Mooresville, N.C., April 2, 2013 – This weekend’s SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will provide two opportunities to celebrate in the winner’s circle for outstanding performers in the factory hot rod crowd. Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson expects great things for his Chevy Camaro on the double-down weekend and rightfully so. The main event is his sponsor’s title race, and the premier facility where it takes place is nestled in the hometown of his team owner, Ken Black.
Anderson, a four-time Pro Stock national champion in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, has made a habit of rising to the challenge of such pressure at the Las Vegas racetrack and has accumulated seven victories there, more than any other professional driver on the circuit. However, it was not by chance that the KB Racing team found a successful combination for the desert racetrack that sits some 2,100 feet above sea level. They were deeply motivated by the outcome of their first showing at ‘The Strip.’
“Las Vegas has been very good to this Summit Racing team, but it was a tough place to start out when we first formed this team with Ken Black,” admitted Anderson. “I’ll never forget our first race there; we didn’t qualify. Ken was all about racing serious, but he also wanted to have fun and he told us, ‘You know, I’ll be happy as long as you do well in Vegas.’
“That stuck with us, and starting off that way at his home track [in 2002] was a real heartbreaker. But because of that, we’ve spent a lot of time testing in Las Vegas since then, and we’ve won a lot of high pressure, high stakes, very pivotal and very important races there. It started out rough for us, but we were able to turn it around through hard work and create some special, special moments at that racetrack. We’ll be looking forward to more of that this weekend.”
In addition to gunning for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals title this weekend, Anderson will also be looking to score the coveted K&N Horsepower Challenge crown, a feat he has accomplished four times in 10 previous appearances in the bonus competition that pits eight of the top qualifiers in the category against one another for a $50,000 grand prize.
“Las Vegas is just a fun place to race, and this is always a great race that is very important to us,” said Anderson. “Now, with the K&N Horsepower Challenge the same weekend as the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, it adds to it even more. That’s what Las Vegas should be. It should be right up there as one of the majors in NHRA drag racing, and this weekend should be extra exciting.
“It seems like when there is a lot on the line, when there is extra pressure and there should be all kinds of reasons for distraction, that’s when this Summit Racing team does best. We want to get the trophy on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend and make Ken Back and Summit Racing proud of us. I’m going embrace that extra pressure. Hopefully, that will inspire us to give that extra 110% percent and get a Summit Racing Camaro to the winner’s circle in the K&N Horsepower Challenge and again in final eliminations on Sunday.”
Indisputably, there is much to look forward to this weekend for Anderson and his Summit Racing teammate Jason Line, beginning with a visit to longtime supporter Findlay Chevrolet on Wednesday evening from 6-8 p.m. to meet and greet fans and friends, followed by the annual NHRA Fan Fest at the New York New York Hotel and Casino, a popular Vegas-style autograph session featuring a large group of NHRA stars, on Thursday evening, also from 6-8 p.m.
“It’s going to be a great weekend all around, and it is very important for us to do well on the racetrack, for our sponsors and of course for Ken Black,” said Anderson. “Any success that we’ve had in Las Vegas in the past is directly related to the amount of time we’ve spent testing and how many laps we’ve made down that track. It’s paid off for us before, and we hope it will pay off again this weekend. There will be a lot of very important people from Summit Racing Equipment in attendance, as well as Ken and all of his family, so without a doubt, it’s time for the KB Racing team to step up to the plate.”
