Line Hopes to Get on Indy’s Good Side

Up until a year ago, reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion Jason Line was not necessarily a fan of Lucas Oil Raceway, site of this weekend’s 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.  He acknowledged the importance of the event, and the long and storied history behind what is universally considered the biggest drag race of the season. In fact, his lack of enthusiasm was rooted in his on-track struggles at the Clermont, Ind. quarter-mile dating back to his days competing in the Stock category.

However, his opinion may have shifted slightly to the positive side one year ago when the Summit Racing ace scored his first No. 1 qualifying position at “The Big Go” and powered his way to the final round, where he was narrowly edged by his teammate Greg Anderson. Even though he enters this year’s event with an extensive to-do list, returning to the winner’s circle and claiming his first Indianapolis win remains a top priority.

“Although I still wouldn’t consider this to be one of my favorite tracks, I certainly respect the history and tradition behind the U.S. Nationals,” said Line.  “It’s a cool race to go to, and I would certainly like to add an Indy Wally to my trophy case, as well as the increased payout for winning.  I’m a muscle car guy, so I really enjoy watching all the Stockers that come out to run during the class runoffs, taking me back to the days when I raced in that category.

“But we’re not there to be spectators.  We’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks testing our Summit Racing Camaros, working to get a handle on what they need to perform, and we’re looking forward to seeing how we’ve done.  I’m confident we will be putting a better product on the track than we have at the last few races, allowing us to hopefully be in a position to win on Monday.”

As Line indicates, the format of this race is unlike any other on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Circuit.  For example, there are five qualifying sessions instead of the normal four, which are spread out over Friday through Sunday, with final eliminations set for Labor Day.  Although this does allow teams to have an additional chance to obtain data on the Lucas Oil Raceway surface, they must also pace themselves to be ready for the extra day of competition.

In addition, this year everyone will be keeping an eye on the progress of Hurricane Isaac, as computer models are currently predicting the remnants of the storm will arrive in the Indianapolis area during the weekend, with the potential for heavy rains putting any qualifying attempts at a premium.  Even so, Line prefers to take a simple approach, seeing it simply as another variable out of their control that the team will have to deal with.

“Naturally, we would prefer to have five days of sunshine and cool temperatures, just like everyone else, but we’ll just have to see what happens, and deal with it accordingly,” said Line.  “This is a long and difficult race, and we have to be ready to handle any situation that gets thrown at us over the course of the five days. 

“Fortunately, I have a very talented KB Racing team behind me, who has a long record of success in Indianapolis with my teammate winning six times.  With a larger than normal Pro Stock field expected, it certainly won’t be easy, but I’d like to join in the fun this weekend, putting my Summit Racing Camaro in the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals winner’s circle. It’s there for us as long as we remain error-free, which we are more than capable of doing.”

Jason Line & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Lucas Oil Raceway edition:

1 – a) No. 1 qualifying performances by Line at Lucas Oil Raceway, which came one year ago.

      b) Final round appearances by Jason in Indianapolis, which also occurred in 2011

4.89 – Average starting position for Line in his previous nine U.S. Nationals starts.

6.583 – Lucas Oil Raceway Pro Stock Elapsed Time Record, set by Line in 2011.

7 – Times Line has qualified in the top five positions in his previous nine starts in Indianapolis.

Anderson Relishes New Role at U.S. Nationals

For the first time in several years, Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team will be in an unusual position when they pull into Lucas Oil Raceway for this weekend’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind.  Even though they arrive as the defending event champions, they will not necessarily be seen as the favorites based on their struggles in recent races, which is certainly a departure from past seasons. However, having finally had time to thoroughly test their Chevrolet Camaros, Anderson is cautiously optimistic about his chances to prove the pundits wrong.

“We have a lot on our plate heading into Indy, with several things different from previous years,” said Anderson.  “For example, for the first time in a long while, we are not going into the race as one of the favorites.  This year, people are just not seeing us in that role because of the struggles we’ve had dialing in our new cars.  It’s no secret that we’re trying to make them better and faster, getting them ready for the playoffs.

“But the U.S. Nationals is the biggest and coolest race of the year, so I am not about to discount it as just another practice race before the start of the Countdown. That race means the world to me, and I want to go win it, which is why we are trying as hard as we can to have these Summit Racing Camaros on top of their game when we roll through the gates at Lucas Oil Raceway.”

