RPW Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – DAYTONA BEACH, FL – You would have thought that Jordan Anderson won the NASCAR Truck Series Season Opener at Daytona International Speedway on Friday night if you saw him.
The smile on his face was from ear-to-ear and the normally reserve driver was talking up a storm. You’d never know he had just finished second to Grant Enfinger by 0.010 of a second, the closest finish in Truck Series history at the World Center of Racing.
“Man, I came here in 2015 and emptied my bank account to try and come down here and run,” Anderson said after the event. “To be in position, even to go for a win at Daytona, is awesome. I’m a kid that just wanted to go racing from South Carolina. Everyone that supported me, this is amazing and God is good!”
Anderson was excited because he was able to give those that have supported him over the years an amazing finish and such a strong start to the new season.
“You look at our race team and the opportunities that we’ve had, it’s because people have come in and believed in what we were trying to do,” he said. “It’s all of our great supporters and everyone that follows me on Facebook and Twitter. It’s you guys that keep me going. The journey isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.”
To say that Anderson’s team is one of the lower-funded teams may be an understatement, but it’s the heart of all involved, including the person in the driver’s seat, that helped to make this finish possible.
“To try and put into words what this means for our team, I had to move some money around this winter just to find a way to buy this truck,” he said. “I knew we needed to bring the best truck we could and this sport isn’t easy. I love NASCAR. I love this sport. This is what NASCAR’s about, man.”
Anderson was also quick to remember everyone that has helped him a long the way to get him on the cusp of winning his first career NASCAR Truck Series event.
“To do this for every one of my guys and everyone that’s supported us, from the biggest sponsor to the smallest sponsor, man I love you guys. Man, this is Daytona! We almost won!”
Now, after calculating finish and stage points, Anderson leaves Daytona fourth in the series standings as the Trucks head next to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next Friday evening.