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Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson continued his drive for a fourth NHRA Full Throttle Championship on Sunday, winning for the second time in as many weeks by taking home the Pro Stock title at the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, TX. Starting ninth, Anderson established himself as a serious contender in the opening stanza, posting an extremely quick 6.597-second elapsed time in the first round to defeat Ronnie Humphrey. He followed that performance with an even stronger effort, combining a lightning-fast .007 reaction time with a 6.583-second, 208.71 mph pass to trailer No. 1 qualifier Allen Johnson in the second round. Anderson then eliminated rookie Shane Gray in the semifinal and advanced to his fifth final round of the season.
In a meeting with championship implications, Anderson squared off against current points leader and defending champion Mike Edwards. Running in the less-preferred right-hand lane, the three-time champion left the line with a stellar .014 reaction time and blasted through the quarter-mile in 6.585-seconds with a top speed of 209.39 mph to easily overcome his opponent’s .001 reaction time and 6.612-second, 208.46 mph pass. It was Anderson’s fourth of the 2010 season, 64th of his career and fourth at the Texas Motorplex.
“That run in the final was absolutely huge,” said Anderson. “I had been telling people all week that the run I made in the final last week in Charlotte was the best I had ever made, and we just duplicated it again today. Mike, who is the class of the field, got a slight jump on me at the starting line, but fortunately I was able to stay close to him, and my Summit Racing Pontiac just drove around him. It was just a great win and a tremendous team effort.”
Ironically, 24 hours prior, Anderson had some doubts about his chances of being able to successfully defend his Texas Motorplex win, having qualified in the bottom half of the field for the first time in nine years at the Lone Star state quarter-mile. However, thanks to a tireless effort by the KB Racing team and crew chiefs Rob Downing and Tommy Utt, their Pro Stock Pontiac was among the quickest and most consistent cars on race day. In addition, the crew was able to lift their driver’s spirits, an accomplishment that Anderson acknowledged played a key role in the win.
“I really have to thank my Summit Racing team, for making my car so fast and helping me to get my head back in the game,” said Anderson. “My confidence was a little down after qualifying and they picked me right up, giving me a car that was capable of winning the race. Shame on me for making their job tougher, because they should only have to worry about the race car.
“But that’s what makes them so great. They stay calm and keep their heads in the game, focusing on doing whatever it takes to win. They’re making all the right calls, and Jason (teammate Line) and I have two very fast Summit Racing Pontiacs that can win any race we go to, which is all that I can ask for. It’s up to us to do what we can with them.”
Finally, having narrowed the gap on points leader Edwards to only 16 points, which translates to less than one round of competition, Anderson set his sights squarely on this year’s championship. Having won consecutive races for the 25th time in his career, Anderson looks forward to the challenge of the final three races, where every round will be critical.
“Right now, I am extremely happy and feeling very positive,” said Anderson. “I have a great shot at winning my fourth championship, so we’re going to go in with guns blazing at the next race in Reading trying to do it all over again, doing what we can to get in the points lead, putting pressure on the rest of the boys to try and get around this Summit Racing team.
“We have a great 1-2 punch right now with myself and Jason, who has one of the very best cars in the class right now. I know he’s a little down at the moment, but he could still go out and sweep the last three races. If we’re going to contend for the championship I’ll need all the help I can get from him, because that’s what it’s going to take to beat Mike Edwards and the rest of the guys in this class. Fortunately, we’re both peaking at the right time, and I really think we can get it done. It’s going to be one whale of a battle, and I’m looking forward to it.”
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!. # # #
In a meeting with championship implications, Anderson squared off against current points leader and defending champion Mike Edwards. Running in the less-preferred right-hand lane, the three-time champion left the line with a stellar .014 reaction time and blasted through the quarter-mile in 6.585-seconds with a top speed of 209.39 mph to easily overcome his opponent’s .001 reaction time and 6.612-second, 208.46 mph pass. It was Anderson’s fourth of the 2010 season, 64th of his career and fourth at the Texas Motorplex.
“That run in the final was absolutely huge,” said Anderson. “I had been telling people all week that the run I made in the final last week in Charlotte was the best I had ever made, and we just duplicated it again today. Mike, who is the class of the field, got a slight jump on me at the starting line, but fortunately I was able to stay close to him, and my Summit Racing Pontiac just drove around him. It was just a great win and a tremendous team effort.”
Ironically, 24 hours prior, Anderson had some doubts about his chances of being able to successfully defend his Texas Motorplex win, having qualified in the bottom half of the field for the first time in nine years at the Lone Star state quarter-mile. However, thanks to a tireless effort by the KB Racing team and crew chiefs Rob Downing and Tommy Utt, their Pro Stock Pontiac was among the quickest and most consistent cars on race day. In addition, the crew was able to lift their driver’s spirits, an accomplishment that Anderson acknowledged played a key role in the win.
“I really have to thank my Summit Racing team, for making my car so fast and helping me to get my head back in the game,” said Anderson. “My confidence was a little down after qualifying and they picked me right up, giving me a car that was capable of winning the race. Shame on me for making their job tougher, because they should only have to worry about the race car.
“But that’s what makes them so great. They stay calm and keep their heads in the game, focusing on doing whatever it takes to win. They’re making all the right calls, and Jason (teammate Line) and I have two very fast Summit Racing Pontiacs that can win any race we go to, which is all that I can ask for. It’s up to us to do what we can with them.”
Finally, having narrowed the gap on points leader Edwards to only 16 points, which translates to less than one round of competition, Anderson set his sights squarely on this year’s championship. Having won consecutive races for the 25th time in his career, Anderson looks forward to the challenge of the final three races, where every round will be critical.
“Right now, I am extremely happy and feeling very positive,” said Anderson. “I have a great shot at winning my fourth championship, so we’re going to go in with guns blazing at the next race in Reading trying to do it all over again, doing what we can to get in the points lead, putting pressure on the rest of the boys to try and get around this Summit Racing team.
“We have a great 1-2 punch right now with myself and Jason, who has one of the very best cars in the class right now. I know he’s a little down at the moment, but he could still go out and sweep the last three races. If we’re going to contend for the championship I’ll need all the help I can get from him, because that’s what it’s going to take to beat Mike Edwards and the rest of the guys in this class. Fortunately, we’re both peaking at the right time, and I really think we can get it done. It’s going to be one whale of a battle, and I’m looking forward to it.”
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!. # # #
