Anderson Picking Up Steam at Northwest Nationals
KENT, Wash., August 2, 2014 – Qualifying has concluded at the 27th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals, and Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro pilot Greg Anderson is heading into raceday like a freight train picking up steam. Qualified in the No. 5 position and scheduled for a first-round match with Deric Kramer at Pacific Raceways, Anderson is confident and steady with four win lights on Sunday on his mind.
Although Anderson said on Friday that the team wasn’t quite as aggressive as they should have been in the first two rounds of qualifying, his white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro was as consistent as a bracket car, and the Mooresville, N.C.-based racer clocked a respectable 6.561 at 211.20 mph followed by a 6.562, 211.30 that placed him No. 5 in the lineup. Saturday morning dawned cooler following a typical Seattle rain shower, but the heat and sunshine soon came out to bring a challenge to the competitors. Anderson’s camp, however, seemed to have all the right answers.
In Saturday’s first round of qualifying, Anderson raced to a 6.556 at 211.56 mph that was second quickest of the session – and the honor came with two coveted bonus qualifying points. The final qualifying sessions was in the heat of the day, and Anderson sailed to a 6.561, 211.30. The run was third quickest for the Pro Stockers that round, and it brought one more bonus point to add to his collection.
“The best part about it is that yes, we’re knocking the deficit down between myself and that number 10 spot, but what it really tells me is that my car can run fast, and I could have a chance to win a race,” said Anderson, who was just 18 points outside of 10th place entering the Seattle event. “It’s a great feeling to get those bonus points, because it means my hot rod is ready to win a race, and that’s what I’m going to try to do tomorrow. We’ve proved that we can do it, we just need to get the right bolts in the right holes tomorrow. That’s the plan, and I now know fully in my mind that we can do it.”
Although Anderson picked up on the second day of qualifying at Pacific Raceways, Summit Racing teammate Jason Line appeared to fall off a bit. After two runs that were each third quickest in their respective sessions, Line’s final two qualifying passes were each fourth quickest.
“We’ve been experimenting a little all weekend with Jason’s car, trying to learn going forward, but everything will be fine tomorrow,” explained Anderson. “Everything will be back to normal, and he should run very fast and have just as much of a chance as I do to win. We have two Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros with the chance to win the race tomorrow, and I’m happy to join the party.”