Anderson

Image/Auto Imagery

For Jason Line, Greg Anderson, and the Summit Racing team, there really wasn’t much of an “off-season.” They blasted through the winter in pursuit of horsepower. Now, as the group returns to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals (the first of 24 stops on the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing circuit), they have the opportunity to truly measure their results.

“You want to see the fruits of your labor,” Line said. “Everything begins at the Winternationals, and you look forward to getting to Pomona and finding out if what you did over the winter is really going to measure up or, better, beat everyone else. I know we spent a lot of time in the shop, but I can tell you that a lot of those other guys did, too. The first qualifying session should be a pretty good indicator for all of us.”

Anderson  is doubly excited about the season-opening race. He’s not only looking forward to seeing how his Summit Racing Camaro performs, he’s also hoping to defend his event title. Anderson scored his fifth career win at the Winternationals in 2012, and he hopes his success at Auto Club Raceway continues.

“Pomona is special,” Anderson said. “I love that racetrack. It definitely fits our set-up, and it has seemed magical to us many times. This has been a long, working winter, and we’re hoping to start out with some real magic and get our Summit Racing Chevy Camaros and the KB Racing name back to the head of the class. Pomona is the perfect place to do it.”

A return to the top is all that Team Summit has been thinking about over the off-season as they worked away at KB Racing headquarters in Mooresville, NC in search of the horsepower necessary to win races and championships in what is arguably one of the most competitive categories in NHRA drag racing. After a quick and productive stop at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for one final test session, the Summit Racing group is prepared for launch.

“This is a very exciting time of year,” Anderson said. “I will admit that every year we go to Pomona feeling a little on edge. You really don’t know yet how things will stack up. This team is fully aware of what we’ve accomplished, but the big unknown is what the rest of the class has done in the off-season. We’ll know Thursday and Friday after the first couple of qualifying sessions, but I’d have to say that I’m feeling confident. This team has put their heart into making sure our Summit Racing Camaros are ready to go, and I can’t wait to get back in the seat in Pomona.”

Fueled and inspired by an off-season visit with American military personnel stationed overseas—including stops at Ramstein AFB as well as bases in Bosnia and Kosovo—the team likes its chances in Pomona and beyond.

“Our chances of winning are as good as anybody’s, but I know we’re going to be competitive,” Line said. “We have worked very hard, and I believe that both of our Summit Racing Camaro hot rods will be fast. Time will tell, but it’s fair to say that we’re very optimistic.”