Bristol: GM Racing Friday summary

Anderson Sets Track Record While Grabbing Provisional Pole at Bristol Dragway

Pontiac Driver Has Four No. 1 Qualifiers in Season's First Five Races

BRISTOL, Tenn., April 28, 2006 - With four No. 1 qualifiers in this season's first five NHRA POWERade races, it should come as no real surprise that Pontiac driver Greg Anderson has the provisional pole in Pro Stock after two of four rounds of qualifying for this weekend's 6th annual O'Reilly Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals at Bristol Dragway. The driver of the Summit Racing Pontiac GTO had a track-record elapsed time of 6.734 seconds at 204.26 mph to edge young Erica Enders in her Slammers Ultimate Milk Chevy Cobalt. The 22-year-old Enders had an elapsed time of 6.744 seconds at 204.26 mph, and Jim Yates in his Sea-Ray Pontiac GTO was next in line in third with a 6.746 e.t. at 203.83 mph.

"The track got a lot better tonight," said Anderson, "and that always happens as soon as the sun goes down, the temperature goes down too. You've got to make the hay while the getting's good, and tonight's when you had to do it because tomorrow's supposed to be another beautiful day like today. When that sun's out, the rubber's a little slicker. It's going to be tougher tomorrow, but I'm not going to say other cars can't do it or we can't run close to that tomorrow, but we sure feel a lot better going into Saturday morning being on the pole after a nice Friday night run like this.

"It's just fun when the lights go down like this and the track gets tacky, you lick your chops. You can't get in the car quick enough, you want to get out there. You roll up there and you see all those big numbers coming up. I was behind Jim Yates [in the second session] and he rolled off and ran a 6.74. I thought that was going to get the pole and I honestly didn't think I could do it. I let the clutch out, everything felt perfect in running through the gears, and I really couldn't find much wrong with the run going down the racetrack. I haven't seen the computer yet, but it felt pretty darn close, and I thought if we didn't get the pole, you know what, Jim Yates deserves it because that's probably about all we've got. We came through at the right time, and if it gets us another pole, then wonderful, and if it doesn't, then my hat's off to whoever gets it tomorrow because they will have to earn it."

Qualifying for Sunday's eliminations continues tomorrow with third- and fourth-round sessions at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Eastern, respectively.

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