DENVER, Colo., July 19, 2014 – Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team continued to see steady gains on the mountain at the 35th annual Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. When qualifying was said and done, Anderson had wheeled his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a start from the No. 5 position, his best start all year. He will race Matt Hartford in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.
“I’m thrilled,” said Anderson. “This is absolutely way, way better than I’ve ever run here. We had a great week at the shop. We made a big decision to not come out here and test, but instead to use that week in the shop to work on our engines and come up with a game plan based on our notes from the previous 10 years. We used that week to sit and think and work, and we had clear heads. We came up with a great game plan.”
Anderson was better with each run he made down the quarter-mile at Bandimere Speedway, opening qualifying with an eye-catching 6.986-second pass at 197.45 mph that moved him into the No. 4 position. In the second round, he improved to a 6.972, 197.68 and then followed up with an even better 6.962, 197.97 on Saturday afternoon’s first session. The final evening session gave room for one more stretch of the legs, and Anderson recorded a best time of 6.937 at 198.44 to move into the five-spot.
For Anderson, the consistent improvements at Bandimere Speedway this weekend mark a major turn. His best qualifying performance so far this year was starting seventh in Epping, and the last time he qualified better than his No. 5 position in Denver was last year at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, where he started fourth.
“I can’t say enough,” said Anderson, a two-time Mile-High Nationals winner (2004 and 2008). “The guys in the shop worked so hard, and we did so many projects this past week. We made every inch of the car a little bit better, and it’s showing. This feels like a breakthrough for us, and we haven’t had a breakthrough in a long time. We have a fantastic shot at putting a Summit Racing Camaro in the winner’s circle, and may the best man win. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I really can’t wait.”