The 2024 NHRA Countdown to the Championship is off and running with the first of six intense races in the books. The 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway was a battle field; the points were shaken, and Greg Anderson kept his footing near the top with a semifinals finish in the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
“I love racing at Maple Grove Raceway, and it was everything that all of those great Pro Stock fans up here could have dreamed of,” said Anderson. “The Countdown to the Championship playoffs are designed to be a high-intensity situation, and it was certainly that. Fans got their money worth this weekend, that’s for sure.”
Anderson’s battle for the first trophy of the Countdown began with a start from the No. 3 position and a fierce hot rod that would claim the second quickest pass of the event in the opening round of eliminations. His victory over KB Titan Racing teammate Cory Reed came with a stunning 6.529-second pass that could only be bested by teammate Dallas Glenn, who went 6.526 in his victory over Kenny Delco a few pairs later.
As the sun beat down upon Maple Grove Raceway’s historic racing surface, the conditions became a bit more challenging throughout eliminations, and Anderson used a 6.555 in his defeat of a tire-rattling Camrie Caruso. The ticket to the semis assured a battle of longtime rivals as Anderson prepared to square off with Erica Enders for the 58th time in his career. The two were nearly in sync as they left the starting line – Anderson quicker by .006-second – and it was an incredibly close battle all the way to the finish line stripe. Enders got the nod by just .005-second.
“It was a good race, it just didn’t fall our way,” said Anderson, who exits Reading No. 4 in the points and just 46 marks behind the top spot. With five races to go before the championship is decided, Anderson is well within striking distance of claiming a sixth world title. For the most winning driver in the history of the class with 105 Wallys in the trophy case, Anderson knows what it takes to get the job done, and he’s eager to get back to it in just a few days at his home race, the NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte.
“We’re racing at home next week, and we’ve spent a lot of time at zMAX Dragway over the years,” said Anderson. “We have the opportunity to make up the little bit of ground that we gave up in Reading, and we’re excited. This is the time of the year that you should be excited. We need to be at peak performance come next weekend, and there is no reason we shouldn’t be. Bring it on.”
The 2024 Mission Foods NHRA Countdown to the Championship will continue in one week with race two of six, the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, Sept. 20-22.
This story was originally published on September 16, 2024. 