Since returning from the last race in Brainerd, the Summit Racing crew has been balancing their normal between-race maintenance with research and development efforts both at the shop and on the racetrack. Taking advantage of the first break after a hectic summer schedule, numerous days were spent making as many runs down the track as possible without the pressure of national event competition, zeroing in on the proper tune-up, determining exactly what adjustments would work and which ones would not.

“We’ve spent a lot of time at the track during the off week, testing our Summit Racing Camaros so we won’t have to look for major improvements once we get to Indy,” explained Anderson.  “Basically we’re looking to have a better feeling about where we stand with the tune-up than we’ve had for the last couple Fridays at national events, which I am confident we will, putting us in a position to contend for the win. 

“We still have a lot of work to do, but I believe we’ve already learned a lot of things about these cars and made up some ground.  We still have some things to work on before this weekend, but I already feel we will be better than we have been at recent races.

“So while there are certainly a lot of things different about this year’s U.S. Nationals, including being the first time we’ll be there in Chevrolet Camaros, I stand by my statement that this is still the one race that means the most to win, so our goals have also not changed.  For this weekend we’ll put the playoffs on the back burner and concentrate on doing whatever it takes to successfully defend our U.S. Nationals title.”

Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Lucas Oil Raceway edition:

3 - No. 1 qualifying performances by Anderson at Lucas Oil Raceway, most recently in 2006.

3.83 – Average starting position for Greg in his previous 12 Indy starts.

6 – U.S. Nationals wins by Anderson coming into this weekend, including one year ago, when he defeated teammate Jason Line in the final. Anderson’s win total is second only to Bob Glidden’s 9 for the most in Pro Stock history.

8 – Final round appearances by Anderson in Indiana.

9 – Times Anderson has qualified in the top five positions in his previous 12 Lucas Oil Raceway starts.

34 – Elimination round wins by Greg in his previous 12 starts at the “Big Go”, versus 6 losses for a .850 win percentage.

211.03 – Lucas Oil Raceway Pro Stock Top Speed Record, set by Anderson in 2011.

Anderson Searching for the Sweet Spot in Seattle

The sweet spot.  It is a phrase used by baseball players, golfers and racers to describe that area of the bat, club or tune-up which provides the maximum performance.  As each will tell you, it can be an elusive target, the pursuit of which can be rather lengthy and, at times, somewhat frustrating.  Such has been the experience of Greg Anderson and his Summit Racing team with their new Chevrolet Camaro.

In their first six races with the legendary muscle car they have certainly experienced their share of success, with one win in three final round appearances, a statistic made even more impressive by the fact that the KB Racing crew has yet to get fully acclimated to the needs of their still-new race car.  Even so, as Anderson prepared to head to the Evergreen State for this weekend’s NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash., he admitted that both he and his team still had some work ahead of them.

“Ever since we started racing this Summit Racing Camaro, we’ve been working non-stop to find its sweet spot, getting the right balance of performance,” said Anderson.  “Right now, it doesn’t want to run the first part of the track.  Anything down track is more related to the aero or engine packages, and even though we still have some work to do in that area, our biggest issue remains in the first 330 feet.

“Obviously, we’d love to spend a week at a track testing, but that’s not an option at the moment, so we turn our qualifying runs into learning sessions.  You hate to race that way, but it’s what we need to do at the moment in order to get these cars dialed in.

“Until we get the performance back where we need it to be, we’re also probably going to have a little inconsistency, as we make wholesale changes trying to make them better. These Camaros are completely different cars than the ones we ran before, presenting us with a new challenge that we just haven’t conquered yet. 

“The good news is that we got closer with Jason’s (teammate Line) blue car in Sonoma, so now we just need to find something that my red car likes as well.  That’s why we’re in test mode right now, working to have them ready for the Countdown.  We know they are going to run, we just have to determine what they want.”

For the second consecutive week, the “factory hot rods” will enjoy conditions that are conducive to creating horsepower, with cooler temperatures and plenty of oxygen.  Nestled among the trees in the Seattle suburb of Kent, Pacific Raceways will test the teams as they try to match their 1,400-horsepower hot rods to a racing surface that, as Anderson describes, has a personality all its own.

