The merge of KB Racing and Titan Racing Engines ahead of the 2023 season of NHRA’s Camping World Drag Racing Series brought about a rush of whispers. What will become of the legendary team Ken Black and Greg Anderson built from the ground up over two decades ago? For five-time world champion Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, the answer is simple.
“We’ll have some growing pains – it would be impossible to avoid that – but the merger made this race team stronger,” said the most winning driver in the history of Pro Stock and the owner of 101 trophies in the class of naturally aspirated factory hot rods. “We’ll have to be patient as we get gelled, but the product is definitely going to be good.”
Anderson is under no assumption that it will all be sunshine and roses, but his faith in the KB Titan Racing team runs deep, and it strikes a chord of understanding: his biggest challenge this year may well come from inside the camp and his fellow KBT drivers.
Last year’s Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals winner Dallas Glenn – a four-time victor in Pro Stock – is one pit over from the work area Anderson shares with six-time finalist and 2021 Carolina Nationals winner Kyle Koretsky. Further down the row, the KB Titan umbrella extends over four-time winner Deric Kramer, five-time event titlist Matt Hartford, and 2022 rookie of the year Camrie Caruso, who was No. 1 qualifier and a finalist in just her fifth Pro Stock race ever.
“Making the race team stronger means that there are more in-house cars that can win, and that’s going to create an intramural battle for me in addition to the battle with tough, tough competitors outside of KB Titan Racing,” admitted Anderson.
“But I’m okay with that. At this point in my career, I’ve gotten past all the ego stuff, and I’ll be proud if they’re able to go out there and win races – even if they beat me along the way. We have a great six-pack of drivers and racecars, we’ve got top-notch crew chiefs and crew members, and we’re going to be a handful this year. I think we’ve made great strides over the winter. As long as KB Titan Racing wins, I’m going to be happy.”
The team put in the work at the KB Titan Racing engine shop over the winter, and they tested at Bradenton Motorsports Park ahead of this weekend’s season-opening Gatornationals. The conditions were hot and humid, but over the course of three solid days of testing, Anderson and his KBT cohorts were pleased.
“We needed those three days,” said Anderson. “We made a lot of changes over the winter, so we utilized that time to get everything calmed down and working smoothly so that we could make good, quality runs. We’ll see where we stack up, but we feel like we had a good winter’s work. We have a good product, and now we get to put the rubber to the road and see what happens.
“I feel good, and I’m ready to get back to racing. It’s been too long. Everybody knows I love working in my race shop, but I missed driving the car. No matter how long I do this, I still enjoy that part of it.”
This story was originally published on March 11, 2023. 
