Drag Racer Takes Drivers' Award

Drag Racer Takes Drivers’ Award

By Shav Glick

Jan. 25, 2005 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

In drag racing, a sport where winning is measured in thousandths of a second and margins of victory are inches, pro stock driver Greg Anderson stood out last year with a remarkable pattern of consistency.

For winning 15 times in 23 National Hot Rod Assn. events -- and clinching the Powerade title earlier than any other driver ever had in a professional category -- Anderson was selected Speed Channel driver of the year for 2004.

In one of the closest elections in the selection panel’s 38 years, the 43-year-old Anderson was chosen ahead of NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch, World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser and open-wheel champions Tony Kanaan and Sebastien Bourdais, all of whom received first-place votes.

Anderson, from Duluth, Minn., is the second drag racer to receive the honor. Funny car champion John Force was selected in 1996.

“This is beyond anything I can comprehend,” said Anderson when informed of the vote at his race shop in Charlotte, N.C. “I am shocked and honored.”

Anderson’s 15 wins, 16 top qualifying positions, 19 final-round appearances, 76 elimination-round wins and 2,402 points were all NHRA records he set in 2004. Most had been held by Force, who also had a big year, winning his 13th funny car championship.

Anderson, crew chief for Warren Johnson when Johnson won three of his six pro stock titles in the 1990s, credited his crew for the winning streak.

“It’s an individual award, but I was able to win because of the great team I have assembled,” he said. “I am just so proud of my team, and I am going to share this award with them, because we did it together.”

Twice chosen Car Craft’s crew chief of the year, Anderson did not begin his driving career until 1998, then won his first race at Bristol, Tenn., in 2001.

Anderson climaxed his season at Indianapolis by winning the 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the premier event of the NHRA schedule. He also won the $50,000 King Demon Crown in pro stock’s all-star event and became the first pro stock driver to sweep the Western Swing, consecutive midseason races in Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.

During the year, he set national records of 6.661 seconds elapsed time for the quarter-mile racing strip and top speed of 207.75.

Surprisingly, although Anderson was selected driver of the year for all forms of automobile racing, he did not make the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Assn. All-American first team. The two drag racing selections, made by AARWBA’s membership, went to Force and Tony Schumacher, the top-fuel champion. Anderson was on the second team.

He is also only the second non-NASCAR driver to win the award since Force. Cristiano da Matta of Champ Cars won in 2002.

Anderson and the rest of the NHRA professionals will start the 2005 season in two weeks with the K&N; Filters Winternationals at Pomona, where Anderson started his victory string last year. Qualifying will start Feb.10.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Drivers of the Year

2004...Greg Anderson

2003...Ryan Newman

2002...Cristiano da Matta

2001...Jeff Gordon

2000...Bobby Labonte

1999...Dale Jarrett

1998...Jeff Gordon

1997...Jeff Gordon

1996...John Force

1995...Jeff Gordon