Racing at home has impact for a driver. There is the comfort of sleeping in one’s own bed, the influx of on-site support from friends and family, the convenience of a short drive to and from the racetrack. But for six-time world champion Greg Anderson, the biggest thing about his home race – the 16th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals – is the opportunity to shine. On Saturday at zMAX Dragway, the most winning driver in the history of Pro Stock took advantage of the spotlight, winning his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge of the season and racing to a third consecutive start from the No. 1 position.
“There’s no place like home. It’s as simple as that,” said Anderson. “This is my home track, and I love it. We’ve always done well here, and today was no exception. Now we get to go home tonight, sleep in our own beds, and start over tomorrow and try to win another race.”
The weekend kicked off with Anderson in prime form for each of the two sessions on Friday, and he powered his KB Titan Racing-prepared HendrickCars.com Chevrolet to a 6.549-second pass followed by a stunning 6.498 in the later round. Saturday’s early session took place in warmer conditions mid-afternoon, and his 6.554, 209.49 was second-best of the session — a strong pass for the conditions that was also good enough to shuttle him to the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, a bonus event that takes place on Saturdays at national events and pits the previous event’s semifinalists against one another for bragging rights and a valuable payout. The specialty race is a two-round affair, with the winner receiving accolades along with potentially critical points that will come into play when the Countdown to the Championship playoffs begin in the fall.
Advancing to the final round of the challenge, which would also count as the final session of qualifying, Anderson was joined by KB Titan teammates Eric and Matt Latino, along with Elite Motorsports rival Aaron Stanfield. The HendrickCars.com campaigner’s 6.549, 207.11 was the best of the lot, landing the veteran driver the #2Fast2Tasty title and a career 143rd No. 1.
The Mission #2Fast2Tasty victory was particularly pleasing for Anderson, who knows full well that championships in Pro Stock are often decided by the slimmest of margins.
“There’s no way of telling; I don’t have a crystal ball,” said Anderson. “We have no earthly idea who is going to win the championship and by how much, but you need every point you can find. You just have to try to earn every last inch you can, and we’ve done good with bonus points in qualifying this year, but these Mission #2Fast2Tasty points are an important part of it. I’m going to try to get as many points as I can, as many race wins as I can, and hopefully have a chance when we come down to the end of the year. I want a shot at another title – that’s what this deal is all about.”Qualifying concluded in the nick of time as rain moved into the area, and the conditions for Sunday are slated to be dry and cool. That could set up a favorable situation for incredible racing on Sunday at the premier facility that Minnesota-transplant Anderson has called home for many years.
“It’s fun to win, and I’m still having a blast doing it,” said Anderson, a five-time victor at zMAX Dragway. “It’s fun to compete in this class; these guys and gals drive the wheels off of these racecars, and it’s brutal out there. It’s hard to win, but when you find yourself in the winner’s circle, you have to give yourself an ‘attaboy.’ Tomorrow will be a whole new day, we’ll start over, and I know we’ll make the right moves. We’ve got a hotrod over here. It’s been great all year, it’s certainly been great all weekend, and I expect it’s going to be great tomorrow.”
Eliminations at the 16th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals are set to begin at noon on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.
