The second race of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season is off to a blazing start at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz., and Greg Anderson and his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro have risen to the top on a blistering first day of the 41st annual FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs. After the first two rounds of qualifying, Anderson was sitting in the No. 1 spot, and with more hot weather to be dished out on Saturday, odds are reasonably good that he will be able to protect the position and earn the 141st pole of his career.
“We got our ducks in a row on Sunday in Gainesville, and it looks like they stayed that way,” said Anderson, referring to the season-opener two weeks ago on the other side of the country. “I’ve got my hotrod back with this HendrickCars.com Chevy, and she was happy in the heat today.
“It was a little warm in Gainesville, but nothing compared to this. We’re in Phoenix, it’s the desert, but I can’t remember racing here when it’s been this hot. This is a record for me; it’s a little bit out of my comfort zone, but so far, everybody has done a great job. It was a good, tight qualifying session both runs, and I’m looking forward to more of that tomorrow.”
One of the lead stories heading into the weekend was the forecast. Phoenix is typically hot, but with air temps expected to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit and track temps already teetering over 130F, managing the racing surface is the top challenge.
“It’s hard to do, and I’m pretty damn impressed with the job everybody in this class did today,” said Anderson, who was No. 1 out of the box with a 6.552-second pass and followed up with a 6.602 in the later session that was also low of the round. “Usually when you start the season and get your first nasty-hot weather, you’ll see a lot of cars fail to make runs. We didn’t see that today. Everybody is getting smarter, and it just makes for better racing. It’s a tough deal, but you just have to manage the racetrack the best you can.”
The schedule for Saturday will mirror what it was today, and the first Pro Stock runs are scheduled at 9:30 a.m., with the second session following at noon.
But there will be more on the line than potential changes in position: the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge will also take place on Saturday. The special bonus race turns Saturday qualifying into competition as the semifinalists from the previous event are matched once more for a bonus purse and potentially crucial bonus points that will come into play when the Countdown to the Championship playoffs begin in the fall. Anderson will match with Erica Enders in the early session on Saturday morning, the driver he defeated in the semifinals in Gainesville, and reigning world champion Dallas Glenn will square off with Matt Hartford. The winner of each match will race for the #2Fast2Tasty title in the second Saturday session.
Anderson is pleased with the first day’s results and is looking forward to the possibilities on the table for Saturday.
“The toughest thing for me is going to be to not wilt — I’m a sissy anymore, and I try to stay in the air conditioning the most I can, but I need to find a way to toughen up for Sunday,” said the six-time world champion and most winning driver in the history of the class. “It’s going to be a mental challenge and a sweat-fest, no doubt about that, but I love racing out here. As hot as that racetrack is, you only saw one or two cars shake the tires. Everybody is doing a great job, and it really tells you that the racetrack is holding up very well. We’ve got two more qualifying sessions yet and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, but I can already tell we’re going to have a great race on Sunday.”
Qualifying for the 41st annual FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs will continue on Saturday and include the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. Rounds are scheduled at 9:30 a.m. and 12 noon local time at Firebird Motorsports Park.
