It was about time.

Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson had not had much success at his home track zMax Dragway in Charlotte before the weekend of the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, and much of the year, Anderson has felt his efforts and his car were subpar. But everything came together in front of a plethora of friends and family as he piloted his Pontiac GXP to a third win of the season in his fourth final round.

“I got lucky today,' said Anderson. “I had the best hot rod of the Summit Racing bunch and probably the best hot rod on the grounds. I'm a lucky man, without a doubt. I've struggled with the Charlotte racetrack in the past, but no more. I now officially love it and want to race here 10 more times a year. Thank you, Bruton Smith and all the great people here; zMax Dragway is now my favorite racetrack.”

It was about time.

Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson had not had much success at his home track zMax Dragway in Charlotte before the weekend of the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, and much of the year, Anderson has felt his efforts and his car were subpar. But everything came together in front of a plethora of friends and family as he piloted his Pontiac GXP to a third win of the season in his fourth final round.

“I got lucky today,' said Anderson. “I had the best hot rod of the Summit Racing bunch and probably the best hot rod on the grounds. I'm a lucky man, without a doubt. I've struggled with the Charlotte racetrack in the past, but no more. I now officially love it and want to race here 10 more times a year. Thank you, Bruton Smith and all the great people here; zMax Dragway is now my favorite racetrack.”

Anderson didn't have an easy draw in the final with Indy winner Greg Stanfield in the other lane, but he overcame a .010 starting-line deficiency and recorded low e.t. of eliminations with a quick 6.604 at 209.30 mph to best Stanfield's 6.651, 207.91.

“He's bad to the bone,” said Anderson of his final-round opponent. “He's shown what he can do many times. He won the U.S. Nationals, and that's pretty special. I knew I had a tough challenge, and you always wish that you get a little bit of an easier road, but it shouldn't be like that, it should be tough and you should have to go out and earn every run. When you come down to the final round, it should be the toughest round you've had all day.

“Greg did a good job. He left on me – what a shocker that is – but it wasn't enough. The boys did a fantastic job with our Summit Racing Pontiac, and I think I made the run of my life in that final round. That was the smoothest racecar I've ever felt; it was a dream. Luckily, my light came on at the finish line and we got the trophy, and now we're back in the Countdown. They wanted to throw dirt on us, we were just about buried and done, but we had a big day and got back in it, and now our goal next week is to get Jason back in it, move up some more, and have two chances at winning the championship.”

No. 4 qualifier Anderson, who was the provisional low qualifier on Friday but forfeited the position to teammate Jason Line on Saturday, kicked off eliminations with a first-round victory over red-lighting Larry Morgan. In the second round, Anderson was quicker off the starting line and first to the finish ahead of Rodger Brogdon, and in the semi's, he was low-of-the-round with a 6.638 to beat Kurt Johnson's 6.689.

Stanfield advanced from the opening round easily when Rookie of the Year candidate Shane Gray fouled by .027-second, and in round two, he used his well-known starting-line prowess to beat Jeg Coughlin Jr. to the punch, .019 to .045, and then finish the job at the top end, 6.652 to 6.671. In the semi's, the Louisiana-based driver was .026 on the launch and clocked a 6.659 to beat veteran Pro Stock racer Warren Johnson on a holeshot. WJ recorded a .071 reaction and quicker 6.656 in his defeated effort.

The win was the 63rd of Anderson's career and vaulted him from fifth all the way up to second in the Full Throttle Series standings, just 27 markers behind points leader Mike Edwards who was ousted in the first round by Coughlin on a holeshot.

The win was especially sweet for Anderson as his KB Racing team owner, Ken Black, suffered a stroke at the end of last year and is working hard towards recovery.

“I called Ken right at the finish line, as soon as I got out of the racecar,” said Anderson. “He's very excited, and that's what this is all for. Ken Black started this race team, and he means the world to me and my family and my crew. He's had a tough struggle, but he's fighting hard, and he's going to come back. Every time we can do something like this, it accelerates his recovery. We love the man, and we can't wait to see him when he comes out to the race in Las Vegas.”

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