Anderson missed the first five events last season after undergoing heart surgery. Greg anderson to miss three months of 14, jimmy alund to. Jimmy alund filled in for team summits greg anderson while the fourtime nhra pro stock champion recovered from heart surgery at the start of the 2014 season. But the nhra pro stock dragster was given a different diagnosis prior to this season that forced him to miss the first five races. Nhra champion racing three months after openheart surgery. Pro stock driver greg anderson steers his hot rod toward the scales prior to. Charlotte, nc fox sports opens the 2018 nhra mello yello drag. October 2014 greg anderson born march 14, 1961 in duluth, minnesota is a current nhra mello yello drag racing series pro stock driver for kb racing, driving the summit racing chevrolet camaro. That driving thing has worked out for anderson so far. Greg anderson continues to pursue perfection in nhra pro stock nhra nhra national hot rod association. Bob glidden august 18, 1944 december 17, 2017 was an american drag racer. With new lease on life, pro stocks greg anderson on the.
Native minnesotan greg anderson missed the first five races of the season following heart surgery, but is back on the pro stock circuit. Pro stock driver greg anderson goes from near death to nhra title contender. Greg anderson is a current nhra mello yello drag racing series pro stock driver for kb racing, driving the summit racing chevrolet camaro. Greg anderson thought he would never need to have heart surgery. Get nhra driver greg anderson s career highlights, bio, stats and latest news. Anderson has only himself to blame for undergoing heart surgery on the day the 2014 nhra season.
Alund substituted for greg anderson in a summit racing camaro for the first five. Healed from heart surgery, 4time nhra pro stock champ greg anderson back in the saddle this weekend in houston by jerry bonkowski apr 23, 2014, 5. How are you and jason line preparing for the back half. Greg anderson could make nhra history today with second swing. Anderson underwent openheart surgery in late january 2014 the weeks before the nhras seasonopening event at pomona, calif.
It would be historic, he said, referring to the possibility of his victory. Ive been watching what he has been doing over the years as a driver, and i. Fourtime pro stock champ greg anderson missed last years nhra fourwide nationals after offseason heart surgery. That day it was announced fourtime nhra world champion pro stock driver greg anderson would sit out the first three months of the season while recovering from heart surgery which he had on feb. Joined nhra tour at the nhra spring nationals after missing first five races recovering from heart surgery. Nhras greg anderson bounces back after lifethreatening. Nhra drag racer greg anderson is recovering from february heart surgery and is ready to race. Currently, glidden ranks fourth behind greg anderson 90. And its greg anderson for the 91st time in his career.
Anderson has been through some serious medical struggles since last winning a championship. Nhra mello yello the nhra, the largest auto racing organization in the world. Greg anderson s heart would have exploded from excitement, literally. Similar to 2014 when heart surgery prevented him from competing in the first five races. Greg anderson has already swept the western swing once way back in 2004 but. The following are excerpts from a teleconference featuring nhra mello yello drag racing series driver greg anderson pro stock. Anderson made a run for a top 10 points finish to gain the countdown, but he came up short. Anderson will recap the first three races in the nhra mello yello countdown to the championship as well as the three remaining events. Anderson has only himself to blame for undergoing heart surgery on the day the 2014 nhra season opened in pomona, calif. Ha had known for years that he was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, which means anderson s heart had two valve openings instead of three. He was retired from pro stock racing in 1997 and returned in 2010. Qualified in the top half of the field at 22 of 24 events. This was the reality driven home to the fourtime champion following surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve in february. Nhra pro stock contender greg anderson welcomes week off.
Norwalk greg anderson lived with a time bomb in his chest. It wasnt too long ago when greg anderson went to speak with his boss of 12 years. Now the nhra pro stock dragster is playing catchup after missing the first five races of the season. Served as a crew member and crew chief for warren johnson during four of johnsons six nhra mello yello pro stock world championships. Pro stock driver greg anderson gets ready for the start of racing in his pit area on friday. Anderson dominated the nhra horsepower challenge during its existence, winning a pro stockbest seven times in 14 appearances. That momentum has anderson excited about what is ahead. For over fifty years, anderson was a ticking time bomb and didnt know it. Greg anderson, kb racing see bright future for team, pro stock.
Pro stock driver greg anderson goes from near death to. His success subbing for greg anderson earned him summit racing. Instead, anderson was in a hospital in charlotte, n. Just 20 months ago, a serious heart condition nearly ended greg anderson s drag racing career and his life. Greg anderson knocked off the rust and cleared up any reservations he might have had upon returning to the driver s seat in houston following heart surgery in february. Line won the championship in 2011, but then there was more struggle, including anderson s heart surgery in 2014. Karen stoffer won the pro stock motorcycle division, the 198th victory by a woman in nhra history. Las vegas for the last two nhra seasons, pro stock driver greg anderson was in a position he was unaccustomed to. Norwalk, ohio greg anderson thought he was bullet proof, until he found out he wasnt. After learning that he needed heart surgery during the winter break, his world was turned upside down. At some point this week, a feeling of accomplishment, excitement and even reflection will come over longtime pro stock star greg anderson. In loving memory of angi austina ngi austin, the true superstar of this calendar, was a beautiful, dedicated wife, loving and actively involved mother, and genuinely sincere friend toeveryone she knew. He was cleared by a panel of doctors monday and will resume racing on friday.
