’t that different this year, because we’ve been fighting with the tune up on my race car.
“Although our first two qualifying runs were nothing great, we found something before the second round of the Challenge, and my Summit Racing Pontiac really came around. In the final round it was just fantastic, and really bailed me out. It’s a great feeling, and hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come.”
After nearly matching his qualifying performance with a 6.605-second, 209.17 mph run in his first round win over veteran Ron Krisher, Anderson squared off against Erica Enders in the second round, who had captured the No. 1 qualifying position with a 6.585-second pass in the opening stanza.
Using a lightning-quick .008 reaction time, he gained the advantage by nearly three hundredths of a second at the start, powering into his fourth consecutive Horsepower Challenge final with the quickest and fastest pass of the day at 6.583-seconds, 209.52 mph, setting the stage for his final round encounter against Edwards, his fourth consecutive appearance in the event’s money round.
“Going into the second round, I was asking the heavens for some good fortune.” said Anderson. “We had yet to make a decent run, and Erica and her team have been doing a great job all year, so I knew they were going to be tough. I was absolutely shocked that the race car came around as well as it did, but my guys did an absolutely fantastic job, hitting the bulls-eye, giving me the best race car I’ve had all year.
“That was so huge not only for me, but for this entire Summit Racing team. They did a tremendous job today, allowing me to drive around Mike Edwards in the final, which, knowing what kind of hot rod he has is not an easy chore.”
Anderson’s win also made a winner out of Harold Goldberg of Rio Rancho, N.M., who won a new 2011 Ford Explorer as part of the K&N-sponsored contest held in association with the event. Mr. Goldberg was one of eight finalists in attendance on Saturday, and was paired up with Anderson on Friday, with his performance earning him the new wheels.
“Between Harold and myself, I don’t know who was more excited,” said Anderson. “When I came off the track at the top end, he came over as soon as I stopped and was yelling at me in the car, congratulating and thanking me at the same time. He had an old Ford F-150 that he was thinking of replacing, and this couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m so glad to be able to help him win it.
“Getting the fans involved is just one of the many neat things that Steve Williams and the people at K&N put into this Horsepower Challenge. Every year, they do something to make it better, and it really makes you appreciate what they do for Pro Stock. We’re lucky to have them promoting our class, and I’m proud to be a part of it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s held at Summit Motorsports Park, allowing us to enjoy the win with all our friends from Summit. It’s just a great event.”
In addition to matching Kurt Johnson’s win total in the bonus race, Anderson also became the fifth driver in its history to win in consecutive seasons. However, with the trophy and cash in hand, the four-time series champion now turned his focus on tomorrow’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, where he starts ninth, with another win garnering a $25,000 “double up” bonus as he had done last year.
‘It’s really cool to tie Kurt for the most wins in the Horsepower Challenge,” said Anderson. “Back in the day when I worked with Kurt and Warren, it seemed KJ was winning this event every year. It’s taken a lot of years to get close to him and now tie him, with our next goal being to try and get ahead.
"But for now we’re going to enjoy this moment. We’ve got this beautiful trophy and ring and that $50,000 pay day, which is so exciting to every member of this KB Racing team. It was a fantastic day, and I want to thank Steve Williams and everyone at K&N for this tremendous program. Of course, now we have to see what we can do about doubling up again tomorrow.
“Tonight, I’m going to sleep like a baby, happy as can be and come out here tomorrow with confidence up to my earlobes, and hopefully have a good race. Today was a huge turnaround, and I want to thank every member of this KB Racing team for getting it done. They won this race for me, and hopefully turned our season around. It’s a great day, and I can’t thank everybody enough, from this race team to K&N and Summit – they made it all possible, and I believe it’s only the start.”
