Line Hopes to Get on Indy’s Good Side

Up until a year ago, reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion Jason Line was not necessarily a fan of Lucas Oil Raceway, site of this weekend’s 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.  He acknowledged the importance of the event, and the long and storied history behind what is universally considered the biggest drag race of the season. In fact, his lack of enthusiasm was rooted in his on-track struggles at the Clermont, Ind. quarter-mile dating back to his days competing in the Stock category.

However, his opinion may have shifted slightly to the positive side one year ago when the Summit Racing ace scored his first No. 1 qualifying position at “The Big Go” and powered his way to the final round, where he was narrowly edged by his teammate Greg Anderson. Even though he enters this year’s event with an extensive to-do list, returning to the winner’s circle and claiming his first Indianapolis win remains a top priority.

“Although I still wouldn’t consider this to be one of my favorite tracks, I certainly respect the history and tradition behind the U.S. Nationals,” said Line.  “It’s a cool race to go to, and I would certainly like to add an Indy Wally to my trophy case, as well as the increased payout for winning.  I’m a muscle car guy, so I really enjoy watching all the Stockers that come out to run during the class runoffs, taking me back to the days when I raced in that category.

“But we’re not there to be spectators.  We’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks testing our Summit Racing Camaros, working to get a handle on what they need to perform, and we’re looking forward to seeing how we’ve done.  I’m confident we will be putting a better product on the track than we have at the last few races, allowing us to hopefully be in a position to win on Monday.”

As Line indicates, the format of this race is unlike any other on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Circuit.  For example, there are five qualifying sessions instead of the normal four, which are spread out over Friday through Sunday, with final eliminations set for Labor Day.  Although this does allow teams to have an additional chance to obtain data on the Lucas Oil Raceway surface, they must also pace themselves to be ready for the extra day of competition.

In addition, this year everyone will be keeping an eye on the progress of Hurricane Isaac, as computer models are currently predicting the remnants of the storm will arrive in the Indianapolis area during the weekend, with the potential for heavy rains putting any qualifying attempts at a premium.  Even so, Line prefers to take a simple approach, seeing it simply as another variable out of their control that the team will have to deal with.

“Naturally, we would prefer to have five days of sunshine and cool temperatures, just like everyone else, but we’ll just have to see what happens, and deal with it accordingly,” said Line.  “This is a long and difficult race, and we have to be ready to handle any situation that gets thrown at us over the course of the five days. 

“Fortunately, I have a very talented KB Racing team behind me, who has a long record of success in Indianapolis with my teammate winning six times.  With a larger than normal Pro Stock field expected, it certainly won’t be easy, but I’d like to join in the fun this weekend, putting my Summit Racing Camaro in the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals winner’s circle. It’s there for us as long as we remain error-free, which we are more than capable of doing.”

Jason Line & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Lucas Oil Raceway edition:

1 – a) No. 1 qualifying performances by Line at Lucas Oil Raceway, which came one year ago.

      b) Final round appearances by Jason in Indianapolis, which also occurred in 2011

4.89 – Average starting position for Line in his previous nine U.S. Nationals starts.

6.583 – Lucas Oil Raceway Pro Stock Elapsed Time Record, set by Line in 2011.

7 – Times Line has qualified in the top five positions in his previous nine starts in Indianapolis.

Successful Seattle Defense at Top of Line’s List

Summit Racing driver Jason Line is in the midst of another outstanding year.  In the first 15 races of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season, the reigning Pro Stock champion has logged one win in four final round appearances, along with five No. 1 qualifying positions.  In addition, he has earned valuable bonus qualifying points in all but one race, a showing that has allowed him to not only remain solidly in the top three positions in the championship standings, but also claim one of the coveted positions in the Countdown to the Championship playoff.

Lost in the midst of this solid performance is that after ten races Line parked the car which carried him to the championship one year ago in favor of his all-new Summit Racing Camaro, requiring that both he and the KB Racing crew adapt on the fly to their new mount’s tuning envelope.   Rising to the challenge, they come into this weekend’s NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash. with one final round appearance already under their belt, as well as five starts in the top five positions.  However, as Line is quick to point out, the learning process has just begun.

“The good news is that we continue to make progress with our Summit Racing Camaro, making it better with every race,” said Line.  “But even though we are headed in the right direction, we still have a long way to go before we get it to the level of consistent performance that we need to contend for wins on a weekly basis.  Naturally, we would prefer to spend a little time testing, but that’s not an option during the Western Swing. 

