Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Pro Stock champ will try to tie record at LVMS

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003 | 9:50 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Greg Anderson was not satisfied merely by clinching the 2003 NHRA Pro Stock championship with a second-round victory in last weekend's O'Reilly Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas.

So, rather then starting the victory celebration early, Anderson went out and won two more rounds to secure his 10th victory of the season.

"I've seen so many people win the championship and then they lose the race," said Anderson, who drives for team owner Ken Black of Las Vegas. "But to me, when you win the championship that means you are the best and you should win the race."

Now that he has wrapped up his first Pro Stock championship, Anderson doesn't intend to rest on his laurels as the series heads to Las Vegas next weekend for the third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Anderson needs one more victory to tie the NHRA Pro Stock record for most wins in a season, set by Darrell Alderman in 1991, and can break the record by winning in Las Vegas and at the season finale Nov. 9 in Pomona, Calif.

"We're not done with the season yet," Anderson said. "We're going after the race win record; that's the only thing I see left that we need to do this year (and) we have to win both races to do that. That would make this campaign complete.

"If you win the championship, you need to have a good resume full of wins. I don't want to finish this season so-so. I want to go out leaving everyone worried about us next year. You have to keep your competitors thinking."

Anderson won the Pro Stock category at the NHRA event in Las Vegas this spring.

Tony Pedregon holds a 114-point lead over Whit Bazemore in Funny Car and Geno Scali leads Shawn Gann by 151 points and three-time champion Angelle Savoie by 158 points in Pro Stock Bike. Pedregon and Scali can wrap up their respective championships if they leave Las Vegas with at least a 139-point lead.

Among the drivers who are expected to attend the session are Del Worsham, Phil Burkart, David Baca, Doug Herbert, Jim Yates, Mark Whisnant, Tommy Johnson Jr., Frank Pedregon, Reggie Showers, Rhonda Hartman-Smith, John Smith and local Pro Stock Bike rider Andy Lewis.

The taping of the show, hosted by Bill Stephens, will be open to the public. Stephens' guest will be 12-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force.

The show will be broadcast Sunday at 9 a.m. (PDT).