Driven to win
Columbia teenager wins 2005 Legend Car Nationals
By Natasha Whitling

Photos by Clif Anderson

 

“Man you would think this is Talladega,” one man commented to Clif Anderson Saturday night. Clif just brushed away a few tears and said “For us it is.”

His son, 14–year–old Jordan Anderson had just won the 2005 Legend Car Nationals at Lake Erie Speedway. Last year the race was held in Las Vegas, but he broke his wrist when another racer collided with him. He finished the race in 15th place.

This year wasn’t smooth sailing either for Jordan. The first night of practice on Thursday September 29, there was a wreck on the track, and the entire right front of his #19 five–speed 120–horsepower, bright red Ford Coupe was seriously damaged. It took his crew an hour and a half to put the car back together. He did not have an opportunity to practice again before the Friday qualifying races. Miraculously, he finished fourth out of 64 drivers. After the heat races, he qualified for second place in the feature race the following day.

Jordan was in fourth place on the second lap of the 40–lap race when he saw his opportunity to take the lead. “I’m not afraid,” Jordan said. “You have to make those split second decisions to either back off or pass.” Jordan decided to pass and took the lead in the third lap and “never looked back.”

The next step for Jordan is to advance to the late model truck series. One of his main sponsors and business manager, Dick Dyer of Dick Dyer & Associates, has his sights on securing a deal for Jordan to drive for Toyota. Unfortunately, Jordan has gone just about as far as he can at his age. “Everyone says they won’t touch him until he turns 16,” Dyer said. “He has an established reputation and now we have to continue to build on it.”

As Jordan’s business manager, Dyer is in charge of helping to raise funds, securing sponsors, and getting exposure.

Jordan is in the process of finding a way to raise $30,000 to buy his late model truck for next season and he has come up with a unique fundraising idea. “He came to me and said ‘Dad I figured it out. It would only take 300 people to give $100’ so he put up an announcement on his website,” Clif said.

With the racing season drawing to a close, Jordan has been invited to two exhibition races, one in October in Atlanta and another in Orlando in December.

This year has been extremely successful for Jordan. Out of 35 races in nine states he has won 21 which ranks him 10th in the nation out of 715 racers in the INEX standings.

Jordan’s dream is to one day race in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup. His Christian ideals and supportive family have carried him to success so far, and he has no fear that he will be able to handle NASCAR fame. “I’d live my life just like I’m living it now,” he said. “I love every second on the track. I want to be known as a respectible driver.”

Jordan is settling into ninth grade at Covenant Christian School where he works hard to keep up in his classes despite the hectic racing schedule.

He’s still waiting to pick up his over six– foot–tall trophy from last weekend’s win, which was too big to take on the plane ride home from Erie. There is little doubt in Jordan’s mind that he would win the race and further his career in racing. “If you can’t envision yourself winning the race, you won’t,” he said. “I stay 100 percent focused on racing and give thanks to God everyday. I’ll be able to make it if it’s in God’s will.”