“The track at Pacific Raceways is pretty quirky, and it all comes down to the weather,” said Anderson.  “For some reason, it does not seem to like sunshine at all.  You have to know when you’re racing there that it can be a very, very good track if it doesn’t have direct sunlight on it.  If it’s cloudy with cool temperatures it’s one of the best we race on and with the power we make you can run really fast.

“However, that will change in a heartbeat once the sun pops out. When it gets over 80 degrees, you had better be ready to make some major changes trying to hook all that power up to the track.  It’s one of the racing surfaces on the circuit that changes more from cool to hot conditions, which can be tough, but we know that going in.  The key is knowing when to make the changes and when not to, and doing it better than your competition, which will be the test facing this Summit Racing team this weekend.  It’s going to be a battle, but I believe we’re up to it.

Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Pacific Raceways edition:

2 - No. 1 qualifying performances by Anderson at Pacific Raceways.

2.8 – Average starting position for Greg in his previous 10 Seattle starts.

3 – Previous wins by Anderson at Pacific Raceways, most recently in 2010.

4 – Final round appearances by Anderson in the Pacific Northwest, including one year ago, when he was the runner-up to his teammate Jason Line.

16 – Elimination round wins by Greg in his 10 starts in Seattle, versus 7 losses for a .696 win percentage.

Successful Seattle Defense at Top of Line’s List

Summit Racing driver Jason Line is in the midst of another outstanding year.  In the first 15 races of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season, the reigning Pro Stock champion has logged one win in four final round appearances, along with five No. 1 qualifying positions.  In addition, he has earned valuable bonus qualifying points in all but one race, a showing that has allowed him to not only remain solidly in the top three positions in the championship standings, but also claim one of the coveted positions in the Countdown to the Championship playoff.

Lost in the midst of this solid performance is that after ten races Line parked the car which carried him to the championship one year ago in favor of his all-new Summit Racing Camaro, requiring that both he and the KB Racing crew adapt on the fly to their new mount’s tuning envelope.   Rising to the challenge, they come into this weekend’s NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash. with one final round appearance already under their belt, as well as five starts in the top five positions.  However, as Line is quick to point out, the learning process has just begun.

“The good news is that we continue to make progress with our Summit Racing Camaro, making it better with every race,” said Line.  “But even though we are headed in the right direction, we still have a long way to go before we get it to the level of consistent performance that we need to contend for wins on a weekly basis.  Naturally, we would prefer to spend a little time testing, but that’s not an option during the Western Swing. 

“As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, so at the moment we’re forced to do things a little differently than we might like, but as long as it’s effective, it really doesn’t matter how we get the job done.  Therefore, we will take everything we’ve learned over the past few weeks and look to keep moving forward this weekend in Seattle.  It all comes down to doing a better job of adapting our car to the conditions, and doing whatever it takes to successfully defend our win from a year ago.”

Ironically, Line has experienced his own learning curve at Pacific Raceways, site of this weekend’s event. After struggling to advance in his first four starts at the Kent quarter-mile, Line turned his fortunes completely around in his next four appearances, with two wins (including one year ago) in three final round appearances.  As such, it is easy to see why he is looking forward to this year’s edition.

“I like racing in Seattle,” said Line.  “It’s a great area, and we’re going to a high-horsepower track with a decent racing surface, which under the right conditions allows you to run really fast.  We’ve had our share of success there in recent years, and we’d like to continue that trend this weekend.  To do that, we’ll need to have our Summit Racing Camaro dialed in from the first qualifying pass and build on it from there. 

“Our primary goal for this weekend will be to figure out how to step things up and do everything just a little better than we have been lately.  I know that’s easier said than done, but I believe this Summit Racing team is capable of doing just that.  It has been way too long since I won in Phoenix, and I believe everyone on this team is more than ready to get back in the winner’s circle. It’s just up to us to get it done.”

Jason Line & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Pacific Raceways edition:

2 – Pacific Raceway wins by Line, including one year ago, when he defeated teammate Greg Anderson in the final.

3 – Final round appearances by Jason on the Kent quarter-mile.

4.75 - Average starting position for Jason in eight previous Seattle starts.