“As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, so at the moment we’re forced to do things a little differently than we might like, but as long as it’s effective, it really doesn’t matter how we get the job done.  Therefore, we will take everything we’ve learned over the past few weeks and look to keep moving forward this weekend in Seattle.  It all comes down to doing a better job of adapting our car to the conditions, and doing whatever it takes to successfully defend our win from a year ago.”

Ironically, Line has experienced his own learning curve at Pacific Raceways, site of this weekend’s event. After struggling to advance in his first four starts at the Kent quarter-mile, Line turned his fortunes completely around in his next four appearances, with two wins (including one year ago) in three final round appearances.  As such, it is easy to see why he is looking forward to this year’s edition.

“I like racing in Seattle,” said Line.  “It’s a great area, and we’re going to a high-horsepower track with a decent racing surface, which under the right conditions allows you to run really fast.  We’ve had our share of success there in recent years, and we’d like to continue that trend this weekend.  To do that, we’ll need to have our Summit Racing Camaro dialed in from the first qualifying pass and build on it from there. 

“Our primary goal for this weekend will be to figure out how to step things up and do everything just a little better than we have been lately.  I know that’s easier said than done, but I believe this Summit Racing team is capable of doing just that.  It has been way too long since I won in Phoenix, and I believe everyone on this team is more than ready to get back in the winner’s circle. It’s just up to us to get it done.”

Jason Line & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Pacific Raceways edition:

2 – Pacific Raceway wins by Line, including one year ago, when he defeated teammate Greg Anderson in the final.

3 – Final round appearances by Jason on the Kent quarter-mile.

4.75 - Average starting position for Jason in eight previous Seattle starts.

6.531 – Pacific Raceways P/S elapsed time record, set by Line one year ago.

11 – Elimination round wins by Jason in eight Seattle starts, versus 6 losses for a .647 win percentage.

SEVEN DRIVERS EARN FULL THROTTLE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP BERTHS AT NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS

Seven drivers clinched Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoff berths at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, bringing the number of drivers who have secured their invitations to the playoffs to 14.

Top Fuel racers Antron Brown and Tony Schumacher, along with Funny Car driver Ron Capps, and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Jr. all locked up their positions during NHRA Sonoma Nationals qualifying.

On Sunday, Pro Stock racers Mike Edwards and Vincent Nobile clinched by advancing to round two, and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. clinched by advancing to the semifinals.

The NHRA Full Throttle Series regular season concludes Labor Day weekend at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus in Indianapolis. A six-race playoff series, the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship, will lead to the crowning of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champs. The Countdown begins Sept. 14-16 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C.

COUNTDOWN FIELDS TO DATE

Top Fuel

1. Spencer Massey

2. Antron Brown

3. Tony Schumacher

Funny Car

1. Robert Hight

2. Ron Capps

Pro Stock

1. Greg Anderson

2. Jason Line

3. Allen Johnson

4. Mike Edwards

5. Vincent Nobile

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Eddie Krawiec

2. Andrew Hines

3. Hector Arana Jr.

4. Hector Arana Sr.

Line Posts Runner-Up Finish in All-Summit Englishtown Final

After earning his fifth No. 1 qualifying position of the season, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J. looking to translate his Saturday success into his second win of the season.  Facing Grace Howell in the opening stanza, he showed his intentions by posting the quickest elapsed time of round at 6.527-seconds to gain the victory.

Line duplicated that feat in the second round using a 6.561-second, 211.39 mph pass to defeat Rodger Brogdon and advance to the semifinals, where he would face Erica Enders.  Once again, he proved to be the class of the field, combining a lightning-quick .010 reaction time and a 6.540-second, 211.66 mph pass to eliminate Enders, who posted a 6.569-second time and 211.23 mph speed, and reach his third final round of the season, where he would face teammate Greg Anderson, who was in his first race in his new Chevrolet Camaro.

However, there was more at stake than the national event win, as this victory would be the 100^th in the KB Racing team’s history, an accomplishment both drivers desperately wanted on their racing resume.  Leaving the line in tandem, the two raced neck-and-neck for much of the quarter mile, with Line looking to have a slight advantage.  However, just as it seemed he would capture his fourth win at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Line’s mount was slowed by a rare malfunction with the resulting 6.588-second, 200.98 mph run allowing his stable mate, who carded a 6.560-second, 212.03 mph pass, to gain the victory.

Naturally disappointed with the results, Line took some consolation in the team victory while also looking forward to the debut of his own Camaro at the next race in Bristol, TN.

