Greg Anderson has accomplished nearly everything there is to accomplish in Pro Stock. With 114 career national event victories, six world championships, and more than 1,000 round wins, he has built one of the greatest resumes in NHRA history. In fact, only John Force joins him in the exclusive 1,000-round-win club.
At this stage of his Hall of Fame career, finding additional motivation isn't always easy. After decades of success, Anderson admits it's harder to create the same nerves and adrenaline that fueled him earlier in his career.
“I used to hold my steering wheel, and I’d have butterflies, but it worked out great; I won races that way.”
These days, it takes a special weekend for Anderson to feel what he describes as the pressure he needs to perform at his best.
It's not as if his more relaxed mindset has hurt his ability to win races, it certainly hasn't. Anderson continues to contend for victories year after year. But if there's one place on the NHRA schedule that still brings back those butterflies, it's Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
Much of that feeling stems from his long-standing relationship with Summit Racing Equipment.
While often receives much of the spotlight on his race car today, it's Summit Racing Equipment that gives Anderson a little extra motivation every time he rolls through the gates at Norwalk. It makes sense, considering the partnership dates back to 2004.
Much has changed since then. VCRs and DVDs were still common household items. President George W. Bush was campaigning for a second term. KB Titan Racing was simply known as KB Racing. Through all those changes, one thing has remained constant: Anderson's relationship with Summit Racing Equipment. This year marks 22 years together, a partnership that has outlasted many marriages and become one of the longest-standing relationships in professional drag racing.
That longevity has turned Norwalk into something that feels more like home than just another stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule.
“When I’m rolling in the gates here, and I see the Summit logo everywhere, to me, it’s just a good feeling. It’s like I’m home. I’ve got a kind of home-field advantage when I come here. Maybe it’s not fair to the rest of them, but you gotta take advantage of every opportunity you can get, so let’s see if I can do it.”
Perhaps the most surprising part is that, for someone who now has to manufacture pressure to stay motivated, Anderson still feels plenty of it at Norwalk. Racing in front of the people who have supported him for more than two decades carries a different kind of weight, and even after all these years, he doesn't take that responsibility lightly.
“There’s no doubt extra pressure. You’re coming to race in front of all the bosses at Summit and all the great employees, and you feel like if you fail, that’s probably the end of our deal then.”
Of course, Anderson knows that's not reality. Instead, it's the standard he sets for himself because of how much the partnership means to him.
He remains proud to represent the Summit Racing Equipment banner because his appreciation extends well beyond sponsorship. To him, it's about the people behind the company and the relationship they've built together over more than two decades.
“First off, it’s a company and a bunch of guys and ladies that you love associating with. You go and see them, you love racing for them, and you love trying to make them proud. It’s just a clean, professionally run company, and I love that about it. There’s no BS, you know where you stand with them, and you do the right thing, and you be a good person, and try to say the right things, and they love you back. So, that’s what I love about them.”
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| (Photo Credit: NHRA) |
For a driver whose legacy is already secure, this weekend isn't about chasing another milestone. It's about chasing that feeling, that pressure, that motivation, and the next great run. At Summit Motorsports Park, Anderson has found exactly what he's been looking for.
“I need the extra pressure and motivation, and that’s what I got here.”
Greg Anderson will look to turn that motivation into another victory when eliminations for the 20th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Norwalk Nationals take place on Sunday.
(Cover Photo Credit: Loganity Media/Peyton Lohr)
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