Brainerd: Greg Anderson final summary

0.006 of a second too soon ends Anderson's weekend

BRAINERD, Minn. (August 13, 2006) -- For Greg Anderson, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac Racing GTO, the end came too soon. The three-time POWERade champ left six thousandths of a second before the green ending an almost picture-perfect weekend at Brainerd International Raceway (BIR).

In the good news department, co-crew chief Jeff Perley was back at the track at BIR after missing the last race in Sonoma due to the birth of a new addition to the family, daughter Delayna Addison Perley. Delayna was born at 6:56 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25, 2006. She was 7 lbs. 11 oz., 20 inches long. Everything went really smooth and both mother Leslie and Delayna are doing fine, as is dad. Also, according to Jeff, brother Griffin, 18 months, found out that Delayna wasn't going away and has now adapted well. Congratulations Jeff and Leslie. Welcome back Jeff.

As to the racing end of things, after qualifying concluded yesterday afternoon with Anderson in the top spot, No. 1, it rained off and on throughout the night. Rain again greeted fans and competitors today. Prerace ceremonies, driver introductions, and a visit with the governor of Minnesota were held in light to moderate rain which eventually delayed the start of the 25th running of the Lucas Oil Nationals.

After a one hour and 50 minute hold, racing got underway. In the first round against Richie Stevens, Jr., Anderson, who was born and raised in nearby Duluth, Minn., was out first and led from wire to wire. Anderson, in the Summit Racing Pontiac GTO recorded a pass of 6.769-seconds at 203.95 mph turning back Stevens in the Mopar Dodge Stratus. Stevens ran an elapsed time of 6.820 seconds.

After Top Fuel and most of Funny Car ran their second round, racing was again put on hold due to rain. This delay last approximately 20 minutes before racing resumed.

In the second round it was the power of the Summit Racing Pontiac that came to the forefront. After Mike Edwards, in the Young Life Pontiac GTO, got out first, Anderson reeled him in crossing the finish line in 6.726 seconds, to 6.775 seconds for Edwards.

In the semifinals Anderson, currently second in points, went head-to-head against Dave Connolly, who holds third in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock point standings. For Anderson it was over at the starting lights when he left .006 of a second too soon. Connolly advanced to the final round with a 6.761 second run. For the record, Anderson recorded a 6.735-second pass.

Although he lost today's battle with Connolly, Anderson holds onto second in the point race and now has 1066 points. That's 83 behind teammate Jason Line, who leads the points, and 25 ahead of third place Dave Connolly, who went on to win the event. "I felt good today and the Summit Racing Pontiac was absolutely fantastic," said Anderson. "I thought the light was the best I had all year. I was real relaxed, but focused. Somehow I rolled the light a little bit. I don't know if it was something I did with my foot or what. Somehow it got in the beams too deep. I had a good reaction and it was too close -- six thousandth too close.

"I'm happy in a way because I had good concentration and I saw the light real well. That will help me in Memphis and through the remainder of the season."

Anderson and his KB Racing-owned, Summit Racing Equipment team now move straight to Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tenn., the "Home of the Blues" and the adopted city of Elvis Presley, for the NHRA O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Aug. 18-20.

-credit: kb racing