Greg Anderson reaches the final round in Topeka
There is much to be said for staying the course, and Greg Anderson and the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro team have consistently proven that to be true. The dedicated, never-distracted approach comes natural to and has paid off in spades for the five-time world champion and the most winning driver in the history of the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class, and this weekend at the 34th annual Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park, Anderson narrowly missed his 122nd No. 1, then reached the 172nd final round of his career.
"Wow, it's hard to believe it's been that many," said Anderson, who has been to more final rounds in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competition than anyone aside from Funny Car legend John Force. "But the bottom line is that yes, it's a great number, and you want to see it grow – but getting to the final and not coming home with the trophy means you didn't get the job done.
"This is such a special place, and I have a lot of great memories here, no question about it. We've created a lot of magic here in Topeka over the years, not only in my own driving and racing career, but when I worked with Warren [Johnson, five-time Topeka winner]. We had a lot of great times here, and I wanted to leave with that last Topeka trophy up for grabs. It was a good day, but we weren't able to get it done, and that's a little disappointing."
The weather in Topeka was nothing short of atrocious, as humidity was in abundance and temperatures soared near 100 degrees Fahrenheit in qualifying. Even so, Anderson and his team were able to dial in to what the racetrack wanted and claim the provisional pole on Friday. In final qualifying, the only one who could get by him was KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn, and while Glenn got the No. 1, Anderson was No. 2 on the qualifying sheet – his best start of the season.
Qualifying results:
Q1: 6.677-second at 205.38 mph (No. 1, +3 bonus points)
Q2: 6.653, 205.66 (No. 1, +3)
Q3: 6.645, 205.79 (No. 2, +2)
On Sunday, drivers woke early to rain, thunder, and lightning, and eliminations were delayed from a 10:00 a.m. start time to nearly 4pm. Patience paid off, though, and when it came down to it, Anderson's HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro was the quickest car on the property every round but the last.
In the long-awaited kick off of eliminations, Anderson recorded a low-of-the-round 6.649-second pass at 205.57 mph (tied with Glenn, but faster in speed) in his defeat of David Cuadra's 6.723, 205.26, and with lane choice over Troy Coughlin Jr. in the quarterfinals, he left the starting line first and kept ahead for a 6.640, 206.01 to 6.647, 206.48 win. Again, Anderson's HendrickCars.com Chevy was the quickest of the round for lane choice in the semifinals, where he once more left ahead of his opponent – in this case, KB Titan Racing teammate Deric Kramer – and got to the finish line first, 6.613, 204.57 to 6.630, 205.76. The victory sent him ahead to a ninth Heartland Motorsports Park final and the pursuit of a fifth Topeka trophy.
Anderson had the car to beat on Sunday at Heartland Motorsports Park, but as the conditions shifted dramatically, the racetrack became slick and tricky. In the final round, the tires of his Camaro began to skate on the slippery surface downtrack, and Anderson had to lift in order to keep his car within control. Erica Enders was able to keep it hooked and won, 6.617, 206.13 to 6.636, 198.41. Although the trophy was not in Anderson's hands at the conclusion of the weekend, an assortment of valuable points was, and he moved up to No. 6 in the Pro Stock points.
Race day results:
R1: Greg Anderson defeated David Cuadra, (.043-second reaction time) 6.649-second at 205.57 mph to (.038) 6.723, 205.26
R2: Anderson def. Troy Coughlin Jr., (.023) 6.640, 206.01 to (.032) 6.647, 206.48
R3: Anderson def. Deric Kramer, (.024) 6.613, 204.57 to (.038) 6.630, 205.76
R4: Erica Enders def. Greg Anderson, (.023) 6.617, 206.13 to (.033) 6.636, 198.41
"I haven't had a great run up to the playoffs, but we all know that what matters most is what happens during those last six races in the Countdown to the Championship," said Anderson. "You have to peak at the right time of the season, and I don't think I've peaked yet. We certainly had a good start in Topeka, and now there are two races left to get ready for the Countdown, to climb that mountain, and to roll into the playoffs with the best product I've had all year."
The next Pro Stock event on the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour will be the 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn., August 17-20.
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