6.531 – Pacific Raceways P/S elapsed time record, set by Line one year ago.

11 – Elimination round wins by Jason in eight Seattle starts, versus 6 losses for a .647 win percentage.

Anderson Determined to Bounce Back in Sonoma

In the first nine races of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season, Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team were the picture of competitive excellence, winning four times in seven final round appearances, capped by their win in Englishtown, N.J. in the KB Racing team’s first race with the new Chevrolet Camaro.  Over the last four events, however, their pace has cooled somewhat, with only one final round coupled with a pair of uncharacteristically early exits. 

Therefore, as he and his crew head to the scenic Napa Valley for this weekend’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Anderson looks for he and his team to return to their winning form, which he believes will come from addressing any problem areas that have cropped up in recent weeks.

“We were racing really well just a few races ago, but seem to have fallen off our game a little recently,” said Anderson. “We need to get back on track, making better race day calls, with everyone concentrating on doing their jobs to the best of their abilities, racing smarter and getting as much as we can from every run.

“We also need to get some more performance from our Summit Racing Camaros.  Even though they have been extremely competitive right out of the box, we are still early in the process.  The bottom line is that we have a lot of work to do and a short time in which to get it done, so we’ll head to the friendly confines of Sonoma and see what we can do to rectify some of our issues.”

As Anderson alludes, one aspect seemingly working in the KB Racing team’s favor is the site of this weekend’s event. Located just north of San Francisco in the California wine country, the Sonoma quarter-mile has been one of the four-time champion’s best tracks, with four wins (including last year’s event) in seven final round appearances and an elimination round win record exceeding 80 per cent.  Although this certainly provides a welcome boost to their confidence, it is also an opportunity that the team knows they must take advantage of.

“We always feel good going to Sonoma,” said Anderson.  “We’ve historically done well there, so I’m sure we can turn our operation around and produce a better product this weekend than we did in Denver.  The conditions there are better than the hot and humid tracks we go to during the summer, so we’ll have a lot more power and our Summit Racing Camaros will run faster, which seems to play into our hands.

“But even though we might feel comfortable when we race in the Napa Valley, we still have to go there and execute.  As strong as our competition is running at the moment, we can’t afford to give anything up, so we have to try and make quality runs every time down the track.  As one the tracks which is usually one of our strongest, we need to make the most of it this weekend.”

GEICO rider Stoffer suddenly heats up in Norwalk

GEICO Suzuki rider Karen Stoffer roared to the No. 4 qualifying position in the final qualifying session for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park.

Stoffer was outside the top half of the field before Q4, but crew chief/husband Gary Stoffer put a solid setup on the bike, and Karen rode it to a pass of 6.992 seconds at 192.52 mph.

"We kind of waited to the midnight hour, didn't we?" Stoffer said. "I think Gary and I were still on vacation for the first three hits because he wasn't exactly on his game tuning and I wasn't exactly on my game riding. We finally put it all together and realized why we were here, I guess, on the last hit."

Stoffer was being self-deprecating, of course, as her and husband Gary are veterans of the sport who have won numerous races at the national level. Fresh off a vacation to Sweden and Finland, Stoffer made plus-7-second runs in each of Friday's first two sessions, and then Stoffer got out of the throttle early in Q3.

"We struggled. It's a hot, slippery track out there," Stoffer said. "If you look at the Pro Stock bike class, there were a lot of us who improved in the hottest session, and that shouldn't happen unless you were way off on your tuneup. We were definitely in the majority, but luckily we were able to figure it out."

Stoffer said the GEICO team hesitated even making a run in the final session but decided they needed the data for a hot-weather setup.

"The strange thing is we finally got the tuneup for this weather, and now we're going to have wacky, cooler weather tomorrow," Stoffer said. "We'll have a totally different tuneup in the bike, but Gary's pretty comfortable going in to tomorrow. And we needed to figure out hot, slippery tracks. We've got a few more in front of us."

In the first round of eliminations Sunday, which should take place around noon,

Stoffer faces Matt Smith, who qualified No. 13 with a pass of 7.086 seconds at 189.28 mph.

