NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Greg Anderson has a strong affinity for racing in the Northeast, and the results back up that claim for the four-time Pro Stock world champion.

Anderson won in Epping for the second straight year on Monday and has a Pro Stock-best six victories at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, the site of this weekend’s 47th annual NHRA Summernationals, including a win last season. It all adds up to what could be another promising event during an already superb start for Anderson during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Anderson has posted four wins and six final-round appearances in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro, taking plenty of good vibes into a facility where he has always enjoyed success.

“It’s been a great start to the year,” said Anderson, who has advanced to four straight final rounds and is second in points. “My race team is on fire right now, and it’s just a dream to drive that race car. I love racing up here in the Northeast. It reminds me of Minnesota where I grew up. It feels like going back home. I love racing [in Epping], I love racing in Englishtown, and these two weeks are probably a couple of my favorite race weekends of the year. I love racing up here, and the fans love it. It’s just a win-win deal.”

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners last year at the iconic summertime event that for the first time will be televised on FOX Sports 1. It is the 10th of 24 events in 2016 and the second of four straight race weekends for NHRA teams during June.

It has been a banner season for Anderson and longtime teammate Jason Line, as the duo has combined to win all nine events in the all-new Pro Stock class. The cars now feature electronic fuel injection, a 10,500-rpm rev limiter, flattened hoods, and shortened wheelie bars, and Anderson and Line have continued to stay a step ahead of their standout Pro Stock counterparts this season.

That was evident for Anderson in Epping, where his Camaro was the best car on the grounds for most of the weekend. He posted low elapsed time in each round during eliminations and now carries plenty of momentum into Englishtown.

“I’ve got a great race team behind me, and they keep making Jason and me look like heroes,” Anderson said. “My confidence level is high, and that goes a mile for me. I’m a confidence type of guy, so when I’ve got confidence, it’s a good feeling when you roll up there.”

Anderson would like nothing more than to repeat the back-to-back wins he put together in Englishtown and Epping last year, with his sixth NHRA Summernationals win last season matching Joe Amato, Larry Dixon, and Don Prudhomme for the most in NHRA history.

Anderson, though, never imagined he would be in his current position in the offseason. Though it wasn’t always pretty, Anderson and the entire KB Racing team worked hard to find the right combination for the new EFI cars, hitting on something that has clearly delivered impressive results.

“It took a ton of work,” Anderson said. “It was a huge mountain to climb with all the rule changes. It was ugly in November and December. We put in more hours this winter than any I can remember. We had to completely change the top of our engines. We had to redesign the front of the car to make room for the new air-duct system. These cars aren’t built in a day.”

The encouraging sign for Anderson is he still continues to make progress this season after the early success. That’s a nod to the work his team continues to put in, and the results have followed. He has posted two No. 1 qualifiers in this stretch of four straight finals, winning in Houston and Epping.

But it hasn’t led to any overconfidence, especially when Anderson considers a loaded talent pool in Pro Stock. It includes Allen Johnson, who reached his first final round of the year in Epping, as well as Line, rising star Bo Butner, back-to-back world champion Erica Enders, five-time world champion and four-time Englishtown winner Jeg Coughlin Jr., 2015 rookie of the year Drew Skillman, veteran driver Shane Gray, hometown favorite Vincent Nobile, and Chris McGaha.

“We’ve watched two or three teams make huge strides the last few weeks,” said Anderson, who has 82 Pro Stock victories, just three behind Bob Glidden for second-most in Pro Stock history. “There are still big gains to be made with these redesigned cars. We’re working harder to keep the gap between us.”

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3:45 and 6:15 p.m. Friday, June 10, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, June 11, at 1:45 and 4:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, June 12.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, 732-446-7800, or log on to www.racewaypark.com. Kids 12 and younger will be admitted free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.