Greg Anderson stood atop the winner’s stage on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway wearing an enormous grin to go along with a buffalo plaid trapper hat emblazoned with the BIR logo perched on his head. The most winning driver in Pro Stock had every reason to smile on Sunday at the 44th annual NHRA Brainerd Nationals after winning the 116th trophy of his career right there where his racing career began decades ago. For Anderson, the win also came with an extension of the points lead as the final race of the regular season rapidly approaches.
“You’re never safe until it’s over, but I said at the last race that we’re considering this the playoffs already – you can’t wait until they start. Now is the time to peak. We had a great day, and I had some good fortune, but I had a great hot rod too,” said Anderson, who holds a three-round lead (85 marks) over KB Titan Racing teammate and reigning world champion Dallas Glenn heading into the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals.
The previous afternoon in Brainerd, Anderson warmed up for raceday with his third victory of the season in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race, driving his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to victory. The win there promises additional bonus points that will be awarded when the Countdown to the Championship playoffs begin.
Fueled by momentum and a roaring hometown crowd, Anderson got the win light over Mason McGaha in the first round of eliminations for the main event. After launching off the starting line first, Duluth, Minn., native Anderson raced to the second quickest run of the round, a 6.546-second pass at 207.72 mph, to defeat his opponent’s 6.596, 208.62. Low of the round went to Anderson’s son, Rookie of the Year contender Cody Anderson, who put a 6.540 on the board to defeat Erica Enders’ 6.564.
With lane choice over Troy Coughlin Jr. in the quarterfinals, the elder Anderson got the nod after putting up an identical .035 reaction and racing to an efficient 6.572 to top a 6.844. Again, his elapsed time was second-best of the winning passes that round as his protégé’s .020 start and 6.561 got the holeshot win over fellow KB Titan engine campaigner Matt Hartford’s .038 and 6.557.
Racing on opposite sides of the ladder, Anderson and his son had the potential to meet in the final. Father would square off with longtime rival Greg Stanfield in the semifinals, and son would race Chris Vang, another young driver hoping to make his first Pro Stock final round.
Dad held up his end of the bargain with a little luck as he slowed to a 6.608 but still defeated Stanfield’s tire shaking 14.159. Cody, though, was not so fortunate as his KB Titan Chevy made a small but impactful move early in the run and slowed to a 6.594. Vang advanced to the final on a 6.581.
“I’m so damn proud of Cody,” said Anderson. “I’ve been telling the world he’s coming; he’s an absolute natural talent, and you don’t find a lot of that. I laughed when I got to the semifinals and saw that it was the geriatric side of the ladder and the kids on the other side. It was kind of neat – the old guard vs. the new guard, and that’s what’s going to lead us into the future. I couldn’t feel better about that, but I’m going to hold on as long as I can. As long as I can win, I’ll still be here.”
And win he did, as Vang got a small starting line advantage but KB Titan power kicked in before halftrack. Anderson expertly powered ahead to win on a 6.584, 208.17 to a 6.615, 207.34. It was his fourth win of the season and second in as many races, as well as his fifth at Brainerd International Raceway, moving him into the lead as the most winning Pro Stock driver in the history of the well-loved track.
“There are a lot of racetracks around the country that mean a lot to me, but none of them are as special as this one. This is where it all started for me, and without my dad bringing me to this racetrack when I was 10 or 12 years old, I would not be in this sport today,” said Anderson. “To come here and win in a Pro Stock car, it just doesn’t get any better than that. I love it here, I love coming back home. It’s magical – and this was just another magical day for me.”
The next event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour will be the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Sept. 2-7, 2026.
This story was originally published on August 24, 2026.
The post Hometown Victory at NHRA Brainerd Nationals Extends Greg Anderson’s Lead in Pro Stock Points first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
