Greg Anderson made a judgment call in 2002, when he decided to team with Ken Black in forming a Pro Stock team.
 
Black is from Las Vegas. Anderson is from Minnesota. So Anderson chose . . . North Carolina.
Selecting the Charlotte area for the team's headquarters was no whimsical decision. Anderson figured the best fit for him was in the heart of NASCAR country, for a variety of reasons.
 
“I know that many people in the motorsports community see Indianapolis as the race capital for the country," Anderson said, "but I consider Charlotte the place to be, which is why our Summit Racing team is based here.

Greg Anderson made a judgment call in 2002, when he decided to team with Ken Black in forming a Pro Stock team.
 
Black is from Las Vegas. Anderson is from Minnesota. So Anderson chose . . . North Carolina.
Selecting the Charlotte area for the team's headquarters was no whimsical decision. Anderson figured the best fit for him was in the heart of NASCAR country, for a variety of reasons.
 
“I know that many people in the motorsports community see Indianapolis as the race capital for the country," Anderson said, "but I consider Charlotte the place to be, which is why our Summit Racing team is based here.
 
"Even though every Sprint Cup team in the country is here, apparently many see them just as good ol’ boy round-trackers. As far as I am concerned, racing is racing, and they have proven in the last five years that there is no other motorsport in their league," he said. "We’re gaining on them in the NHRA, gathering recognition of our own, but they’re still the king.
 
“Because of that," Anderson said, "there are some serious engine and car builders in this area with a tremendous talent pool to draw from. With all the money spent in developing their technology, there has been quite a bit of information that has trickled down to our application. We’ve gotten a lot of great ideas from them, just as they have from us. The smart people pay attention to what everyone else is doing, whether it’s drag racing, stock cars or Indy cars, because you can definitely learn something from anyone who’s involved in racing."
 
He said strong industry support also was a lure. "In so far as what you can do, what you can get, and the people you can bring in, it’s all within a 20-mile radius of the Charlotte area," he said. "If you want to race, this is where you need to be.”
 
"I moved to Charlotte in 1998 to work for Joe Gibbs Racing in their dyno room," Line said. "One of the places I would hang out in my spare time was Jericho Transmissions in Concord, which is owned by a fellow Minnesotan who builds drag-racing transmissions. That's where I met Greg, who was just getting the team started and leasing a shop next door.
 
"At first, a few of us from Gibbs would go over after work and offer to help out just because we thought Pro Stock was cool," Line said, recalling how it stirred memories of his youth in Northern Minnesota. "As things progressed, Greg and I started talking. One thing led to another to where I went to work for KB Racing, eventually getting to drive the team's second car. Six years later, our Summit Racing team is one of the best in the business, and Charlotte is home to arguably the best track in drag racing.
 
"I got to work with some great people at Gibbs, from whom I learned a lot that I use in my current job. We've remained friends and keep track of what the other's team is doing. In fact, I'm sure a few of them will be out at the track this weekend. Best of all, my NASCAR experience helped me land a job driving a Pro Stock Car. It just couldn't have worked out any better."
 
Anderson's decision certainly didn't hurt his effort. Anderson and the KB Racing organization, part of the Mooresville community, have four championships -- including one by Jason Line, a former Joe Gibbs dyno specialist in the NASCAR ranks -- and 77 event victories (58 from Anderson, 19 from Line).

Pro Stock rival Victor Cagnazzi Racing, as well as Bob Tasca's Funny Car operation, also have joined Anderson and longtime North Carolina-based Top Fuel owner/driver Doug Herbert.  

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