By Denise Martin
It seems the pro-stock division is very competitive this season, what’s your thoughts?
Greg Anderson “It’s a dog fight every year this year is no exception. It’s tough it could be the young guns year you know it has been so far and us veterans (what I mean by veterans is like myself and Erica Enders) it’s going to be tough to hold them off for one more year, we’ve done it for the last couple of years but they want it bad, they’re knocking on the door – they want to beat us bad they could care less about how many championships we have they don’t put that into their computer they just know that there’s some guy in the other lane and they want to beat so they have no fear they absolutely got no fear and that’s great that’s what makes the class great.”
If you had to grade your season, what would that be?
Greg Anderson “Probably I would have to give myself a “C” so far, it’s been just average or below average but that’s OK we’re definitely climbing the ladder right now we’re making gains lately you know we we’re able to qualify in the top spot now and we’re able to go rounds on Sunday and we’re competing for the win so I think things are turning around at the right time it’s just obviously very important that you peak at the right time of the year and I think I’m starting to peak at the right time of the year so I think I’m going to be a threat going through the play offs. (laughing) Yes there’s going to bunch of other ones but I’m going to be one of them I’m very confident in that. You know a lot of the “C” grade that I give myself is partly self-inflicted I’ve tried a lot of things this year try and help out the whole team I’ve experimented a lot and tried to help out the whole team I’ve kind of been the guinea pig but I’m ok with that it’s help the team and the teams won a lot of races even though I haven’t but my teams won a lot of races it’s helped that way – now it’s time for me to go win a race.”
What’s left for Greg Anderson to accomplish in the pro-stocks?
Greg Anderson “You know I don’t know that there’s necessarily that much more to accomplish, I just I still love every day of the competition and people ask me all the time “Why do you race this class? It’s ridiculously hard why didn’t you pick an easier one?” And that’s why right there I love it because it’s so hard and that’s what makes you feel the best at the end of the day when you conquer it and you win you beat the best of the best so that’s why I do it and I guess I still need that you know what I mean and forget about the amount of wins or championships or what ever that’s not something I’m worried anymore about because those numbers are already pretty lofty but I still enjoy that feeling when you beat everybody on a tough day on a tough Sunday and you make it to the top of the mountain – That’s what makes me go on. I don’t think I’m ready to quit yet.
You and the Elite Motorsports teams seem to have a rivalry, what started it?
Greg Anderson “What started it? You know when they came into the sport a few years back they didn’t have a lot of experience in pro-stock but they learned very quickly, they hired a lot of quality people, they spent a lot of money and they have great drivers driving for them and they’ve grown over the years and you know they upped their game 50 fold from when they started the class, and they are absolutely a formidable competition without a doubt, it seems like one year’s our year, the next year’s their year, one year’s ours next is theirs – it just goes back and forth and that’s what’s pretty cool it drives the both of us we both work hard day and night trying to do something to beat the other group you know myself and them the same way so they love it they win and we love it when we beat them. So, I give them credit, they’ve come a long way and they’ve got an absolute top caliber team from top to bottom, a lot of great people and I feel we do too, and I feel there’s two power houses locking horns every weekend you really can’t pick a winner every weekend – no favorite.”
Are you still in contact with Jason Line?
Greg Anderson “Yeah, absolutely he’s over the travel part of this deal, he doesn’t want to travel anymore, he doesn’t want to go on the road but he still works on engines everyday he doesn’t work on pro-stocks so to speak, but he’s never going to get out of the sport, he loves working on sportsmen engines that’s where he started, he just kind of went back to his roots and yeah we’re still friend anything I need from him he’s willing to give and vice versa.”
Do you miss him as a team-mate at the track?
Greg Anderson “Sure, I do, absolutely he was great, and we had a great run together. It was certainly his decision to step down and step back he has two young kids he wanted to spend more time at home, and he wanted to go back to his roots and work on sportsmen engines. I can’t fight any of that, and he’s happy, he seems to be very happy so I’m happy for him.”
What is your favorite track you race at?
Greg Anderson “I love this place. I definitely love Indy, but there’s a few others I love the Vegas track, I love the Gainesville track, and Sonoma those are right at the top of the list but there’s not any that give me the same feeling as Indy, when you drive through the gates here it’s just a different feeling. At my age I don’t really get butterflies anymore, but I do when I come to this track, so I love that about it. You know it’s not easy for me to get that way anymore and I appreciate it when I do – that’s Indy for me it means that much to me.”
What’s your favorite all time track?
Greg Anderson “This one, absolutely without a doubt”
Ron Capps ran a race on the SRX Series, would you try that?
Greg Anderson“I probably would, I’d probably make a fool out of myself. He did pretty damn good, he certainly held his own and he did not embarrass himself. I’d probably embarrass myself. I’d probably have to find some liquid courage or something to do it, but I’d probably give it a try.”
What’s your most memorable moment in racing?
Greg Anderson “Let me think, I’ve got a bunch of them. I think probably the first time that I won Indy! You know I did it back when I worked for Warren Johnson and I had an out of body feeling, and when I did it on my own as a driver, there’s nothing cooler in life, in my life anyway there’s nothing cooler! So, my first win at Indy, which was my second career victory in 2001, I’ll never forget that! I won in Bristol earlier that year and of course everyone was like “he can’t win again that was just luck” so winning my second here at Indy, at the US Nationals that’s the one.”
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