Arana and son crowd top of Norwalk's Pro Stock Motorcycle ladder

Past world champion Hector Arana and his rookie-of-the-year son Hector Arana Jr. earned the second and third positions, respectively, on the Pro Stock Motorcycle elimination ladder of this weekend's sixth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Arana has now qualified fourth or better on his Lucas Oil Buell in the six NHRA races the bikes have contested this year, a mark that includes three No. 1 qualifying efforts. He actually was No. 1 at this race until just near the end of the final qualifying session when he was nipped by Andrew Hines by .001 seconds, or about two inches. Arana's best time was a 6.962 at 188.02 mph

"I'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow," Arana Sr. said. "My major concern so far has been to make sure the bike ran well, especially at the top end, on every run. The last two runs we made, we were able to stay on it all the way through. The bike did not hiccup, and it ran good, so I think we have everything dialed in. Now, I've got to get after my clutch and get back on it so we can run those good numbers and get a win."

Like his father, Arana Jr. also has been impressive in qualifying this year with a pair of No. 2 and four straight No. 3 qualifying results. His quickest pass here was a 6.984 at 192.69 mph.

"Our goal is to be consistent," Arana Jr. said. "Our 60-foots haven't been super killer, but we've been consistent, and the bike's run consistent. If we can do that on Sunday, I think we can go plenty of rounds and maybe even get a win."

Despite their great runs, the talk in the Lucas Oil pit was of the oppressive heat that has plagued the race since it's start.

"There's no escape from it," Arana Jr. said. "We get out of the sun, but the sun's baking the trailer, so the trailer's hot and humid. When we put those leathers on, we can barely get them on. You feel claustrophobic because you can't sit in the bike all the way down because you can't get the leathers all the way on because you're sticking to them.

"You try to put on your jacket, and you can barely get in on. Gloves, you can barely get on. It's really miserable. Then you get on the bike, and you're not 100 comfortable because you're sticking. It makes you totally uncomfortable, but I'm trying to get used to it."

Tall order ahead for MAVTV Pro Stock driver Brogdon

Rodger Brogdon admits to being pleased to have earned a spot in the elimination field of the sixth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, but by qualifying 15th in the 16-car field, he knows he won't have an easy path to the winner's circle.

"We shook the tires in the first run, so we started the whole weekend out behind the 8-ball," Brogdon said. "Then we had to change motors after the second run, and we just made two bad runs today. After all that, I'm just happy to be in. It's a feat, believe me.

"If you miss one qualifying run in this deal here, it's a serious handicap."

Brogdon coaxed a best of 6.741 at 204.70 mph out of his '09 MAVTV/Lucas Oil Pontiac GXP, a fair bit behind his scheduled first-round opponent Jason Line, who zipped to a 6.697 at 205.94 mph. 

Although he refused to use it as an excuse, Brogdon and the rest of his peers are dealing with unusually high temperatures in Ohio with track temperatures nearing 150 degrees. As one might expect, finding traction has been an issue.

"We've had too much transmission in it the whole race," Brogdon said. "I can't get it to third gear without spinning the tires like crazy. We're all dealing with it, some better than others, obviously.

"They're saying we'll have some cloud cover tomorrow and that it may get a touch cooler. I'm certainly hoping for the biggest change in the weather we can get so everybody will start with a clean slate. The track was bald out there the last session, but everybody went down it. It wasn't too bad. (Ron) Krisher went a 6.70, so the track could hold some numbers, we just had too much transmission for this heat. 

"We'll take a shot tomorrow. That's all we can do."

Round wins, consistency on Torrence’s Norwalk to-do list

A cautiously optimistic Steve Torrence said five months ago that he hoped his new Torrence Racing Top Fuel team would be able to run with the best teams in NHRA’s Full Throttle series and, perhaps, be in the top five when the last cars go down the track on November 11.

Eleven races into the 17-event regular season, the driver from Kilgore, Texas is one of the hottest on the circuit.  He has been to three final rounds in the last five races, winning at Atlanta and Englishtown, N.J.  His runner-up finish last Sunday at Joliet, Ill. put him a solid fourth in points going into the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, Friday through Sunday, in Norwalk, Ohio

“It’s always a good weekend when you make the final round,” said Torrence.  “The car was consistent and crew chief Richard Hogan and the guys were great.  But that race is over, now we are concentrating on Norwalk.

