Greg Anderson Takes Lead in NHRA Pro Stock Standings

18 oct 2017

Greg Anderson took the green light over teammate Jason Line at the NHRA Midwest Nationals

NHRA Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson reached the final round in each of the first three races of the Countdown to the Championship. He finally broke through at Gateway Motorsports Park in Illinois. It couldn’t have come at a better time either. By winning the Pro Stock portion of the NHRA Midwest Nationals, Anderson took the lead in the Pro Stock standings with three races to go in the Countdown to the Championship. “It’s been three final rounds in a row,” Anderson said. “It’s hard to win out here. It’s really, really difficult to win. My race car worked great all weekend. I had a little bit of an issue with my engine and it was a little bit off speed-wise.”

Anderson’s car wasn’t perfect. He even admitted he needed a little luck to beat his KB Racing teammate Jason Line in the final. The race was almost as close as possible. Anderson won by 0.026 seconds. “I didn’t expect to get around Jason,” Anderson said. “He had a great car all weekend. I knew it was tough and I knew it was going to take someone looking over me to get the win and it happened.”

KB Racing NHRA Pro Stock driver Jason Line lost in the final to teammate Greg Anderson

Anderson has a three-point lead over Bo Butner, who lost in the first round of eliminations at Gateway Motorsports Park. Line is in third place in the Pro Stock standings, 76 points behind Anderson. Anderson said he made his final run with blinders on. He couldn’t bear to see how Line raced down the strip next to him. When they crossed the finish line, Anderson’s win light came on. He couldn’t believe he won the race. “I feel like a boxer,” Anderson said. “You get slugged constantly. If you dodge enough punches, if you find a way to win, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. Tough sport. That’s why I love it so much.”

It was Anderson’s third win of the season and his seventh final round appearance. He has met Line 36 times in NHRA finals. Anderson is 20-16 against Line head-to-head. Three different NHRA Pro Stock drivers have won the first three races of the Countdown to the Championship. Butner won at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania. Tanner Gray won at zMAX Dragway in North Carolina to start the Countdown. Anderson said there could be six different winners in the Countdown and as many as five drivers in contention for the Pro Stock championship in the season finale at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

Greg Anderson holds up his Wally after taking the win at the NHRA Midwest Nationals

“I said earlier when we started this countdown there’s liable to be six winners in the Countdown, six different winners,” Anderson said. “Who knows who’s going to win this thing? We got three different ones so far. Three races to go. Luckily I got one win, but I got a couple runner-ups. I don’t have any DNFs. I haven’t had a bad day, that’s what it’s going to take the rest of the way out. It looks like you’re probably going to have to average about a runner-up finish to win this stupid thing. That’s how tough the competition is.”

Anderson’s strategy at this point is to be within striking distance of the lead for the season finale. He is in the lead at the halfway point, but he knows how quickly that can change. “When we get to Pomona you just want to be in the lead or somewhere within 50 or 100 points of the lead,” Anderson said. “I would just about guarantee it when we get to Pomona, there’s going to be five cars alive on that day to win the championship. Crazy, crazy deal. Tough deal, but that’s what’s awesome about NHRA Pro Stock.”