Faith can move a mountain but so can a fine-tuned race car.

Experience doesn’t hurt, either.

Just ask Greg Anderson if you have any doubts.

The popular Pro Stock driver has two wins in his previous eight visits to Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Co., and there’s no doubt his familiarity of how to race and win in the thin air of the NHRA Mile High Nationals has contributed to that success.
 
“Denver is the one track where previous success plays a very important role,” said Anderson.  “As different as the conditions are at Bandimere, if you haven’t won there before, you start to wonder if you even can. Having taken our Summit Racing Pontiac to the winner’s circle there twice gives us the extra confidence that we have what it takes and can do it again, and that confidence can be the difference between winning and losing.”

Defending Champion Relies On Experience for Denver Success …

Faith can move a mountain but so can a fine-tuned race car.

Experience doesn’t hurt, either.

Just ask Greg Anderson if you have any doubts.

The popular Pro Stock driver has two wins in his previous eight visits to Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Co., and there’s no doubt his familiarity of how to race and win in the thin air of the NHRA Mile High Nationals has contributed to that success.
 
“Denver is the one track where previous success plays a very important role,” said Anderson.  “As different as the conditions are at Bandimere, if you haven’t won there before, you start to wonder if you even can. Having taken our Summit Racing Pontiac to the winner’s circle there twice gives us the extra confidence that we have what it takes and can do it again, and that confidence can be the difference between winning and losing.”
 
Experience comes in handy when a high altitude throws the entire class a four-tenths of a second curveball. Bandimere Speedway rests 5,860 feet above sea level.
 
“The set-up for this race is totally different, forcing us to make drastic changes from bumper to bumper,” detailed Anderson. “You lose 400 horsepower, which completely alters how the chassis works. If we had the luxury, we’d probably build a chassis just for Denver, because it would be happier with the reduced horsepower. Unfortunately, none of us are in a position to do that, so we make as many changes as we can to make up for it, doing the best with what we have.
 
“That is why it’s almost mandatory that you test there before the race.  So many things change in the car and engine combination in a year’s time that you are just about starting over each time we go there.  The first two or three runs are like you’ve never been there before in your life.  If for nothing else, testing gives you the confidence that you’re going to be close for that first qualifying session, which is so important.” 

Anderson was among a score of Pro Stock drivers who tested the week before the national event and his 7.00 elapsed time was third best among those who made runs. Only Allen Johnson and Mike Edwards, who both ran 6.99s, were quicker.
 
“I believe our test went fairly well,” Anderson admitted. “Our Summit Racing Pontiac ran quicker than we ever have up there, as did a couple of our competitors.  I’m glad we went, and I think we have a couple of very good set-ups to go back with, so we can go in there with guns blazing. As far as I’m concerned, Bandimere Speedway would be a great place to get my first win of the year. 
 
“We were able to test until nine o’clock one of the nights we were out there last week.  This gave us a couple shots at the conditions in the time we’ll be running on Friday and Saturday nights, so our Summit Pontiacs should be in good shape, setting us up for a great weekend in Denver.”
 
Anderson is the defending Mile-High Nationals champion, having qualified No. 1 and defeated V. Gaines, Jeg Coughlin, Kurt Johnson and Allen Johnson for the 56th win of his career.
 

 

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