Earlier this year, the Summit Racing team made a bold change prior to their sponsor's race in
Norwalk, Ohio, switching Jason Line from the Pro Stock Pontiac he had used in the first 11 races of
the season to the mount his teammate Greg Anderson had campaigned in 2008. The move paid immediate
dividends, as Line not only won that weekend's race, but advanced to the final round in the next
five races, adding another victory in Sonoma and securing the second seed in the NHRA's Countdown
to One championship playoff.
Three months later, it is Anderson's turn to make a strategic swap. In a somewhat ironic twist, at
this weekend's O'Reilly Super Start Fall Nationals in Dallas, TX, the three-time champion will park
his car and jump into the tangerine-colored Summit Racing GXP originally driven by Line and most
recently leased and raced by Ronnie Humphrey. With this year's Full Throttle Pro Stock
championship on the line, it was a gamble Anderson felt was worth taking.
"With so much on the line, we felt the time was right to shake things up, so this weekend I'll be
racing Jason's Summit Racing Pontiac from the beginning of the year," explained Anderson. "Just
like it was with Jason before Norwalk, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with my race car. However,
for whatever reason, it has just not been responding the way we'd like, so we decided to alter the
formula.
"We're not going to change anything but the driver. Hopefully, we'll not only get back to running
the way we should, but we'll also see where we went wrong with the other car. It worked for Jason
and Robert Hight (a Funny Car racer who swapped rides with his boss John Force earlier this
season), so maybe it will work for me, putting us back into contention in the Countdown."
If the challenge of adapting to a different car was not enough, the KB Racing crew must also deal
with the compressed schedule of racing on consecutive weekends. This weekend's stop in the Lone
Star State is the second in a grueling four-week=2 0stretch that comprises the majority of the 2009
playoff season, putting an extra emphasis on consistency. Having already won twice at the Texas
Motorplex, Anderson is well-schooled on what it takes to succeed on the all-concrete surface, and
is understandably anxious to get back in the saddle.
"Racing on back-to-back weekends is the same whether you're winning or losing," detailed Anderson.
"Naturally, if you're doing well, you want to keep riding the wave. But if things aren't turning
out the way you need them to, you also want to get right back on the horse so you can start winning
again.
"In our Summit Racing team's case, the preparation remains the same, we just have less time. We
had a20little extra work this week because we spent one day testing the new car, but since the last
race was in Charlotte, things worked out fine. Besides, it's the same for everyone out there.
"One good thing about this weekend is that we know we can count on the racetrack at the Motorplex.
It's always very good, giving us one less variable to contend with, which is exactly what we need
right now. Certainly it can be a little tricky with the groove being so narrow, but we've been
there enough to know that if you get out of the groove, you have to throttle back. It all comes
down to execution and the driver doing his job. It also doesn't hurt that I've won there twice.
"I'm looking forward to this weekend. I understand that I am extremely competitive and hate
losing, but I'm not going to dwell on things that are already behind me. I'm ready to get back to
the business at hand, which includes getting our Summit Racing Pontiac back to the winner's
circle."
Fast Facts on Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew at the O'Reilly Super Start Fall NHRA
Nationals:
Greg has been a Top Hand in Texas: In 12 career starts at the Texas Motorplex, Greg has two wins in
three final round appearances and four finishes of the semifinals or better.
Anderson looks to extend his "odd" record in Dallas: Since 2003, Greg has advanced to final round
at the Texas Motorplex in each20of the odd-numbered years, scoring wins in 2003 and 2005, while
scoring a runner-up finish in 2007.
Anderson targeting bonus points: Greg has been the No. 1 qualifier four times in Ennis (in 12
career starts), and has not qualified lower than third since 2003.
Event Schedule:
Friday, September 25: Two qualifying sessions at 2:00 & 4:4 5 p.m.
Saturday, September 26: Two qualifying sessions at 11:15 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 27: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Sunday, September 27 - 12:15 - 2:1520a.m.
(Repeat) Sunday, September 27 - 11:30 - 1:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, September 27 - 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, September 27 - 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
