Over the next three-plus weeks, MotorSportsTalk will feature season-ending reviews of the top drivers of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
Each day, we’ll have one in-depth review of a driver that finished in the top-five in each of the four professional classes (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle), as well as a compendium of select other drivers that did not finish in the top-five.
The list of drivers we’ve already posted is below. Today, we feature Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson.
Driver: Greg Anderson
Age: 55
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
Team: KB Racing
Sponsor/car: Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Crew chief: Rob Downing/Tim Freeman
2016 season finish: Second in Pro Stock.
2016 season statistics: 24 races, 8 wins, 6 runner-up, 5 semifinals, 4 quarterfinals. No. 1 qualifier seven times. Round-by-round record: 64 wins, 16 losses.
Career statistics: 404 races, 86 wins, 52 runner-up, 64 semifinals, 91 quarterfinals. No. 1 qualifier 87 times. Round-by-round record: 716 wins, 295 losses. 23 DNQ.
What went right in 2016: Anderson and teammate (and eventual champion) Jason Line ruled Pro Stock in 2016, with each driver amassing eight wins apiece. It was a back-and-forth battle all season between the pair, but Line ultimately prevailed by a razor-thin margin of just three points. Ironically, Anderson defeated Line in the final round of the season-ending race, but Line had just enough of a margin to earn his third Pro Stock championship.
What went wrong in 2016: Two things stand out that contributed to Anderson losing such a close championship battle with Line. First, while Anderson claimed seven victories in the first 15 races, he had just one win in the six-race Countdown to the Championship (season-ending race at Pomona). Second, he reached the finals in two other Countdown races (Charlotte 2 and Reading), but finished second. Had he won one of those, or perhaps had gone one extra round in the other three races prior to his season-ending win, he likely would have overtaken Line to earn his fifth career Pro Stock championship.
What to look for in 2017: Anderson has now finished second the last two seasons. Don’t think that’s not lost on the veteran driver. While he has a great relationship with longtime teammate Line, don’t be surprised if 2017 is Anderson’s turn to become the more successful teammate at KB Racing. He’s been hunting for a fifth championship since his last title in 2010 (as well as 2003, 2004 and 2005). Will 2017 finally be the season he earns No. 5?
Season reviews already posted:
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