SPORTS

At the Summit: Veterans win again in NHRA

Rob McCurdy
Reporter

NORWALK – Greg Anderson reached the Summit again.

For the third time in his career, the Summit-sponsored Pro Stock racer won the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park on Sunday afternoon. More so, it was the seventh trip to the finals this season for the four-time world champion who took the points lead in the hotly contested class with his Norwalk march.

"Sounds like a good day at the office," Anderson said when told his accomplishments.

Like he did in 2008 and 2010, Anderson showed he was up for the challenge posed by racing in front of people who help pay his bills. Summit, an online aftermarket parts distributor, is based in Tallmadge, about an hour from the track.

"To win your sponsor's event, it doesn't get any better than that. I just feel happy about that because you feel your lowest if you let them down and you feel the highest if you pull through and put a smile on their face. It is great to have them here. It's a huge home-field advantage without a doubt to have all them employees show up here at the race track and pull for you."

Pro Stock features the closest finishes, and Sunday was no different. Anderson beat Drew Skillman by two-thousandths of a second, running 6.592 seconds for a speed of 212.19 mph. It was the fastest speed of the day in the class.

"I knew it was going to take a great run and a great reaction time from us," Anderson said.

Despite more than 900 rounds and 79 victories, it never gets old for the 54-year-old.

"I love the competition. I can't explain the feeling at the end of the day when you conquer it and find a way to the top of that mountain. There's nothing like it in the world," he said of reaching another Summit.

VETERANS RULE: Anderson was the gray beard of the winners of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, but not by much.

Pro Stock Motorcycle's Karen Stoffer is 51, while Top Fuel's Doug Kalitta will be 51 in August and Jack Beckman of Funny Car is 49.

"It's nice that everybody gets a turn every once in a while in this sport. It's tough to win out here. All these guys in each round, you have to be on your game," Kalitta said.

FAST JACK: After winning his first world championship in 2012, the wins stopped for two years for Beckman.

"You never know if your last win is your last win," he said.

Turns out the drought is over. His Funny Car win Sunday was the third of his season.

"After going two years without a win, I'd love to quote all the sports psychology cliches, but sometimes you wonder: Was that the last one we're ever going to get? I've got three so far this year, and I've never won more than three in a year before, and we may never win another one again or we may win the next three. It's comforting to know we can win the next three."

RAHAL SIGHTING: IndyCar driver Graham Rahal was track-side to watch his fiancee, Courtney Force, compete in Funny Car just as she was track-side last weekend when he won for the first time in seven years.

He was nearly as good as a good-luck charm. Force had her best day of 2015, making the finals before losing to Beckman. It was her 14th last-round appearance but the first of her season.

Dialed in enough to beat Ron Capps, top qualifier Matt Hagen and Del Worsham, Force smoked the tires in her match against Beckman, nearly got sideways and saved it, but Beckman was on the fast track to the win.

MOM SIGHTING: Kalitta's been racing as a pro since the late 1990s, but it was just the second time his mother has watched him live.

She obviously picked a good weekend to come: Her son was the top qualifier and beat Antron Brown in the finals with a run of 3.823 seconds for 322.34 mph.

"She doesn't come out much," he said. "My sister actually roped her into coming out. I think she had fun. I told her she has to come out more now that we're going to win with her here. She watches it on TV quite a bit, so hopefully, she'll start coming out a little more."

LADIES DAY: The Pro Stock Motorcycle final featured two women for just the third time ever as Stoffer beat Angelle Sampey when Sampey reacted too quickly at the line and was disqualified.

"This sport is probably at the forefront and leader for females in it across the board, not only for riders and drivers but crew chiefs and crew members and team owners. I think it's going to happen more and more often," Stoffer said.

rmccurdy@gannett.com

419-521-7241

Twitter: @McMotorsport

Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Final results

Top Fuel: Doug Kalitta 3.823 seconds, 322.34 mph over Antron Brown 3.918, 307.79 mph.

Funny Car: Jack Beckman 4.211, 301.67 over Courtney Force 4.609, 199.64.

Pro Stock: Greg Anderson 6.592, 212.19 over Drew Skillman 6.594, 211.43.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: Karen Stoffer 6.984, 193.1 over Angelle Sampey 6.929, 194.3 (red light disqualification).

Pro Mod: Mike Janis 5.902, 247.34 over Troy Coughlin Sr. 7.12, 137.43.

Top Alcohol Dragster: Chris Denke.

Top Alcohol Funny Car: Todd Veney.

Comp Eliminator: Joe Santangelo.

Super Stock: Rylee Stufflebeam.

Stock: Aaron Allison.

Super Comp: Billy Leber.

Super Gas: Ray Miller.

Top Sportsman: Tim Weise.

Top Dragster: Ron Biondo.