“We want to keep everything going the way it has been.  Richard has been doing a good job tuning the car in the hot weather . . . and we hope to take advantage of that.  It looks like it will be hot and humid again in Norwalk.”

Although he prefers to not look too far into the future, Torrence realizes that – barring any unexpected incidents – he will be one of the 10 drivers to qualify for the six-race Countdown to the Championship that begins Sept. 16.

. 

“We’re looking forward to that,” he commented,” but we want to see how well we can do in the next seven races (before the Countdown begins).  There are a lot of really good teams out there.”

He is one of only two-one car team drivers in the top 10 point standings.  Torrence has 775 points and Clay Millican is 10th with 490.

Torrence trails DSR teammates Tony Schumacher (879), Antron Brown (876) and Spencer Massey (868).

New combination has LE Tonglet enthused about Norwalk race

There’s no rain predicted this weekend for Norwalk, Ohio, a weather report that brings a smile from LE Tonglet.

A year ago, Tonglet – then the reigning NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion – did not qualify for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals after a persistent rain wiped out two qualifying sessions.  It is the only time in his 42-race Full Throttle series career he wasn’t in the starting line-up. 

He returns to Summit Racing Equipment Park Friday prepared to rectify that situation this weekend following a runner-up performance at Chicago last Sunday.  It was his finest outing of the 2012 season and followed a run to the semifinals at Englishtown, N.J. in his fourth race.  It also lifted him from eighth to fifth place in Full Throttle points and injected a giant boost of confidence into the Nitro Fish/Tonglet Racing Suzuki GSXR team. 

“We are very happy with the way the bike responded to the new tune-up in Chicago,” Tonglet said.  “We weren’t able to get the win there this time, but we still have a pretty good chance of running good at Norwalk.  We took the motor out so Vance and Hines could go through it and we got it back Thursday. 

“Everything is ready to go.  We would like to pick up the pace again and get some more round wins . . . even win a race.  We need it.”

Norwalk remains a magical place for Arana Sr.

A special feeling always washes over Hector Arana Sr. every time he walks through the gates at Summit Motorsports Park.

The track is the site of Arana's first career victory – a breakthrough on the Lucas Oil Buell after nearly 20 years of trying. This weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Arana is hoping that old Norwalk magic shows up again.

"I will never forget Norwalk," Arana said. "And maybe it might bring me my first win of this season."

However the temptations around the track might force him to move some weight off his bike.

"You get a pint of ice cream for a dollar there," Arana said. "You can’t beat that. I'll be eating ice cream every day. The downside, I'm gonna gain weight. Even if it's hot and I sweat off the weight, I'm just gonna have more ice cream. I can't resist."

Arana has been No. 1 qualifier in three of the last four races and made it to the semifinals in three straight, which is good enough for third in the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings.

"The bike has been very good," Arana said. "We just need to get past the semis to put ourselves in a position to get those wins."

Last week in Chicago, the Lucas Oil Buell was plagued by engine that wasn't 100 percent in harmony. With races on back-to-back weekends, Arana said there isn't going to be much time for a thorough investigation of the problem before heading to Norwalk.

"By the time you get back to the shop, you really only have one day to be able to work," Arana said. "We have enough parts in the truck that we can get something fixed."

Anderson Pads Points Lead with Runner-Up Finish in Joliet

Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team overcame a three-hour rain delay and horsepower-robbing hot and humid conditions on Sunday to score a runner-up finish at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois.  Starting from the eighth position, Anderson used a combination of solid performance and strong driving to advance to his eighth final round of the 2012 season, where he would square off against Erica Enders in a rematch of last year’s Joliet final.

Just as he had in the previous rounds, Anderson left the line in unison with Enders, who was looking to become the first woman to win a Pro Stock national event.  Although he was able to make a competitive 6.641-second, 208.30 mph run, it was not enough to hold off his opponent, who used a 6.627-second, 207.40 mph pass to score the win.

“We rebounded well today and had a pretty good hot rod, but just couldn’t seem to get near the top cars,” said Anderson.  “To this Summit Racing team’s credit, we raced hard and tough, and probably made it further than we should have to be honest, because we just didn’t have the performance we needed to put us over the top.

