2008 NHRA POWERade season opened this weekend at the 48th annual Car Quest NHRA Winternationals with rousing performances by GM competitors in all three professional categories, and included a win in Pro Stock for Greg Anderson in the new Pontiac GXP.

Three-time champion (2003-2005) Greg Anderson gave the Pontiac GXP an appropriate introduction into the competitive Pro Stock category. Anderson captured his 52nd national-event victory tonight by defeating defending series champion Coughlin Jr. in the all-GM final round at Auto Club Raceway. Anderson drove the Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP to the raceday pole and never relinquished a performance advantage on race day, earning his fourth win at the season-opening Winternationals and his third straight at this event

It's beyond what you hope for when you come out here," Anderson said. "You want to be competitive at the first race of the season and not look like fools. We had a new hot rod this weekend with the GXP and you never know for sure what's going to happen. It just goes to show you,every time Pontiac introduces a new hot rod they do a great job. Every time we debut a new Pontiac, it's a step ahead of where we were the previous time and it goes right to the front. Maybe we need to race a new model every year."

PRO STOCK
Winner - Greg Anderson (Pontiac GXP), 6.616ET(track record)/209.23MPH