NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

After four years away, Pro Stock is back at Brainerd International Raceway for this weekend’s 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, which means it’s the first time since 2019 that five-time world champ Greg Anderson will compete at the track where he grew up racing.
 
It’s one of the many reasons the Duluth native is excited about this weekend, as Anderson heads to Brainerd with the most momentum he’s had this season in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
 
He qualified No. 2 in Topeka last weekend and finished as the runner-up to defending world champion Erica Enders, marking his first final-round appearance during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
 
That gave Anderson a much-needed boost of confidence and returning to Brainerd remains extremely special for the veteran. He’s won three times in Pro Stock at a track that gave Anderson his start in the sport and nothing would make him happier than to win a fourth in front of the die-hard Pro Stock fans in Brainerd.

“It feels like it’s been forever since Pro Stock has been there, so I’m really looking forward to this,” Anderson said. “I love this track. It’s where I cut my teeth racing and where I spent all my time when I was young. It’s a great track and you have ‘The Zoo’ on top of it. It’s always been a strong Pro Stock-supporting track. People have missed us being missing and it’s a strong fanbase for us. We also have new employees going there for the first time and I think they may be even more excited than I am. I’m really looking forward to having them there and seeing how much they will enjoy it.”
 
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) won in 2022 and this year’s event will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and the FOX broadcast network, including eliminations coverage starting at 4 p.m. ET on FOX on Sunday, Aug. 20. It is the 11th race during the 2023 Pro Stock season, and Anderson and his team seem to be hitting their stride at an important point of the season.
 
The class returned in Topeka after nearly a month break and Anderson posted his best performance of the season, showcasing the improvements the team made with the extended time off between races. With Brainerd coming as the penultimate race of the regular season, followed by the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indy and then the Countdown to the Championship, Anderson knows how critical this stretch is.
 
He moved up to sixth in points in Topeka and will also be part of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race on Saturday in Brainerd, taking on Deric Kramer in one semifinal rematch. Enders and points leader Dallas Glenn make up the other matchup, putting the four drivers in line for a big weekend.
 
Anderson, who also has to contend with the likes of Troy Coughlin Jr., Matt Hartford, Aaron Stanfield, Cristian Cuadra and Camrie Caruso, is eager to take advantage of the opportunity, knowing how much a Brainerd win would mean and how it could set up a big finish for the 101-time event winner.

“I always want to be strong from start to finish, but it’s really important to peak at the right time,” Anderson said. “We haven’t been a mile off this year, but we just needed some fine-tuning. I’m excited going forward and it’s going to be a wide-open race in this class to win a championship. There were a lot of positives from the last three weeks and we came to Topeka with a better product.
 
“Hopefully we turned the corner, but what’s important to me is to get a win. I don’t want to go to the playoffs without a win. We were close last week, but we didn’t get it done. We need to do that before the playoffs start, and this race in Brainerd and Indy, they’re two of the races at the top for me.”

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 2:45 and 6 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 18 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 12:45 and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 20. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, 1:00 p.m. on Sunday on FS1, and then eliminations on FOX at 4 p.m. ET Sunday.
 
To purchase tickets to the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, fans can call 866-444-4455.