Anderson Seeks Title Defense and Milestone Win at Historic Englishtown Track
 
Mooresville, N.C., May 29, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is eager to return to Englishtown this weekend for the 44th annual Toyota NHRA Nationals at historic Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. The Mooresville, N.C.-based competitor hasn’t yet experienced the familiar joy of celebrating in the winner’s circle this season, but he looks for a strong outing this weekend at a racetrack that holds many treasured memories.
 
With a weekend off between national events for the first time in over a month, Anderson and the KB Racing crew have been tirelessly devoted to improving their program in a category where every tiny margin of progress has the ability to equate to a grand and coveted reward. Never wary of a daring move, the group has spent a good number of days recently testing a brand new Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro that they plan to add to the mix in the next few races. Although a definitive decision has not yet been made, at this time it appears that Anderson will be the guy with the new ride when it comes time for its debut; Houston winner and Summit Racing teammate Jason Line will likely continue piloting the blue Summit Racing Camaro.
 
Just one year ago and at the very racetrack where NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour will next venture, Anderson reaped the rewards of a risky move when he slid in behind the wheel of his first brand new Chevy Camaro and wheeled it to victory in its inaugural showing.
 
“You have to take risks, otherwise you get left behind,” said Anderson. “It’s really that simple. You can’t gain an advantage on the rest of the competition and expect to sit back and have that edge forever. You will get passed by, but that’s one of the coolest things about Pro Stock and the beauty of drag racing in general. Nobody sits still; everybody works hard to try to invent new ways to go faster and be the baddest dog out there. You can’t just sit on what you have. You’ll get passed by in a heartbeat.
 
“It was fantastic to win there last year, especially because it was the first time out with the new Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro. GM had been on the sidelines for a few years, and to get them back out in their new Camaro, a car that they considered to be their new baby, it felt really, really good. GM is very proud of these cars, and they should be – it was great to be able to win it for them and show them that their hard work in designing this new car was going to pay off. The future is going to be very bright for these Camaros, and they will go down as the best cars we’ve ever had, I guarantee it.”
 
A return to Englishtown as the defending event champion also stands as a return to the site of a monumental moment for the team. Anderson and Line battled their way up the ladder to square off in an all-Summit Racing final round for a title that would signify the 100th win for team owner Ken Black and KB Racing.
 
“Jason and I both wanted that win very badly,” recalled Anderson. “I know Jason was very disappointed that he didn’t get that 100th win, and I would have been just as disappointed if I was on the other side of it – it’s very important to both of us to make Ken Black proud, and for Ken and KB Racing to be able to say that they have 100 wins, well it’s absolutely amazing. For Jason and I, this is cool. But what it means to Ken, that’s what it’s all about. It means so much to both of us, and it was very special.”
 
Anderson is just one race-win away from another milestone, but this one is of a more personal nature. The four-time Pro Stock world champion has 74 national event wins to his credit. One more final-round win light will result in achieving his 75th victory and a move up from the No. 8 spot on the all-time win list to a tie for 7th with Pat Austin.
 
“It hurts to wait,” admitted Anderson. “It’s no fun, and we’ve been working extremely hard to get there. Our troubles have been obvious lately, but this Summit Racing team continues to dig and test every week to find out where we’re crossed up, and I really think we’re gaining on it. We made progress in Atlanta, and then we took a step back last weekend in Topeka, but this week off that we’ve had has given us a great opportunity to do some testing and make more forward progress. I don’t want to brag or say, ‘Look out everyone, here we come,’ but we all feel a little more positive. I’d like to wait and see what happens, but I think we’ll run better this weekend.”
 
With temperatures projected to soar to the 90-degrees Fahrenheit range, the challenge for all will be to master a hot and greasy racing surface, but the Summit Racing team have historically had the right recipe for conditions at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. In addition to his win there last year, Anderson has four previous victories (2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008), making him the full-time active driver with the most wins in any professional category at the venerable facility. Only Don Prudhomme, Larry Dixon and Joe Amato have more Etown trophies than Anderson, and his Summit Racing teammate Line has three of his own (2004-06).
 
“We like this racetrack; we like it a lot,” said Anderson. “It’s a feel-good racetrack for us, and history has shown us that we can run well and win this race. Quite honestly, I can’t wait to get there and see what our week of testing has done for us. We expect to be able to contend for the race win.”