“I had said a million times before that Erica was going to win a race, and that I just didn’t want it to be against me.  However, you certainly can’t take today’s performance away from her – she earned it.  She went out there and took it, with both she and her team doing a better job, and they won the race, and I congratulate them.  It’s one for the history books.”

Anderson’s road to the final showed the resilience and determination of both he and his KB Racing crew.  After opening with a relatively easy win against Ron Krisher, the four-time champion was paired against No. 1 qualifier Allen Johnson, who had been the dominant car throughout the weekend.  However, using a lightning-quick .016 reaction time and a 6.634-second, 208.46 mph pass, Anderson was able to upset his higher-ranked opponent on a hole shot, with Johnson posting a 6.612-second time and 209.04 mph speed in the losing effort. 

Finally, Anderson’s 6.637-second, 207.91 mph run in the semifinals was enough to defeat rival Mike Edwards, sending him to the 111th final round of his career and the encounter with Enders. 

“We obviously need a couple more races with these new Summit Racing Camaros to get them fully up to speed,” said Anderson.  “They drive really well, and race well – we just need a little more speed out of them, and we’ll keep pecking at them until we do.

“It’s obviously disappointing any time you lose a race, but the good news is that we knocked out a couple cars that are running at the top of their game right now when we aren’t, which is a good feeling.  We know we’re going to get there - the bottom line is that we need to go home and work to make our horses faster.”

Anderson Aims to Stay on Good Terms with Route 66 Raceway

For most of his career, Greg Anderson was not really a fan of Route 66 Raceway, site of this weekend’s Route 66 NHRA Nationals.  His displeasure had nothing to do with the actual facility, which is considered one of the nicest on the Full Throttle Drag Racing circuit.  Instead, it was the fact that it was the only track on tour where the four-time champion had yet to reach the winner’s circle which fueled his concern.

However, that all changed one year ago, when the Summit Racing Camaro driver powered from the No.1 position and broke his Route 66 drought, defeating Erica Enders on a hole shot in the final.  Returning to Joliet this weekend for the first time as the defending event champion, he looks forward to staying on good terms with the Illinois quarter-mile.

“For so many years I went to Route 66 Raceway thinking there had to be something in the water that just wouldn’t allow me to win,” said Anderson.  “It’s a race track with a very good surface and typically good air, so the cars run fast, which normally plays into the Summit Racing team’s hand.  I liked the track and the city and ran well there, but just couldn’t seem to win a race.  It was almost as if we had a love/hate relationship.

“Fortunately, that all changed last year, and I was finally able to add it to the list of tracks where I had won, so I’m going back this weekend with a positive attitude, our heads held high as the defending champions.  Now that we’ve finally broken through, there’s no reason we can’t keep digging and make it multiple wins.”

Ironically, Anderson’s biggest challenge this weekend will most likely come from matching his race car to the conditions and the track.  This will be only the third race for the KB Racing team with their new Camaro, and although admitting they are still coming to terms with the exact boundaries of their new mount’s performance envelope, he believes the progress they have made in recent weeks will allow them to contend for the win in Joliet.

“Although we are still early in the learning process with our Summit Racing Camaro, we did have the chance to get back on the racetrack after the last race in Bristol, spending a day last week testing,” said Anderson.  “Every pass we make gives us more information about what this car needs to run, and we feel we have learned quite a few things about it.  I believe we are going to have a better product than we did at the last race, which to us means we’re going to have a chance to win the event. 

“The forecast is calling for it to be hot this weekend, which will certainly be a challenge, but the conditions will be the same for everyone, so it will be up to us to execute better than our competition. Fortunately, that is something this KB Racing team is fully capable of doing, so we can successfully defend our Route 66 Nationals title.”

Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Route 66 Raceway edition:

1 - Route 66 Raceway wins by Anderson, which happened one year ago.

4 – Final round appearances by Anderson in Joliet.

5 - No. 1 qualifying performances by Anderson at Route 66 Raceway.

5.31 – Average starting position for Greg in his previous 16 Joliet starts.

6.586 – Route 66 Raceway Pro Stock Elapsed Time Record, set by Anderson last year.

9 – Times Anderson has qualified in the top three positions in his previous 16 Route 66 starts.

24 – Elimination round wins by Greg in his previous 16 Joliet starts, versus 15 losses for a .615 win percentage.