Greg Anderson might seem cool, calm and collected when he rolls to the starting line at any of the NHRA’s 23-race Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events. If only race fans could see him in the days leading up to the first race of the season.

Admittedly, this has been a tough off-season for Anderson and his team.

“Our outlook is no different than any other season – we live in complete fear until we make that first run in Pomona,” said Anderson, who will compete at this weekend’s NHRA Winternationals.  “This KB Racing crew has had its distractions over the last few months, which made the off-season seem even shorter than it actually is. But through it all, we have stayed steady, working as hard we can. We’re certainly pleased with the results we saw with our new Summit Racing Pontiac in testing, and are confident we have a good hot rod and have moved our program forward.

Greg Anderson might seem cool, calm and collected when he rolls to the starting line at any of the NHRA’s 23-race Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events. If only race fans could see him in the days leading up to the first race of the season.

Admittedly, this has been a tough off-season for Anderson and his team.

“Our outlook is no different than any other season – we live in complete fear until we make that first run in Pomona,” said Anderson, who will compete at this weekend’s NHRA Winternationals.  “This KB Racing crew has had its distractions over the last few months, which made the off-season seem even shorter than it actually is. But through it all, we have stayed steady, working as hard we can. We’re certainly pleased with the results we saw with our new Summit Racing Pontiac in testing, and are confident we have a good hot rod and have moved our program forward.
 
“However, before that first race, you just worry that your competition has somehow found 50 horsepower or picked up a tenth of a second over the winter. No matter how well you think your off-season has gone, you really don’t know how you stack up until you get to Pomona and go down the racetrack a couple times.  That’s why we keep our nose to the grindstone throughout the whole winter, making sure we are as well prepared as we can be. We know where we are – now it’s time to find out what the other guys have been up to.”

The guys, also known as his competition, found out what Anderson had been up to when he set the pace for a gathering of Pro Stock drivers in Bradenton, Fla., just a few short weeks ago.

Once the anxiety of the first race lifts following Thursday’s first qualifying attempt, Anderson, a three-time NHRA champion, will work on adding a fifth victory.

“There are two reasons why I believe this Summit Racing team has done so well at the Winternationals,” said Anderson. Teammate Jason Line is the defending event champion.  

“The first is that we have more time to prepare for it than any other race. This KB Racing crew likes to take a very methodical approach, thinking everything through, so we have historically done better when given more time. The Winternationals are unique in that we have two months to get ready, which I believe is the key to our success there.
 
“I also think that we have done well in Pomona because the race means so much to me. On top of the tremendous tradition and history associated with the Winternationals, when you pull on to the grounds, you’ve been working for two months, but don’t really know where you stand. Therefore, if you can have great success right out of the box, you have a much more comfortable feeling heading into the rest of the season. That’s a great motivator, and our results speak for themselves – hopefully we can continue that trend this weekend.”