Anderson Locks in a Spot in Countdown

Team Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson secured a position in the Countdown to the Championship when he scored the victory over Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the first round at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. Anderson’s .017 at the tree with a 6.979 second /197.31 MPH pass beat Coughlin’s tire-rattling 10.316.

There are just four races left to gain points and secure a position as one of the top 10 Pro Stock drivers who will be afforded the opportunity to battle for the title in the Countdown.

In round two of eliminations, Anderson just missed getting the win over teammate Jason Line. Line took the victory with a 6.942/198.70 pass to Anderson’s 6.950/198.35.

“Since we didn’t test beforehand, we knew we were going to have to learn from every run we made down the track,” said Anderson. “We got faster, but I just needed a little bit more. It was a good race with my partner, and our Summit Racing Camaros ran darn near identical. But now we pack up and move on to Sonoma.”

"It’s cool securing a spot in the Countdown, because you can’t win the championship if you don’t qualify,” Anderson continued. "I’m not going to lie. That wasn’t exactly on my mind today. I wanted to win the race.”

Anderson is currently second in the Pro Stock points standings.

Jason Line has advanced to the semifinals in the last three NHRA events. His Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro got better each round in Denver, and Line was on his game as a driver in the first two rounds.

In round one eliminations, the Pro Stock champ got the better of rookie-of-the-year contender Tanner Gray, halting his young opponent on a holeshot, 6.965/197.51 to Gray’s 6.952/198.64.

After advancing from his second-round meeting with Team Summit counterpart Anderson, Line lost in the semifinals to Drew Skillman, 6.952/197.80 to 6.953/198.67.

“All in all, this was a decent day for us—especially since we didn’t come here to test,” said Line. “Having all three of our KB Racing cars win after the first round, I felt pretty good. We got a decent weekend out of it.”

Although his KB Racing team did not leave with the trophy, Ken Black was smiling on Sunday afternoon as he watched Bo Butner wheel one of the three team cars to the final round at what may very well be the most challenging race on the tour.

"It was a good day, especially after qualifying,” said Black, noting that Anderson qualified fourth, Line fifth, and Butner ninth. "We weren’t sure how it would turn out, but the guys sure stepped up. That makes the trip home a lot better.”

The thin, high-altitude air creates a challenge for the naturally aspirated engines, but it is one with which KB Racing is familiar. The group had enough faith in their team that they debuted a new 2017 Jerry Haas-built Chevrolet Camaro with Butner behind the wheel.

Butner took down Allen Johnson in the first round on a holeshot, 6.995/197.36 to Johnson’s 6.995/196.87. Johnson had been to the final round in Denver each year since 2006, and has been known as King of the Mountain, but was denied when Butner recorded a .020 second RT to his opponent’s .033.

In round two, Butner was .008 at the tree and ran a 6.947/198.26 to knock out Vincent Nobile’s 6.949/198.90. In the semifinals, Butner got the win when Erica Enders fouled out by .007 second, and he went on to record the quickest run of the round with a 6.948/198.47.

In the final round Butner was off the line with a .010-second reaction time, but Skillman pulled ahead for a 6.916/198.15 victory over Butner’s 6.953/198.88.

"I woke up this morning and told Randi Lyn [Butner’s fiancé], ‘you know, if we go a round or two, it’ll feel like we won the race’,” said Butner. "We started from scratch with the new car, but it turned out pretty good.”

Butner is currently first in Pro Stock points.

Sunday in Denver was a tough day for Tim Wilkerson and the Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Shelby Mustang team. They prepped their back-up car for eliminations after a wheel stand bent an A-arm in the final round of qualifying. But in the first round of eliminations the Ford was wheels-up once again, and when it came down hard, the second chassis was damaged. It was a rough start to the three-race Western Swing that begins in Denver, goes to Sonoma, and ends in Seattle.

"Right now, we have no car,” said Wilkerson, whose race shop is all the way back in Springfield, Illinois. "I called [chassis builder] Murf McKinney, and he has a third chassis that he is front-halving, and we’ll be at his place on Wednesday to try to pick it up. Then we’ll go straight to Sonoma."

Wilkerson remains eighth in the Funny Car points standings.

Final Round Results
Top Fuel—Antron Brown (3.792/319.82) defeated Lean Pritchett (3.816/324.90)

Funny Car—Robert Hight (3.995/317.57) defeated Tommy Johnson Jr. (4.099/297.16)

Pro Stock—Drew Skillman (6.916/198.15) defeated Bo Butner (6.953/198.88)

Pro Stock Motorcycle—Eddie Krawiec (7.145/188.28) defeated Matt Smith
(Foul-Red Light)

What’s Next
The next event on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour is the Sonoma NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, California, July 28-30.

For more information and complete race results visit DragRaceCentral.com.