Seattle: Greg Anderson preview

Anderson glad to be at sea level in Seattle KENT, Wash. (July 17, 2007) -- This year Greg Anderson, who drives the KB Racing Summit Equipment Pontiac, is glad to get off the mountain and head west to sea level for the 20th annual NHRA Schuck's ...

Anderson glad to be at sea level in Seattle

KENT, Wash. (July 17, 2007) -- This year Greg Anderson, who drives the KB Racing Summit Equipment Pontiac, is glad to get off the mountain and head west to sea level for the 20th annual NHRA Schuck's Auto Supply Nationals at Pacific Raceway in Kent, Wash., this weekend.

At the recently completed event at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Anderson qualified No. 9, the first time the three-time NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion qualified in the bottom half of the field since Bristol of 2005 -- 53 races. He then exited eliminations in the second round.

After the Denver race, Anderson said he felt the team made a tactical mistake regarding this year's race in the mile-high city: "We're definitely paying the price for not testing (at Denver). It just took us too long to figure out what we wanted to do here (this weekend)... It's disappointing. We're kind of kicking ourselves we didn't come out here and test, but that was our decision and we made it. We elected to stay in the shop and work on engines because of the tight schedule, and obviously it was a mistake," said Anderson immediately following the weekend racing at Bandimere Speedway.

But a smile came to Anderson's face and the first words out his mouth when asked about this weekend's event in the Seattle area were, "Ah, sea level."

Anderson, who won at Pacific Raceway in 2003 (over Larry Morgan) and 2004 (over Dave Connolly) likes coming to the Northwest. "Not only is the food great in Seattle, I really like the track there," he added. "We're certainly not scared to go there. As long as it doesn't get too hot, you usually have good air and a big barometer. You run fast there. We love those types of tracks and look forward to this race every year. I think you'll see a different Summit Pontiac there than the folks saw in Denver."

Anderson is one of only a handful of drivers that have swept the Western Swing -- winning Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma. He did the "hat trick" in 2004.