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Anderson looks for repeat of '97
4-17-98

Photo by Bob Frye

It's been almost a year since Randy Anderson won his first Funny Car race at the Fram Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, and during the past 12 months, the Parts America Pontiac driver has progressed from an aspiring young rookie into a formidable contender for the Winston championship. He is part of a new generation of drivers who hope to carry the NHRA forward into the next century.

Anderson began his racing career in 1992, replacing his father Brad behind the wheel of their family-owned Alcohol Funny Car. Between 1992-96, Randy won 14 national events and two Winston championships (1993-94).

Last year, the 33-year-old Anderson made the leap to the nitro class and wasted little time winning his first race, just five events into his rookie campaign. After qualifying in the No. 6 spot at Atlanta, Anderson's Firebird charged through the field defeating Del Worsham, Gary Bolger, and Tim Wilkerson before a final-round showdown with none other than seven-time Winston champion John Force. It was a race that almost didn't happen.

"While doing normal, routine maintenance on the Parts America Firebird, we found that the crank had a crack in it," explained Anderson. "We decided that the best thing to do was to completely change the engine and to not take any chances.

"We had about 21 runs with the old motor and realized that it was about ready to go. That put us behind and I didn't really think we were going to make it to the line on time."

In a genuine display of sportsmanship, Force waited, relinquishing certain victory and a solo run for his Castrol Funny Car. It was a gesture Anderson wouldn't forget when the race was over and the victory was his.

"To be honest with you, I just went up there, tried to stay focused and remembered what I had to do," said Anderson. "I didn't want to worry about Force in the other lane and how their team may have prepared for the race. We were lucky, but sometimes, it takes luck to win. "I know that John's team was right on schedule, had no problems and was ready to go. I didn't think we were going to make it, but he took it upon himself to stall around so that we would. My hat goes off to John. He's a tremendous ambassador for the sport."

Fast forward to 1998 and four races into the season, where Anderson has quietly moved into sixth place in the Winston standings with an eye on the No. 1 position. He has rallied from a first-round loss at the Winternationals by advancing to the semi-finals at Phoenix and Houston, and the second round at Gainesville. With the incremental progress the team has made since January, Randy is hoping that lightning strikes twice at Atlanta Dragway.

"I said from the beginning that I didn't want to put too much emphasis on that first race," said Anderson. "Everyone will lose races in the first round and hopefully that was the last one for us for awhile.

"We've done quite a bit of testing on the Parts America Pontiac Firebird and we're digging in for the long haul. A lot can happen in 17 races. We just need to keep winning rounds and, hopefully, win a few races before this year is over. Atlanta would be a great place to start."

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