DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Speed and handling are obvious reasons why some drivers achieve success in superspeedway races, but for Jordan Anderson, there is another factor.
"A lot of patience, man," Anderson told AltDriver after finishing sixth in Friday night's race. "My wife got me into playing chess, and this is just very high-paced chess. It's just all about being there at the end and surviving."
Friday's race marked Anderson's second top-10 finish of the season at the 2.5-mile track, following a fourth-place run in February. This is no small feat considering that the owner of Jordan Anderson Racing has only made four starts in one of his cars this season.
Going months without getting into the car can be difficult, especially at high-stress tracks such as Daytona, Talladega, or Atlanta. Races are inherently more aggressive at these tracks, and the close racing often leads to multi-car crashes.
It can often take drivers some time to get acclimated to the cars once again when they are making sporadic starts.
Friday night's race was no different in terms of intensity. The Big One struck multiple times during the final stage and yet Anderson avoided damaging his No. 32 Chevrolet Camaro.
He even pulled a veteran move at one point by diving below the double yellow line and dropping to the rear of the field. A big crash then occurred minutes later. A premonition may have led to this move, but maybe it was the time learning a complicated game.
"So much of chess is you've got to think three, four, five, six moves ahead before you make the move," Anderson said. "And speedway racing is the same.
"You've got to know where the field is going, how the intensity is shaking out, and kind of make a move before other guys can think about it. And thinking four or five or six rows ahead."
Being able to incorporate chess into a successful race has become more significant for Anderson, whose career has drastically changed.
Once a full-time Truck Series racer, he moved up to the Xfinity Series intending to drive his own car full-time. Rain and a lack of qualifying sessions in 2021 derailed these plans, so Anderson moved more into the ownership role while turning his cars over to several drivers.
Three years later, Anderson continues to focus on his ownership role while Jeb Burton and Parker Retzlaff drive his two full-time Xfinity Series entries. However, he still gets behind the wheel at superspeedways so that he and crew chief Larry McReynolds can "scratch the itch" and contend for strong finishes.
Friday night's race was just the latest example.
"You know, when you don't get to do this a lot, you want to make the most of it," Anderson added. "I'm here at the track every week watching Jeb (Burton) and Parker (Retzlaff) run and to get to have my shot to get back behind the wheel is exciting.
"It reminds me why I love the sport and why I got into it in the first place."