Motivation has never been an issue for Greg Anderson. Whether at the track or back at the Summit
Racing team's shop in Mooresville, the three-time champion can always be found working tirelessly
on ways to better his performance. However, buoyed by the 58th national event win of his career
this past weekend in Minnesota, the three-time champion's energy level has risen even higher.
"That win in Brainerd gives me a completely new outlook heading into Reading," said Anderson. "I
know it sounds s trange, but I had started to wonder if I could still get the job done. In fact,
the day after it happened, I had to check the paper to make sure I actually had won.
"Now that I've broken the ice, I'm just going to go out there and have fun, seeing what I can do to
put a few wins together. To be honest, the next race can't come soon enough. I'm definitely going
to have more energy going into this weekend than I have had at any other race this year, and
hopefully this Summit Racing team can have a lot more fun."
Adding to Anderson's elevated spirits is the recent unparalleled performance of his Summit Racing
team. In each of the last two races, Anderson and his KB Racing running mate Jason Line have been
the last cars standing in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock catego ry, splitting the victories
between them. As a result, he enters the weekend cautiously optimistic about his chances of
winning consecutive races for the 24th time in his career.
"Right now, everything is going great for this Summit Racing team, with everyone excited and
working even harder than normal," stated Anderson. "I see this win as being similar to when we
brought out last year's car out for Jason before Norwalk. There was really nothing wrong with the
other car - in fact, we're bringing it back out this weekend with Ronnie Humphrey driving. It's
just that we couldn't get it to run the way we wanted it to.
"Knowing we needed to do something to turn things around, we made the decision to switch and Jaso
n's been to the final round every race since. That's what can happen when you have one good thing
- it can usually snowball, and I'm looking forward to that continuing this weekend in Reading."
The final piece of the winning puzzle could be Anderson's solid record at Maple Grove Raceway, site
of this weekend's event. With two wins in three final round appearances, the Rob Downing-led crew
certainly has a handle on what it takes to succeed at the Pennsylvania quarter-mile, information
they hope to put to good use.
"I saw on the internet where the NHRA has re-upped with Maple Grove for the next few years, which I
was happy to see," said Ander son. "When the conditions get really cool and overcast, you can set
records there. But the weather isn't the only factor - the surface is good, too, and they pay
attention to it when it needs it. It can get a little rough, but they try and address it as
quickly as possible. It was very good last year, and we hope it will be again this year.
"Those are the type of tracks you enjoy going to. After all, we're racers - we love running fast,
and we've definitely run some of our best e.t.'s there in the past. Although the forecast for this
weekend may not lend itself to record time, just knowing that potential exists and the fact that
the crowd really enjoys Pro Stock really pumps you up. Between the track and my Summit Racing
team, my outlook for this weekend is pretty darn positive, almost better than it has been all year.
We're ready to race."
Fast Facts on Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew at the Toyo Tires NHRA
Nationals:
Greg has been golden at the 'Grove: In eight career starts at Maple Grove Raceway, Greg has two
wins in three final round appearances and five finishes of the semifinals or better.
Most recent win: Greg's most recent Reading win coming into this weekend was in 2006, when he
qualified second and defeated Max Naylor, Kurt Johnson, Mike Edwards and Greg Stanfield.
Track Record Holder: Greg holds both ends of the Maple Grove Raceway track record, based on his
6.583-second elapsed time and 209.88 mph top speed from 2007.
Doubling Up: 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.
Since 2003, Anderson has been a top two starter in Reading: Greg has been the No. 1 qualifier four
times in Reading (in eight career starts), and has started in the top two positions every year
since 2003. Overall, he has an average starting spot of 4.2 in Maple Grove.
Event Schedule:
Friday, August 21: Two qualifying ses sions at 3:00 & 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 22: Two qualifying sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 23: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: &nbs p; Sunday, August 23 - 1:00 - 3:00 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, August 23 - 10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, August 23 - 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
(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 catal ogs, 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
