He's got the determination
and skills that translates to winner at such an
incredibly young age. Like his heroes in the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series, he's continually learning the cars
and tracks, honing his amazing racing talent with
experience in his budding stock car career.
Jordan Anderson has
lived his motorsports dreams since 1995, cutting his
teeth in go-karts and the circuits of the World Karting
Association series. With his family's support throughout
the years, Anderson has competed on various asphalt and
dirt tracks across the country, learning particular
facets of this dangerous sport.
Under the watchful eye
of Humpy Wheeler, the former Charlotte Motor Speedway
president, the young gun has progressed rapidly but
wisely. He's learned that success is earned through hard
work and perseverance, humbly reminded of his ascent
through the motorsports ladder with his strong Christian
faith.
Humble, articulate,
confident, and poised, Anderson's drive to succeed is
like that of some of the NASCAR Sprint Cup stars who
have either mentored or inspired him, such as Jeff
Gordon, Carl Edwards, and Tony Stewart.
Merely racing on one
particular track surface only limits a driver's
potential to improve. Thus, the South Carolinan took to
heart career-making advice from Wheeler to switch from
asphalt to dirt.
Sure, there have been
young guns who reach NASCAR immediately, but some of
those racers' careers stall or wane over time. Anderson
realizes that it's all about comfort with the cars and
knowing how to handle the challenges presented at each
venue he competes at during any given race day.
His attitude is mature
beyond his 18 years of life, quick to recognize that he
has not made it so far in racing alone.
Regardless of the
results, it seems like this college freshman has the
poise and desire to win, by giving it his best effort,
no matter the car, track, or series.
I had the opportunity to
interview this incredible young sensation last week.
It's quite obvious that he studies racing as a driver
who's not afraid to ask questions and execute on what he
has learned with grits and smarts.
I can relate to Anderson
in some aspects of his life and in his love for racing.
As you'll see in this interview, he loved NASCAR and
motorsports as a child, gathering his die-cast machines
on a homemade track replica of the race that aired on
television.
Talk about being
addicted to racing!
Then there's that
incredible love for his family, which I find to be the
strongest quality of this spiritual young man.
It'd be understandable
for Anderson to be brash and arrogant, but instead, he's
quick to point out the support and guidance that his
family has given him through the years.
Look for the pride of
Forest Acres, S.C. to make quite the splash into NASCAR
in the near future.
When he does, he'll be
charging to the front in a hurry! As this Days of
Thunder fanatic knows all too well, "Rubbin' is
racin'!"
Let's drift along the
dirt tracks with Jordan Anderson, the late model racer
who's vying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series!
Rob Tiongson:
You're just 18 years old but you have the racing resume
of a veteran racer on some of the finest tracks and
speedways across the States. What's the most absolute
thrill that you get out of racing—the mere fact that
you're out there living your dreams or the thought of
knowing you have a chance to win races at any given
time?
Jordan Anderson: I've been really
blessed over the years to have had success with my
racing program. In the words of my mentor H.A. “Humpy”
Wheeler, "The good Lord directs some of us, and I
consider it a privilege to have found out what I really
wanted to do at a young age."
That for me has been what my racing career has been
about since day one. I believe that God has given me the
abilities and talents to drive race cars, and my desire
for racing has been evident since the age of four.
There's no way for me to single out a certain thing
about racing.
I enjoy everything about it, whether it’s that last lap
pass for the win, signing autographs with the fans, or
the celebration in victory lane.
The passion that I have
is what motivates me, and that motivation is what has
led me to strive for nothing but the best.
RT: For
the Bleacher Creatures who are reading this, tell us a
bit about yourself and how you caught the racing bug.
How'd your racing career begin? Were you inspired by any
particular driver while you were growing up?
JA: I first got my hands on a steering
wheel at age six in a go-kart that my parents gave me as
a Christmas present. Little did they know that just two
years later, I would be racing in the World Karting
Association series.
My interest in racing has been there since I can
remember. I recall days in the fifth grade when I would
come home from school with my diecast race cars and
design the track that the NASCAR series would be racing
on that weekend.
Going back to my parents, they have been a big part of
where I am today.
Being involved in racing
takes a lot of sacrifice and support, and along with my
little sister Jennifer, my parents have given me their
best to help me achieve my dreams of one day becoming a
NASCAR Cup series driver.
