CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS
NEW ENGLAND DRAGWAY (EPPING, NEW HAMPSHIRE)
EVENT POST EVENT RECAP
JUNE 6, 2016
Chevrolet Wins Ninth Pro Stock Race in a Row to Start Season
• Greg Anderson earns fourth victory of year, second in row at event
• John Force advances to Funny Car semifinals in new Chevrolet Camaro SS
• Courtney Force reaches second round in Funny Car for eighth race in row
EPPING, N.H. (June 6, 2016) – Greg Anderson extended Chevrolet Racing’s winning streak in Pro Stock competition to nine races to start the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season.
Anderson, who has won four races and twice been runner-up to KB Racing teammate Jason Line, defeated Allen Johnson with a blistering 6.598-second run at 210.44 mph in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS to win the fourth NHRA New England Nationals.
The event was pushed back one day because of rain at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.
“It’s been a great start to the year,” said Anderson, who recorded his 82nd career victory and second in a row in the event. “My race team is on fire right now and this car is just a dream to drive. Feels good to cap it off and get the job done. I had the best car on the grounds; all I could do is screw it up and I thank the good Lord I didn’t.”
Line, the No. 1 qualifier in the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS for the fourth time this season and 45th time of his Pro Stock career, lost to Anderson in the semifinals. It was the first time this season he failed to reach the final round. Line, who has five wins and three second-place finishes to Anderson, continues to pace the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings.
Shane Gray, who reached the semifinals for the second consecutive race in the Valvoline/Nova Services Chevrolet Camaro SS, fell to Johnson.
John Force, the 2015 Funny Car winner at New England Dragway, reached the semifinals in his first full event in the new PEAK Antifreeze Chevrolet Camaro SS. Force, who set career bests for elapsed time and speed in earning the No. 4 qualifier spot, fell to No. 1 qualifier and eventual winner Ron Capps, who on Friday set the track elapsed time record for the class.
Funny Car points leader Courtney Force, the No. 8 qualifier in the Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS, defeated John Force Racing teammate and No. 9 qualifier Robert Hight (Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS) in the first round. Force, who had advanced to the semifinals in each of the past three races including a win at Houston, fell to Capps in Round 2. Force had defeated the veteran driver in their three previous meetings.
In Top Fuel, Brittany Force fell in the first round of eliminations to Todd Paton, who earned his first Top Fuel round win since 2002. Force, driving the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, was the No. 3 qualifier and briefly held the track elapsed time record set Friday in early qualifications.
Six Chevy drivers advanced to the second round of Pro Stock eliminations. No. 2 qualifier Bo Butner (Butner Auto Sales Chevrolet Camaro SS) lost on a holeshot to Gray, and Vincent Nobile (Mountain View Tire Chevrolet Camaro SS) lost to Allen Johnson.
Nobile, who recorded a season-high No. 3 qualifier spot and whose father won his first Pro Stock race on this track 12 years ago, defeated Drew Skillman (Ray Skillman Chevrolet Camaro SS) in the first round. Prior to the race weekend, Skillman parted ways with Elite Motorsports and moved to Gray Motorsports.
Alex Laughlin (Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro SS), the No. 5 qualifier for the second consecutive event, registered a round win for the third race in a row before falling to Anderson.
“Congratulations to Greg Anderson of KB Racing, who kept the Chevrolet Racing winning streak intact in Pro Stock. It was another productive weekend for Team Chevy, with John Force reaching the Funny Car semifinals in his first full event in the new PEAK Antifreeze Chevrolet Camaro SS, and Courtney Force retaining the Funny Car points lead and Pro Stock semifinalist Jason Line continuing to pace the Pro Stock standings through nine races. Now it’s on to New Jersey for the always exciting NHRA Summernationals,” Chevrolet Racing NHRA program manager Roger Allen said.
Chevrolet teams have a compressed week with the rain day. They’ll travel to Englishtown, New Jersey, for the 47th NHRA Summernationals on June 9-12. Anderson won the Pro Stock event at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in 2015.
In Stock Eliminator, Bob Letellier (Bob’s Auto Sales Chevrolet COPO Camaro) advanced to the third round of eliminations. He also won ithe first round of eliminations in Super Stock before falling.
An interview with Pro Stock winner GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS:
YOU KEPT THAT KEN BLACK RACING WIN STREAK ALIVE
“It’s been a great start to the year. My race team is on fire right now and this car is just a dream to drive. It was great today; it was low ET every run. I love racing up here in the Northeast; it reminds me of Minnesota where I grew up and if feels like going back home. I love racing here and I love racing at Englishtown (New Jersey, site of next race). These two weeks are probably my favorite weekends of the year. Feels good to cap it off and get the job done, and not screw up basically. I had the best car on the grounds; all I could do is screw it up and I thank the good Lord I didn’t. Great day. I had a rough day on Friday. We made a couple of mistakes. We were experimenting with a few things. Those didn’t work out, but we recovered and got it right on Saturday and got the job done today. I have a great race team behind me and they keep making us look like heroes.”
WHAT WAS YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL THIS MORNING?
“Great. Absolutely fantastic. Friday was rough but (Saturday) was a heck of a rebound and had the best car four runs in a row today. My confidence level is high, and that goes a mile for me. I’m a confidence type of guy, and when I have confidence when you roll up there things just come a lot clearer. I had a good day behind the wheel and I had a great hot rod, and when you do that you’ll look like a hero at the end of the day.”
HOW BITTERSWEET WAS RACING YOUR TEAMMATE (JASON LINE) IN THE SEMIS?
“It is bittersweet, but we race each other tough and no matter what’s been on the line before we always race heads up and we always go for it, and whoever loses we’re not happy about it. He certainly wasn’t happy down there, but that’s why I have him on my race team. That’s why I love having him as a partner. He has that killer instinct. He wants to win every race and set records. When you have three team cars that are so fast that it’s damn near impossible to set individual records because you have to beat cars just as fast as you from your own team. The job he’s done already this season is just fantastic, having to beat Bo (Butner) and myself every time out with equipment just as good as he’s had. Every time I’ve pulled up against him I’ve felt like the underdog and I did today. He’s got the mojo going, he’s been getting it done on race day. Today it was my turn.”
WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION THAT THIS MANY FANS CAME OUT?
“It was pretty cool. I came out this morning and thought it would be like a test day, there wouldn’t be many people around to watch this deal so it will be a low-stress day. I looked up in the grandstands when we rolled out for Round 1 and they were nearly packed so that’s pretty cool. I love racing up here and obviously the fans love us coming here.”