Anderson Takes New Camaro Right up to the Top Half on Day One in Bristol
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Friday, June 14, 2013
 
The first day of qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at picturesque Bristol Dragway proved to be a positive beginning for Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson as he debuted a new Chevrolet Camaro and grabbed the provisional No. 5 spot in the qualifying line-up.
 
In the warmer first session of the day, two-time Bristol winner Anderson wheeled his brand new sleek white Summit Racing Camaro down the 1/4 mile dragstrip for the first time in competition and clocked a 6.698 to move into the No. 7 position. Anderson’s time was solid, but the speed was way down – the 198.17 mph on the scoreboard was a shock for the driver who came into the event in possession of the track record for speed.
 
“The racetrack is rough and it just bounced over the speed clocks,” explained Anderson. “I didn’t lift early, I didn’t do anything goofy, it simply mis-tripped the speed clocks because of the way the front end was bouncing. But we made some adjustments to the shocks and a few other things before the second run, and it got a little bit better.”
 
In the second session, the track had cooled significantly, and with a firmer grasp of the racing surface, Anderson drove the Summit Racing Camaro to an improved 6.671 at a much more reasonable 206.57 mph.
 
“It’s still bouncing really bad, but that will be our project for tomorrow,” said Anderson. “The number one goal will be to try to make smoother runs on the racetrack. There are bumps out there that we didn’t handle very well today, so we have a little bit more work there. But the good news is that we definitely think we can run better.
 
“Overall, this wasn’t a first day out with this new Summit Racing Chevy Camaro. This is a better position than I’ve been in the last few weeks, and hopefully, there is plenty of room to grow. I think we’ll be happy campers.”