Greg Anderson’s eight Las Vegas trophies are treasured, as they each came with Ken and Judy Black, who originally formed the powerful, multi-time championship KB Racing Pro Stock team with Anderson. The Black family is based just a short drive from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and although they are now retired from racing, they are forever part of the team now known as KB Titan Racing. After a powerful qualifying performance, Anderson is eager to do well on raceday in front of his former team owners who remain like family.
“This is a very special racetrack for me, Ken and Judy Black made so many of my dreams come true, and every win I got here was as big as a championship because it was in their backyard,” said Anderson, who is the second-most winning Pro Stock driver at The Strip. “It would mean so much to me to win another one – not just for this KB Titan crew who work so hard, but for Ken and Judy. It’s always for Ken and Judy here.”
Anderson is teed up for a strong charge for the trophy after scoring his 104th career win in Phoenix last week, which has him positioned third in the Pro Stock standings. He’s qualified No. 3 on the ladder in Las Vegas with a best run of 6.625-second at 206.32 mph, which he clocked in the final of four sessions. In all, Anderson scooped up five bonus points as one of the top three cars in two of the four sessions. He was quickest of all in the last qualifier.
“Well, we were fairly happy with the performance of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, we kept some of the momentum we gained last week, and now we just need to build on that for Sunday,” said Anderson. “We’re racing four-across tomorrow, though, and we know without a doubt that anything can happen when you play it like that. It’s a tough, tough challenge, but last week we worked harder than everybody else and came out with the trophy. The work ethic of this team is incredible, and I truly believe we can do it again.”
The four-wide format is utilized twice each season in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, once at the spring race in Las Vegas, then again at the spring race at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. Motorsports icon Bruton Smith’s legendary facilities were built with exhilarating, out-of-the-ordinary action in mind, and the racetracks deliver as racers line up four at a time for three rounds of action to determine a winner. The quickest two cars in each quad advance to the next round.
Anderson’s HendrickCars.com Chevy is the highest qualified car in his first-round group, with KB Titan Racing teammate and rookie of the year contender Sienna Wildgust joining him from the No. 14 position. Erica Enders (No. 6 qualifier) and Aaron Stanfield (No. 11) round out the pack.
“This is a unique format, it’s a different kind of challenge than we’re used to racing at the 18 other events on the schedule, and maybe some of the younger drivers who aren’t set in their ways yet find it easier – but my job is to do the best I can and win, no matter what the conditions are or how many lanes there are,” said Anderson. “I feel good. Maybe the veteran can outlast the young guns. We’ll find out tomorrow.”
Eliminations for the 14th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals are scheduled to begin at 12:00 noon PT on Sunday, April 14 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This story was originally published on April 13, 2024. 
