Greg Anderson and the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet reach quarterfinals in Denver

The Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals brought Greg Anderson and the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro team to one of the most unique drag racing facilities on the planet this weekend. Since the beginning of Anderson's long and storied career, Bandimere Speedway has alternated between being a place to celebrate and a place from which to run. On Sunday at the historic facility, Anderson reached the quarterfinals before it was time to say a bittersweet goodbye to the facility that will close its doors this year after 65 years on Thunder Mountain.

"It's so tough up there, but that's what you love about it," said Anderson, who raced to the quarterfinals. "I've left here many times glad to see Bandimere Speedway in the rearview mirror, but you look forward to coming here and we're disappointed to lose it."

The numbers tell the story of how mile-high conditions starve a naturally aspirated Pro Stock engine. While the factory hot rods typically exceed 200 mph on a quarter-mile pass, in the thin air of Denver, top speed this weekend was 197 mph. Anderson's own top speed was 196.53, which he recorded in the final round of qualifying on a pass that exceeded those offered by his competitors. His best-of-the-round 6.930 was rewarded with three bonus points, and with four qualifying passes in the books, he was set up for race day at the facility where he claimed his first of four wins in 2004.

Qualifying results:
Q1: 13.522-second at 63.22 mph (No. 16)
Q2: 6.927, 194.60  (No. 5)
Q3: 6.958, 195.00  (No. 5)
Q4: 6.930, 196.53  (No. 5)

In the first round, Anderson and young Mason McGaha threw down matching .027-second reaction times to launch in sync, and although McGaha had a bit of trouble on the hot racing surface, Anderson clocked the second-best run of the round, a 6.922, to advance with lane choice over Troy Coughlin Jr.

Round two, the script was flipped – the tires rattled on the HendrickCars.com Chevy as Anderson attempted to power it downtrack, and he had to push in the clutch.

"It was tough," said Anderson. "The challenge up here is what makes it so rewarding when you do well, and today, we didn't get that reward. We've made a lot of memories up on this mountain. We wanted one more really good one today, but that didn't happen. It was a great crowd out there, a sellout all three days, and that was really special. The Bandimere family did an outstanding job with this racetrack for all of these years, and we'll miss coming up here.

Race day results:
R1: Greg Anderson defeated Mason McGaha, (.027-second reaction time) 6.922-second at 195.14 mph to (.027) 7.249, 195.53
R2: Troy Coughlin Jr. def. Anderson, (.018) 6.937, 197.28 to (.037) 10.315, 88.22

"It's time to head down the mountain and get back to more normal conditions. We'll have a little time between now and Topeka, and we see that as an opportunity. That's one thing we've never shied away from with this team – we like to work hard, and with Indy and the Countdown to the Championship right around the corner, we'll have plenty of opportunity to see that hard work pay off."

The next Pro Stock event on the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour will be the 34th annual Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, August 11-13.