On the morning of the U.S. Nationals, Greg Anderson rolled out of bed with a new outlook.
He told himself one thing: “You are going to win today.”
After struggling through much of the regular NHRA season, the defending Pro Stock champion was in need of a change if he wanted to be back on top. Up until the series arrived at Indianapolis Raceway Park, his mindset was: if it happens, it happens.
But this race had to be different.
It wasn’t the time to sit back and wait to get lucky. The young talent in the class — drivers such as Dallas Glenn and Troy Coughlin Jr. — and formidable veteran racers — including four-time champion Erica Enders — had made it clear that pure luck wouldn’t be enough to claim a victory.
“You’re going to take this race. You’re going to go out there and find a way to win, just like you used to do,” Anderson recalled telling himself that morning.
It hadn’t been easy to transition from being the 2021 Pro Stock champion to consistently losing during the first and second rounds of eliminations in 2022. Especially when his 100th career victory was waiting for him right around the corner.
“I tried to be real nonchalant about it all year and tried not to worry about it,” Anderson said.
The inevitable truth was that, at the end of the day, every racer wants to win. Although Anderson maintained hope that his 100th win was on its way, it was taking a lot longer than he expected.
Coming off his championship victory in Pomona last year, he anticipated picking up several wins before the series arrived at Indy and had hoped to enter the Countdown to the Championship as the point leader. After all, that was his strategy last year, and it worked.
The reality was that his 25th season racing Pro Stock would be an unexpected test of mental perseverance.
“The longer you’re at this game, it’s like you gotta find ways to motivate yourself,” Anderson said.
Greg Anderson burns the tires of his Pro Stock entry at Indy. (NHRA photo)
Early in the season, Anderson could only break into the semifinal qualifying rounds on his best day, while current point leader Enders was busy gaining the edge on her competition.
It wasn’t until the series reached the NHRA Sonoma Nationals in late July that Anderson fought his way into the final round of eliminations, though Enders defeated him.
It was still a step in the right direction, and Anderson repeated his showing in the final elimination round two weeks later at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka. The coveted win remained just out of reach as Coughlin Jr. defeated Anderson in the final round.
Entering the U.S. Nationals, there was a certain amount of hope that Anderson held, wondering if things might fall into place at the perfect time.
His dream weekend at “The Big Go” began in qualifying when he took the No. 1 position going into the race on Monday. Working up to the final elimination against Glenn, Anderson defeated Fernando Cuadra, Coughlin Jr. and Fernando Cuadra Jr.
With a 6.587-second elapsed time — the lowest Pro Stock ET of the weekend — Anderson finally secured his 100th win at the place that means everything to a drag racer.
“If I could’ve prayed and wished for a race to get it done at, it would be Indy,” Anderson said. “We’re still on cloud nine down here.”
The victory was the seventh of his career at the U.S. Nationals, a Pro Stock record that is second only to Bob Glidden who won the event nine times. Anderson also inserted his name into NHRA history as the second drag racer to attain a triple-digit win record.
Only 16-time Funny Car champion John Force, who owns 155 career victories, has more NHRA wins than Anderson.
The weekend was also a crucial success for the KB Racing team, as they begin the final stretch of the season with a little extra wind beneath their sails.
“What winning does, is it puts a smile on every person on this race team’s face,” Anderson said. “They want to go home and they want to work harder. And it’s been a great week of work.”
While the early season was by no means ideal for Anderson and his crew, winning at Indy right before the Countdown to the Championship is nonetheless some kind of best-case scenario.
In the past, Anderson has made it known that he was not a fan of the NHRA playoff format. To him, the point reset that takes place in the Countdown — which gives the leader a reduced, 20-point gap to second place — did not allow for a true season champion to be crowned.
However, the tables have turned this year, with the format providing him with an opportunity he wouldn’t have had otherwise. Following the second-place seed, every championship contender is then separated in 10-point increments.
The five-time Pro Stock champion will enter the Countdown third in the standings, 30 points behind Enders.
“Two months ago, I did not have a realistic shot at contending, defending my title,” Anderson said. “Now, I think I’ve got a realistic shot. So we’ll go out there and keep doing what we’re doing.”
Keyword: Greg Anderson Has High Hopes After Reaching 100th Win