Greg Anderson Wins The NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout At Route 66 Raceway
Greg Anderson Wins The NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout At Route 66 Raceway
Five-Time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Greg Anderson wins NHRA GETTRX Pro Stock Call Out at NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Chicago.
![Greg Anderson Wins The NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout At Route 66 Raceway](https://d2779tscntxxsw.cloudfront.net/664a3f3623949.png?width=1200&quality=80)
The incoming Pro Stock points leader showed that he’s still got plenty of fire in his belly on Saturday at Chicago’s famed Route 66 Raceway. Greg Anderson wheeled his KB Titan Racing-powered HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to a final-round victory in the highly anticipated GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout, and in doing so, qualified pleasingly well for the main event at the Gerber Collison & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals.
“Today was awesome,” said Anderson, who adds this latest accolade to the incredible 105th national event win he earned two weeks ago at the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. “We made three absolutely fantastic runs today with my HendrickCars.com Chevy, and that starting line is tricky out there with the sun on it, but my crew chiefs just did an outstanding job. They have my car in a happy, happy spot, and it’s so fun to drive and ride in.”
The callout, now in its second season, is a unique specialty event that locks in the top eight drivers based on past qualifying points. The driver with the most qualifying marks heading into the bonus race gets to make the first callout, and so on. No. 1 seed Erica Enders selected Anderson right off the bat.
After strong Friday qualifying in which he settled into the No. 3 position and raked in five bonus points, Anderson was well aware that his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet was up to the challenge. His 6.566-second pass at 208.46 mph easily negated Enders’ efforts in their meeting; her car and the racing surface failed to work together, while Anderson and company smoothly sailed down the drag strip to set the win light flashing and earn top bonus qualifying points.
“I said coming in here that if I got a chance to pick someone, I was going to pick who I thought was the baddest dog on the planet – but the roles got reversed, and Erica picked me,” said Anderson. “I’d have picked her, and that shows you the kind of respect we have for each other and what it means racing each other. That was a great first-round win; sometimes, first rounds are like final rounds – and that one was, for sure. It was a shot in the arm.”
Anderson selected Troy Coughlin Jr. as his the second-round matchup for an old-school Summit Racing Equipment vs. JEGS battle. Coughlin got a slight edge at the starting line, but lane choice made the difference, and Anderson again flew past his troubled opponent for a 6.582, 208.46 win over a stunted 14-second pass.
After barely missing the field for the call-out last year, Anderson was elated to be headed to the final this time around. In Pro Stock specialty races, Anderson stands as the most winning (he won the former Pro Stock shootout most recently known as the K&N Horsepower Challenge seven times). His elation heading into this event’s money round was tempered by the desire to take it all the way and claim the $40,000 prize in the name of HendrickCars.com and KB Titan Racing.
“It’s been an awesome day so far, but nothing matters if you don’t get that checkered flag,” said Anderson. “I have a little making up to do after last year.”
Last season’s disappointment was relinquished to a distant memory soon enough. Racing KB Titan teammate Matt Hartford in the final round, Anderson had the lead by the time the two were past the tree and never trailed. His 6.595, 208.36 got the nod over a 6.641, 206.80. At the top end of the racetrack, Anderson was awarded the trophy, along with a commemorative championship belt with brilliant GETTRX All-Star Callout branding.
“First of all, thank you to the folks at GETTRX for getting behind this awesome event, and thanks to Rick Hendrick and HendrickCars.com and Summit Racing for all they do for us.
“My team did a phenomenal job today. It’s so important to make hay when the sun shines, that is absolutely the golden ticket,” said Anderson, nodding to his successes so far this year that have placed him at the top of the pack. “I have a heck of a horse under me, and any one of the eight drivers could have come out here and won this – but we earned it. We aren’t backing into these wins. We ran great, we survived the battle, and it was a great team victory. I probably have the best racecar in the class right now, it’s in the happiest spot, and I’m going to try to ride to the finish line again tomorrow.”
No. 3 qualifier Anderson will race KB Titan Racing teammate Deric Kramer in the first round on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway. Eliminations at the 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Chicago are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CT.
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