Although three-time NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Champion Greg Anderson will try to approach it as just any other race, the 53rd annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals may be the biggest race of his career.   

First and foremost, Anderson, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO, along with every driver on the O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis facility, wants to win what is considered by most as the largest and most prestigious event on the NHRA circuit.

Secondly, and maybe more important from a historic point of view, Anderson, who has won five times in six final rounds at Indy, including four-in-a-row, is trying to become the only professional driver to win the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals five consecutive times.  He won here in 2001 and 2003-2006 and was runner-up in 1999.  He also earned the No. 1 qualifying position three times (2004-2006).  

"Obviously, winning four-in-a-row at Indy has been pretty cool for me," said Anderson.  "I think there is only two other Pro Stock guys that have done that -- Bob Glidden and WJ (Warren Johnson). I don't believe that anyone in any professional class has ever won five straight, so if I could do it that would put me alone in the record book.  That would be a heck of a feather in our cap, winning five-in-a-row.” Although three-time NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Champion Greg Anderson will try to approach it as just any other race, the 53rd annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals may be the biggest race of his career.   

First and foremost, Anderson, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO, along with every driver on the O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis facility, wants to win what is considered by most as the largest and most prestigious event on the NHRA circuit.

Secondly, and maybe more important from a historic point of view, Anderson, who has won five times in six final rounds at Indy, including four-in-a-row, is trying to become the only professional driver to win the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals five consecutive times.  He won here in 2001 and 2003-2006 and was runner-up in 1999.  He also earned the No. 1 qualifying position three times (2004-2006).  

"Obviously, winning four-in-a-row at Indy has been pretty cool for me," said Anderson.  "I think there is only two other Pro Stock guys that have done that -- Bob Glidden and WJ (Warren Johnson). I don't believe that anyone in any professional class has ever won five straight, so if I could do it that would put me alone in the record book.  That would be a heck of a feather in our cap, winning five-in-a-row.”

Then, if the pressure of winning his fifth consecutive Mac Tools U.S. Nationals isn’t enough for Anderson, add the pressure of trying to win his fourth Pro Stock championship, the 2007 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Championship.  

The second segment (Countdown to 4) of the Countdown to the Championship begins here at Indy.  Anderson leads the eight Pro Stock drivers that advanced to the four-race playoff-style format that determine the four drivers that will move on to the third and final segment (Countdown to One) and will crown the champion for 2007.

Points for these eight drivers have been reset in 10-point increments as follows: Anderson (2,070 points), Dave Connolly (2,060), Jeg Coughlin (2,050), Allen Johnson (2,040), Jason Line (2,030), Kurt Johnson (2,020), Warren Johnson (2,010), and Larry Morgan (2,000).

The four races that comprise the second segment of the Countdown will take place in Indy (Labor Day Weekend), Memphis (Sept. 14-16), Dallas (Sept. 20-23), and Richmond (Oct. 5-7).  The top four drivers in points at the end of those four races will advance to the third and final segment (Countdown to 1) of the Countdown at which time the points will once be reset in 10-point increments, from 3,030 to 3,000.  Those four drivers will compete for the championship over the final two races of the season, the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals (Oct.25-28) and the Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Calif.

"Indy is a special place every time you go there,” added Anderson, as he looked forward to the second segment of the Countdown.  “It's our Super Bowl you know.  It means so much and maybe even more this year with the start of the final two segments of the Countdown to the Championship.
 
“I can't imagine the feeling when you roll in there this year knowing not only that it's the biggest race of the year, and the one that means the most to us, but it's the first race of the all-important Countdown.  So the stress level is going to be ultra high.  Obviously, I've never been through what we are going to experience Indy weekend as far as stress and worrying about what's going to happen.  To perform under pressure that weekend is going to be the most pressure any of us probably has ever had.  It's going to be a very, very interesting weekend.

“I’d rather be leading the Countdown going into Indy, than to be one of the drivers that’s doing the chasing.  If we focus on the job at hand at Indy, we have the opportunity to continue our lead going to the second race.  A win at Indy certainly would help with the pressure of the Countdown but there will be seven other drivers in the Countdown and a whole handful of other drivers that will be trying to add the win at Indy to their trophy shelf.  It’s a must that we have our whole package ready for Indy.”