As a privateer, the Te Anau-based restaurateur knows it is a tough ask to front up against fully-backed competitors, who have several engines and cars at their disposal.
"Obviously we get over there on a limited budget ... and they are racing for their livelihoods.
"They are pretty hot-headed.
"They are great guys but I suppose, to win you have to be a little bit arrogant," Anderson said.
Basing himself near the Skagit Speedway track in Alger, Washington - halfway between Seattle and Vancouver - from the end of this month, he hopes to gain an edge by racing there nearly every weekend for the following five weeks.
He will look into hiring the track between events with some other more experienced racers and spend some one-on-one time with them to help get him going faster.
Anderson's six-week season culminates next month, at the final round of the King of the West Sprint Car Series at Skagit Speedway. Last year's event paid the winner $US40,000 ($NZ48,700) and had a total prize pool of $US189,000 ($NZ230,000).
"It's really competitive. There's a lot of top drivers racing over there. They are very fast. A hell of a lot faster than over here [New Zealand]."
The tracks are different, too.
"They have a high banked camber and are really fast, with no room for errors, as there is no inside to the track to run into. For example, there is no grassy middle like at home."
This is the second consecutive year Anderson has chased the American sprint car racing experience and the chance to line his pockets with some of the rich prize rewards on offer. He feels better prepared both mentally and mechanically.
Describing himself as "new to the sport", having forsaken marathon jet boat racing for sprint car driving 18 months ago, he has "had a massive jump to where I was last year."
Last season he spent every spare moment building up cars to race. This year, Anderson has bought two Triple X chassis in the United States and has sent a motor over to be fitted before his arrival on May 25. The overall package should net him a racing machine producing about 800hp, plus a spare in case of crashes or mechanical breakdowns.
Anderson finished this national season fourth in the South Island Sprint Car Championship race and second on points for the weekend's racing.
He has not set his ambitions for racing in the United States "too high" and he is targeting the B main finals, which are for the second-tier division of 20 qualifying drivers.
