Summit Racing–Anderson Making First Raceday Start of the Year in Houston

Anderson Making First Raceday Start of the Year in Houston
 
HOUSTON, Tex., April 26, 2014 – After four solid qualifying passes in his red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson has completely regained confidence and is ready to make his first raceday start of the year at the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals at Houston’s Royal Purple Raceway. Anderson qualified in the No. 11 position and will race Jeg Coughlin in the first round of eliminations.
 
The four-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion was stunningly absent from the first five events of the 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series as he recovered from heart surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve. Anderson, medically cleared to return Monday of the event week, had no trouble getting right back into form.
 
In his first run down the quarter-mile racetrack at Royal Purple Raceway, Anderson clocked a 6.636-second pass at 209.92 mph, and in the second qualifying session he was 6.607, 210.54 at the top end.
 
In a show of consistency, the four-time NHRA world champion and 74-time national event winner produced a 6.601, 210.34 in Saturday afternoon’s first qualifying round, and for the closing session he made a 6.628, 210.21 journey down the track to finalize a start from the No. 11 position and a first-round meeting with Coughlin – a driver he last raced in St. Louis in 2013 – where he disposed of his opponent by recording a significantly superior reaction time at the starting line.
 
“I’m having fun being back behind the wheel and driving,” said Anderson. “The truth is, I have to come back and win races if I want to make the Countdown to the Championship. I wanted to just come back and have fun this weekend and prove that I can do it again, that I was physically okay, and I definitely proved that. Now it’s time to get more serious. I certainly like having a smile on my face all day long, so I’m going to continue that. We’ll try to get our car faster, and we really should have no excuses, but I’m not going to stress over it either way.
 
“I’m just happy to be back this weekend and that everything has gone smoothly. There have been zero hiccups as far as my health and ability to drive the racecar. I really couldn’t be happier about all of that. I get to race on Sunday, and that’s exciting. I don’t see any reason why I can’t go and compete at a high level tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it – and no matter what happens, I’m going to have fun.”