Like all of us, Greg Anderson is dealing with a lot more downtime as a result of the coronavirus public health crisis.
But the four-time Pro Stock world champion is hardly just sitting around.
Anderson and his KB Racing team were hard at work in the shop before everyone was quarantined, and even at home Anderson is staying busy. In an outstanding Facebook interview conducted by Kelly Wade, who does PR for Summit Racing and is a regular Drag Illustrated contributor, Anderson also joked he’s had time to take on a lot of projects at home, including getting his personal vehicles in tip-top shape.
With NHRA still slated to return in early June, Anderson touched on the progress the team made before everyone was sent home and how that could impact the rest of the season.
“We’ve definitely made some gains and worked on a lot of interesting projects,” Anderson said. “It’s almost like a second off-season and we’re trying to develop a lot of new parts and pieces, and we’re seeing a lot of positive results so far. Quite honestly, I think we’re going to be in better shape when we get back in June.
“We’ve been doing a lot of everything. We’ve been developing a lot of things. It’s been a lot of learning experiences and a lot of progress, and we can’t wait to get back to the shop. It’s all going to be just fine.”
Anderson also touched on the state of Pro Stock, which has enjoyed a steady ascent the last couple of years. It is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020 and while that celebration is currently on hold, Anderson likes the direction of the class.
“We’ve got great, great competitors right now in Pro Stock,” Anderson said. “I kind of like the state of things in the class right now. It’s the best competition we’ve ever had.”
In the Facebook conversation, Anderson answered a handful of questions from fans, talking about his personal Pro Stock “wishlist” as well as the changes for this year, including going back to a traditional points race. With the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out a portion of the season – Pro Stock is slated to race 16 times instead of 18 this year – NHRA made the decision to eliminate the Countdown to the Championship.
It’s a perfectly fine decision for Anderson, who has 94 career victories.
“I still like the old system where you had to prove all year long that you could be the best,” Anderson said. “It was a grand total of all those races. You had to be good in every type of condition. I think you need to prove over the full season that you’re the best of the best.”
Getting that 100th win and a fifth championship are still the major goals for Anderson in 2020, and he’s anxious to get back to racing. He called this season the most difficult one in his career, all because of factors completely outside of racing. It’s made for a challenging situation in uncertain times, but Anderson shared an uplifting message to close out the interview.
“We’re trying to stay positive. It’s definitely challenging times, but I’m learning to deal with it,” Anderson said. “I’m confident things will get back to normal. I can’t understand a lot about it, but I know we’re going to get through it. We’re going to do a few things different and that’s going to help us in life down the road.”
This story was originally published on April 22, 2020. 
