Anderson Positioned Well for Successful Sunday in Phoenix
CHANDLER, Ariz., February 21, 2015 – Greg Anderson and the white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro made important moves during qualifying for the 31st annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in preparation for a healthy raceday for Team Summit, and the 2003 Phoenix winner is eager to get the show on the road and challenge for the 75th national event win of his career.
After an important test session at the Phoenix area racetrack prior to the start of the 2015 season, Anderson and his KB Racing team were encouraged. Returning to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the annual event was something they looked forward to, and in the first round of qualifying for the second of 24 races on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour, Anderson clicked off a 6.595-second pass at 209.65 mph. It was a good start, but they certainly wanted more.
For round two of qualifying on a warm Friday night, Anderson and Team Summit turned it up a notch to record a 6.588, 210.67. Although the time was quicker on the board, the field had also increased the pace. Anderson fell back two spaces to No. 11.
The position held through the third round of qualifying as the Mooresville, N.C.-based Anderson put a 6.622, 210.50 on the board. Faced with a situation the KB Racing crew found less than desirable, they knew they had work to do. If neither Anderson nor Summit Racing teammate Jason Line moved in the qualifying order, they would have to race one another in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.
“We didn’t want to have to run each other first round, that is not something we particularly enjoy – we’d rather get to meet up in the final round and know that we’re going to have a Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro come out with a trophy,” said Anderson. “But we were in a position we had to fix, and so we did. You can’t give up, you have to keep digging, and I had one more chance at it. The air kept getting worse, and we knew it would be tough to improve, but we did. We got everything right, got our ducks in a row, and we made a good, quality run. It was, by the far, the best we’ve done this weekend yet.”
Anderson improved to a 6.578 at 210.44 mph and moved up two positions, from No. 11 to No. 9. He will race Larry Morgan in the first round of eliminations in Phoenix.
“The bottom line is that we made a good, clean run tonight, and we certainly aren’t that far off the top of the pack,” said Anderson. “We know we can race well tomorrow. We know we have a chance to win. Our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro is getting faster, and we’ll try again tomorrow to make it even faster. You just never know what will happen. I’m due for something really, really good to happen on Sunday. Maybe tomorrow is that day.”