Greg anderson puts his heart into chasing a nhra pro. Greg anderson s singular commitment to dominance makes him oneofakind in nhra drag racing. The eighttime european pro stock champion knocked out a string of competitors on the way to. Alund capped off his short nhra run with a win at the 5th annual nhra fourwide nationals at zmax dragway, becoming the first. Greg anderson is the driver of the red summit racing chevrolet camaro pro stock car out of ken black. Schumacher racing sweeps top nhra series at gatornationals. Greg previously served as crew chief for former pro stock champion warren johnson and tuned warren to three pro stock championships 199293, 1995. Jason line determined to continue nhra success while. Greg anderson still gets emotional when discussing how part of his aortic valve fell apart in the doctors hand during open heart surgery in february.
While that specialty race is no longer around, the legendary driver has his sights set on another bigmoney race, the drag illustrated world doorslammer nationals. On sunday, alund, who is from norrkoping, sweden, captured a historic win at the fourwide nationals at zmax dragway in his summit racing camaro. The official page of nhra pro stock racer greg anderson, driver of the kb racing chevrolet camaro. Alund will be driving greg anderson s summit racing camaro beginning with the 54th annual circle k nhra winternationals, february 69 at auto club raceway in pomona, california. Nhra pro stock veteran greg anderson puts heart surgery in rearview mirror. Nhra pro stock world champion greg anderson has been as patient as possible, and this weekend he will finally be back where he belongs. Nhras anderson rebounds from open heart surgery to race. He will try to win for the third time this season at the summit racing equipment. I have had great success there and i look forward to going to it.
The man who had heart surgery four years ago to prolong his racing career, save his life. The winningest driver in nhra history at zmax dragway with four victories, hight has won twice at the fourwide. Shares alltime nhra record for most wins in a season at 15 with tony schumacher. Nhra pro stock veteran greg anderson puts heart surgery in. He currently sits 11th in points and could use a win to qualify for the playoffs and launch himself into championship contention. Nhra s greg anderson bounces back after lifethreatening heart ailment the kansas city star.
Anderson seeks win at raceway park asbury park press. Summit backs alund in european pro stock series drag. Greg anderson, lines teammate and mentor, was nowhere to be found during the seasonopener in pomona, calif. Jimmy alund european pro stock champion 2004 2005 2006.
Fox sports nhra broadcast team offers insight ahead of sundays. Get nhra driver greg andersons career highlights, bio, stats and latest news. With the arrival of nobile, winner of eight career pro stock events, kb racing has three of the top 10 drivers from the 20 standings. Anderson returns to racing 3 months after openheart surgery. Won four national events and runnerupped at another four. Anderson has been involved in professional drag racing since 1992 first as warren johnsons crew chief, then as a driver since 1998. My guys have done a whale of a job with the race car. Brainerd mello yello drag racing series rumbles back to.
Greg anderson born march 14, 1961 in duluth, minnesota is a current nhra mello yello drag racing series pro stock driver for kb racing, driving the summit racing chevrolet camaro. Anderson returning early to drivers seat in hoston drag. Former nhra mello yello drag racing series pro stock champion greg anderson will miss the first six events of the 2014 season because of a scheduled surgery. Not only did the wins dry up, but he had to step out of the car for the first. It was very difficult to sit out those first five races, anderson said in an nhra. Anderson shielding his chances in making nhra countdown. Anderson has missed the first seven races of the 2014 season after offseason surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve in his heart. The sponsor woes of the alan johnson racing team have been well documented this season, beginning with the very unexpected and very sudden departure of its longtime backing from the alanabi connection through the lifelines thrown to them by guy fieri, bass pro shops, and toyota that have allowed them to get this far, but it was a far smaller sponsorship they got earlier this year that. Alund gets historic pro stock victory competition plus. Greg anderson continues to pursue perfection in nhra pro. Alund filled in for team summit nhra pro stock driver greg anderson in his summit racing camaro for the first five races of the 2014 nhra mello yello drag racing series while anderson recovered from heart surgery.
Returnees jason line third and greg anderson eighth are. Team owner ken black, left, talks with driver, greg anderson before a qualifying session at the 14th annual nhra nationals at the strip at the las vegas motor speedway on friday, oct. Anderson underwent open heart surgery in late january 2014 the weeks before the nhra s seasonopening event at pomona, calif. This only adds to his enthusiasm about the potential to win the championship. Qualified for all 24 events on the nhra mello yello drag racing series schedule. Anderson will be replaced behind the wheel of the summit. Nhra pro stock veteran greg anderson returned to the sport after missing time for heart surgery earlier this year. The 2014 season has been a dream so far and to get to drive for such a. On friday, nhra threetime world champion driver greg anderson stops by to chat as the nhra gets set for the sixth and. Nhras greg anderson back at track, up to speed raleigh.
Hed had never survived the weekend, his doctor later told him. Anderson will be out of the driver s seat for the first three months of the season due to scheduled surgery. Anderson, driver of the summit equipment racing chevy camaro, defeated chris mcgaha and greg stanfield before being eliminated by eventual eventwinner mike edwards in the semifinals. Glidden retired as the driver with the most wins in national hot rod association nhra history. Kb racing owner, driver scarred but not scared las. Instead, he watched from the starting line as teammate jimmy alund drove his summit racing equipment chevy camaro to the winners circle. Nhra pro stock veteran greg anderson puts heart surgery in rear. Kb racing has an exciting year ahead of us, with some really neat things that. Greg anderson is the driver of the summit racing equipment chevy camaro. Mooresvilles greg anderson looks forward to returning to nhra competition fourtime nhra pro stock champion greg andersons preparations for the 2014 dragracing season came to a. Anderson, who is out for the first three months as he recovers from surgery. Anderson s return to the cockpit in 2014 has been anything but easy for the 53year minnesota native. In a surprise announcement, fourtime nhra mello yello pro stock champ greg anderson will sit out the first three months of the 2014 season due to healthrelated reasons, according to nhra.