On The Run with Greg Anderson driver of the Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am Pro Stocker

National Dragster, Feb 20, 2004 by Anderson, Greg

The start to another NHRA POWERacle season is probably my favorite time of the year. The weeks of testing and preparation are over, and the excitement and challenge of hcad-to-head competition are within reach.

Preseason testing of my Vegas General Construction Pontiac and teammate Jason Line's KB Kramers Crand Am has gone pretty well. A 6.68 at 206 mph in Florida confirms that we're making progress with the new beadlock-wheel/tire combination, but we still have mores work to do before we find and fix all of the weak links. That won't happen overnight, but our team is up to the challenge.

We made horsepower gains over the winter, but not, enough to flip the class upside down. Last year our focus was directed elsewhere - switching from a Cavalier to a Grand Am, moving into a new race shop, and getting our engine program up and running - but this proseason we've spent most of our time testing. Though we haven't made huge gains in horsepower since we left Pomona in November, we're definitely better off. And because anyone who plans to compete for the POWEKade championship also will have improved, we'll need to bo ready.

Every season, Pro Stock teams raise the bar and step up to the next level of performance. In just 10 years, our category has progressed to an incredible level of parity so that now 15 to 20 drivers have the ability to win at any given event. More and more teams are learning that you can't race this class as a hobby; you have to run it full-bore. The best thing about it is that drag racing fans can continue to count on Pro Stock to produce the close sidc-by-sidc racing they've been accustomed to over the last few years.

We need to run at the front of Lhe pack from the outset to repeat as champions. We can't afford to get into a rut and bury ourselves right off the bat; too many good teams are ready to pick up the ball and leave you in the dust. Ideally, I'd like to win one of the first two or three races and be in the top five as we move toward the beginning of April. That will keep everyone focused on the game plan. Like a good football team, it's important that we march down the field on our first offensive possession.

Having Jason Line racing with us IuH time this season should help improve our prospects. As a team, I'm confident we can build both cars to be competitive. Rach car will have excellent power and equipment, and as such we'll be able to learn from each other. The ability to make more runs at each track will be key to improving our performance and being successful. I have all the faith in the world in Jason. He proved last season that he's ready to handle the pressure of competitive NHRA Pro Stock drag racing.

Now that we have Jason's car racing with the same power, equipment, and resources, having him out there to contend with will make it more difficult to win races from an individual standpoint but better from a team perspective. It would be a heck of an accomplishment if both of us experience the same kind of success this year that we did last season.

This year we're going with a new paint scheme on our two Pontiacs, using two different shades of blue instead of the maroon and silver we ran with last season. One car will be dark blue up front and fading to a light blue toward the back, and the second car will be light blue up front and fading to a dark blue in the back. It's a new look - a new twist, so to speak - and we think the fans are going to like it.

I want to thank the United States Air Force Thundcrbirds and everyone in the U.S. armed forces stationed throughout the world. I'll have the opportunity to fly with the Thundcrbirds in Las Vegas Feb. 17, and it promises to be one of the most exciting things I've ever done. I'll go through a six-hour training program with a (light time of approximately one hour. H should be quite an experience that will have me pretty revved by the time 1 get to Pomona.