The way my parents taught me growing up is what gave me
the determination to go out and seek sponsorship at a
young age. In return, the skills I learned have
developed and given me opportunities to partner with
people in my hometown, the City of Forest Acres in South
Carolina.
RT:
You've raced on asphalt at the mini-ovals of Charlotte
Motor Speedway, short tracks like Concord Motorsport
Park and various dirt facilities that would make even a
wild-eyed racer cringe. But you seem to stand up to the
challenge, no matter the variety of challenges presented
at these tracks.
What drives you in that car to succeed and what are some
of the things you do to adapt to the different race
courses that you compete at?
JA: It was about a year or so ago that
I was talking with Jeff Gordon out at the Charlotte
Motor Speedway, discussing my career. He stated that a
successful race car driver was one that raced in as many
different cars and in as many different races as
possible.
That mindset has been at the forefront of my career for
the past six years going back to 2004. Back in 2005, I
ran 37 races and won 21 of them at 10 different tracks.
During that time, I acquired a type of driving style
that comes naturally when racing a car like the Legends
car. With their high horsepower and slick tires they
make any driver dig deep and find what their made out
of.
After ten years on the asphalt, I switched to dirt,
where I won as a rookie last year.
After studying drivers
like Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart and their driving
styles, you can easily understand where they honed their
skills: on dirt tracks across the country.
The purpose was to perfect car control on a track where
the surface is always changing, and there's as much grip
as you might find on an ice rink.
I think it all goes back to passion. I enjoy what I do,
and I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to
pursue something which I enjoy. I've been blessed with
the talents that I have, and when I go out on the track
I do my best to pull from everything I’ve learned and
vie for victory.
RT: At
first glance, some fans may dismiss the Legends cars of
Charlotte Motor Speedway as nothing more than
recreational racing, but in reality, it's pretty
grueling and intense stuff.
What are some of the
things you enjoy with racing in the Legends Series?
JA: The Legends car series is what made
me the driver that I am today. These cars are what made
guys like Kyle and Kurt Busch the drivers that they are.
One of the things you learn while racing a Legends car
is throttle control and racing skills. Where else can
you go in the world where up to 70 cars show up for a
race on a quarter mile race track?
The best of the best come to race there, and to have the
opportunity over the years to race there has been a
blessing.
In 2007 and '08, I was
fortunate enough to enter the record books when I
captured the Summer Shootout Pro Division Championship
consecutive years.
During those two years, I picked up a Jimmie Johnson
type driver style, where I learned to race for wins, but
at the same time take care of my equipment and finish
races.
I loved racing the
Legends car. At any given night, there would be 10 to 15
drivers that had a shot a victory and you had to make
sure to be both consistent and on the edge.
These cars were designed to test the souls of drivers,
and they were what molded me into the driver that I am
today.
RT:
You've steadily progressed your way up from the Briggs
Junior Sportsman Lite and Heavy division in your first
year of racing in 1999 to the dirt in late model
machines last season. Are there perhaps some thoughts
about making the transition into NASCAR through its late
model divisions in the near future?
JA: One thing that Mr. Wheeler and I
looked at after the 2008 racing season was the direction
towards a full sized car. The Dirt Late Model was the
next best step, and after last year, I can see why.
Looking back on the 30 or so races that we ran last
year, the amount of knowledge that I picked up was
incredible. From picking the best line during changing
track conditions, to perfecting the slide job,
everything that I learned last year will help translate
back to asphalt down the road.
With another full season of racing a Dirt Late Model in
our sights for 2010, the goal after this will most
likely be to transition into one of the heavier asphalt
cars like the NASCAR East cars or ARCA Series.
RT:
Your drive to get yourself known to succeed reminds me a
lot of a young Carl Edwards, who printed out contact
cards to prospective team owners looking for raw talent
behind the wheel of their cars. Alan Kulwicki was known
to do things his way and he ultimately had a successful
career.
As you get more track time and become more successful,
just how important is it to promote yourself and get
team owners to take notice of you? The talent is
definitely there for you to make it in any given racing
series!
JA: I've always strived to do my
whatever it took to promote myself. I had my first
business card at 14-years-old, and to date, I’ve
probably handed out about 10,000 cards. I've been taught
my whole life to work hard and turn ideas into
opportunities.
I do my best to introduce myself to as many different
people at each place I go.
