Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: With five races remaining, LV-sponsored driver on top

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 | 9:20 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 may hold a 240-point lead over Kurt Johnson in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, but the driver of the Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am knows the road to his first championship isn't going to be an easy one.

Anderson claimed his ninth Pro Stock victory of the season Monday by outrunning Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final round of the O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park and padded his lead over Johnson. Anderson, who served as Warren Johnson's crew chief for several years, said he knows exactly what to expect from the Johnsons as the championship enters its final five races.

"I know that right now my biggest competition for the championship is Kurt Johnson," Anderson said. "I worked for Warren for a lot of years and know how he plays the game; I know that Warren is going to pull out all the stops to try to prevent me from winning even one more round.

"I know this, and I know that I have to take measures just as extreme to stay in the game."

Anderson, who drives for team owner Ken Black of Las Vegas, said his late-season strategy is twofold.

"The first part of our plan is to get (teammate Jason Line) back out there," Anderson said. "It is very important that I have him there as a blocker. I have great confidence in Jason and his abilities as a driver. In my opinion, (Jason's crash) at Columbus is no indication of what he can do behind the wheel. That incident was a fluke. I know that Jason will be able to get the job done for us. He is an asset to this team in the pits, and will be an even bigger asset behind the wheel.

"The second part of our plan is in the motor room. Performance-wise, we have got the Pro Stock field covered. Our engine shop is the class of the field and they continue to give me 150 percent every day. Without a doubt, this two-car team is going to be double-trouble for the rest of the season. I want the Powerade championship. Jason, and this KB Racing team, is going to make that happen for me."

"I don't want to add any more pressure because we have five more races to go and a lot of work to do (to win the championship), but this is quite a feeling," Bazemore said after beating Skuza. "Our fate is in our own hands. We can control the situation if we do our job the best way we know how to do it.

"We can win the Powerade championship. If we go out and make mistakes we're not going to win it. We're on a roll, we feel great (and) I know we have the team to get it done."

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, two of the founding members of the band, will serve as grand marshals of the fall Las Vegas for the second consecutive year. Johnson won the Pro Stock race in Las Vegas last fall.

"We had a blast with the KISS crew last year and I know Gene and Paul got a kick out of our sport," Johnson said. "Our goal is to have them once again join us in the winner's circle in Las Vegas."

Shaver and Whitenack were the only local winners and runners-up during the final day of the Great American Motorcycle Experience."