The NHRA's Full Throttle Drag Racing season is a 24-race odyssey offering participants very few
breaks from the intensity of national event competition. Following this year's Western Swing,
however, the teams were treated to a two-week hiatus, which they approached in different fashion.
Some opted to use the time to go on vacation, while others, including Greg Anderson and his Summit
Racing Equipment team took advantage of the break to prepare for the remainder of the season,
starting with this weekend's Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, MN.
"After being on the West Coast for three weeks, you need a break, not only for your mind and body,
but also to restock your resources," said Anderson. "We had to freshen our engines, rebuild our
Summit Racing Pontiacs and get everything back to tip top shape.
"This was also the last real chance we had to do some R&D and find some extra horsepower before we
get into the Countdown, and we knew we needed to make some hay while we had the chance. We treated
it like we do the off-season, getting as much done as we could, including a couple days of testing.
"We have three races before the start of the playoffs, and we want to be peaking at just the right
time. With the break behind us, now is the time to pour it on and Brainerd International Raceway
is first on our list."
As the straight-line set's annual visit to his home state, Anderson looks forward to this race
every year. However, despite the potential distraction of countless family, friends and
well-wishers stopping by the Summit pit area throughout the weekend at Brainerd International
Raceway, the Duluth native's focus remains squarely on scoring his second win in the North Star
state.
"Getting to the final round in Sonoma was great, and a much-needed boost for my Summit Racing team,
but it's still not a win, and I need a win for many reasons," said Anderson.&n bsp; "That race
showed we're on our way back up the mountain, but we need to keep going. We may have clinched our
spot in the Countdown, but the goal has not changed - we're here to win every race we enter.
"Jason (teammate Line) has been carrying this team all year, and it's time for me to help out.
It's very important for me to get back to the winner's circle, and I can't think of a better place
to do it than in front of my family and friends in Brainerd."
Fast Facts on Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew at the Lucas Oil NHRA
Nationals:
Greg has been a solid performer at BIR: In eight career starts at Brainerd International Raceway,
Greg has one win in four final round appearances and six finishes of the semifinals or better, with
his most recent Minnesota final round coming two years ago.
Looking to double his Brainerd win total: Greg's only Brainerd win to date came in 2003, when he
qualified second and defeated Allen Johnson, Ron Krisher, Taylor Lastor and Kurt Johnson.
Anderson starts at the=2 0top in Brainerd qualifying: Greg has been the No. 1 qualifier three times
in Brainerd (in eight career starts), with only one start outside the top half of the field (a 9th
place start in his first BIR race in 1999) and has an average starting spot of 3.1.
Event Schedule:
Friday, August 14: Two qualifying sessions at 2:45 & 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 15: Two qualifying sessions at 11:15 a.m. & 2:15 p.m.
Sunday, August 16: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Saturday, August 15 - 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Eliminations: &n bsp; Sunday, August 16 - 10:00 p.m. - 1:00
a.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, August 16 - 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 . For more information, please visit http://www.summitracing.com