Life is about thinking
outside of the box, and my racing program truly has been
driven by innovation over the years. It’s a full list of
things that I do to keep my name out there.
I update my own website and write press releases,
maintain my social networking sites like Twitter and
Facebook, hand out Autograph and Business Cards, do
television and radio shows, not to mention networking
with as many people as possible. I've been very
fortunate to have been taught many effective things by a
lot of unique people.
RT:
Taking a look at your page, you're a freshman now in
college and a definite racer on the rise. How's the
college experience been treating you so far? Has it been
a bit of an adjustment to juggle school and other
priorities like racing?
JA: I've loved the college experience
so far. Currently, I’m a freshman at Belmont Abbey
College, going after a Business Degree concentrated in
Motorsports.
It was blessing to make
the Dean’s List my first semester there.
The things that I've learned in school translate very
well to day to day life, and as the old saying goes,
"knowledge is power." It does take a lot of work to fit
everything in, but it all goes back to hard work,
dedication, and having a passion for doing whatever it
takes to succeed as a race car driver.
RT:
What are some of your most memorable moments so far as a
racer, both good and bad? Any valuable lessons that
you've learned so far that have you've applied when
you're out there on the track?
JA: My most memorable moment would have
to be when I won my first race back in 2001 in a Junior
Sportsman Champ at the WKA South Carolina Nationals.
Also, my first Legends Car win, when I won the 2005
Legends Car Nationals Championship, when I won the 2007
and 2008 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout
Championships, and most recently when I won my first
Dirt Late Model race.
I’ve been fortunate to
have won at least one race every year since I won my
first race back in 2001.
RT: In
terms of any racer or crew member in the world of
motorsports, who among the garage area has been helpful
to you or been willing to lend you a hand as you advance
through various levels of racing?
JA: I would definitely have say that
it's all of the crew chiefs and crew members that have
helped me over the years along with Mr. Wheeler and
everyone at The Wheeler Company.
RT:
Free Association time for you, my friend. Hope you'll
find this as fun as racing at Carolina Speedway! Tell me
the first thing that comes to your mind with the
following:
Victories.
JA: The best feeling. Victories can be
defined in many different ways. Each car I pass on the
track is a victory, finding the best line on the track
is a victory, and coming in first is probably one of the
most exhilarating ones.
RT:
Family.
JA: I’m very fortunate to have a great
family behind me. They sacrifice their time and have
worked hard to help me pursue my dream.
RT:
Faith.
JA: My relationship with Christ is
first in my life. I was saved at six years old and
everything that I have accomplished thus far in my life
has given me many opportunities to give God all the
credit and praise Him for his blessings.
RT:
Struggles.
JA: Struggles are what make a race.
Being able to persevere and work through a situation are
what have made me both a stronger person and better race
car driver.
RT:
Dirt tracks.
JA: Incredible. I had never been to a
dirt race before this year, let alone race on one. I
love everything about it: The fans, the tracks, and the
competitors all make it a unique atmosphere.
RT:
NASCAR.
JA: My goal in life. Ever since the age
of four, I have worked with all my might to achieve my
goal of becoming a NASCAR Cup Series driver.
RT:
Danger.
JA: I can’t say I ever think about
danger in the race car. To say I have "no fear" would be
false, as fear is what sometimes makes us think and
drives us to try harder.
RT:
Favorite movie of all-time.
JA: Hands down, that would be Days
of Thunder. Just the other night at our race shop,
we did our own re-enactment of the garage scene where
Harry was talking to the car.
RT:
Best day of my life.
JA: I've had a lot of "best day of my
life" days throughout my 18 years.
RT:
What are your plans for the 2010 season? Are you going
to continue racing in the dirt late model series or are
you looking to have some seat time in another racing
series?
JA: I'll be racing another full season
in a Dirt Late Model, and possibly some other series
during the year.
RT: I'm
sure this will not be the last time we hear about you.
While I realize it's still a while away, where do you
see yourself as a racer in three to five years?
Has about everything you
imagined in your career thus far been realized and what
are some of the things you'd like to do as you progress
in your budding career?
JA: I’ve been very blessed, and I can
never say it enough that I’m very grateful to have the
opportunities that I have.
I hope to be nearing the
NASCAR Cup series in three to five years.
I’d like to encourage
everyone to keep track of my racing career and follow my
pursuits through my website at
www.JordanAndersonRacing.com.