“Although I am certainly pleased that we were able to get KB Racing’s 100^th win with Ken and Judy (team owners Black) here in attendance, the racer in me is not happy,” said Line.  “We knew going into the final that we were going to get it, and I really wanted to be the one that did it.

"My Summit Racing Pontiac had performed beautifully all weekend, and I thought I was going to send it out a winner.  Unfortunately, just before the finish line, we had a problem with the motor and Greg was able get around me.  So even though I am personally disappointed, it was good day for the team.  I’m happy for everyone on the crew and glad we could get the Camaro a win in its first race back.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my own Summit Racing Camaro out at the next race.  We’ll spend the next few days getting it finished and tested before heading up to Bristol and seeing if we can give my Chevrolet an equally successful debut there.”

Intramural Tussle Ends Line’s Day in Topeka Semifinals

After recording the quickest time in two of the four qualifying sessions, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan. looking to add his first Kansas “Wally” to his trophy case. He seemed headed in that direction in the first round, as he combined the quickest elapsed time of the weekend at 6.566-seconds with a top speed of 210.11 mph to defeat Steve Kent.


It was a similar situation in the second stanza, with Line covering the quarter-mile in 6.571 seconds with a top speed of 209.26 mph to eliminate a resurgent V. Gaines. This set the stage for a semifinal encounter with teammate Greg Anderson. Although Line posted his best reaction time of the day at .028 and made another strong 6.580-second, 210.57 mph run, it fell thirteen thousandths of a second shy of his stablemate’s 6.575-second, 210.93 mph effort, putting a premature end to the 2011 champion’s day.


“The Summit Racing team had a good day today, and I had one of my best in Topeka,” said Line. “It stings to not come out of here with a win, but we leave knowing Greg had the best car he’s had all year, and mine was good enough to run low e.t. of the weekend and be quickest in four of the seven rounds we ran. I also made some strides, doing a better job of driving overall. The bottom line, however, is that we didn’t win, and we’ll have to wait two weeks for our next chance.


“With two new Chevy Camaros to get ready, we’re going to have our hands full between now and Englishtown, but I’m looking forward to finally driving a real muscle car in Pro Stock. I’ll have to wait a year for my next shot at a Topeka win, but all in all it wasn’t a bad weekend. It just wasn’t a great weekend, which is what we’ll be aiming for in New Jersey.”


Established in 1968, Summit Racing Equipment is the leading high performance parts and accessories company. Summit Racing offers the largest selection, lowest prices, and best customer service in the high performance industry via catalogs, Internet, and Retail Super Stores. The company is headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio with retail locations in Tallmadge, Ohio; Sparks, Nevada; and McDonough, Georgia. For more information, please visit www.summitracing.com.

Line Scores Runner-Up Finish in All-Summit Atlanta Final

After posting the quickest time in each of the last three sessions en route to the No. 1 qualifying position, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga. cautiously optimistic about his chances of successfully defending his win at this event from a year ago. In the first round against Warren Johnson, Line picked up where he left off on Saturday, powering through the quarter-mile in 6.599-seconds with a top speed of 209.95 mph to gain the round win.


In the second round against sophomore sensation Vincent Nobile, who had won the last race in Houston just a week ago, Line combined a quick .012 reaction time and a 6.605-second, 209.49 mph pass to eliminate his young opponent and advance to the semifinals, where he would meet Ronnie Humphrey, whose Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pontiac is run out of the KB Racing shops.


Once again, Line proved to be too much, with his 6.634-second, 209.26 mph run easily defeating Humphrey, who was forced to shut off early due to tire shake. This set the stage for an all-Summit final round, as Line would face teammate Greg Anderson. Although he was able to deliver another strong run, covering the quarter-mile in 6.618 seconds with a top speed of 209.62 mph, it unfortunately fell one hundredth of a second shy of overcoming his partner’s starting line advantage and 6.649-second, 208.26 mph run.


Although naturally disappointed by the outcome, the reigning Pro Stock champion was still able to find some positives in his team’s performance, and looked forward to earning some redemption in two weeks at the next NHRA Full Throttle Series’ race in Topeka, KS.


“For some reason, I just didn’t have a good rhythm in my staging procedure in the final, which naturally affected my reaction time,” said Line. “You can’t do that against someone as good as Greg. As I have often said, he is a four-time champion for a reason, and to beat him, you have to be at your very best. Unfortunately, in the final today, I was a bit off, and it cost us.


“Still, things could have been a lot worse. My team gave me another great Summit Racing Pontiac to drive and we made it all the way to the final against our teammate, which is the perfect scenario at your sponsor’s race, allowing us to gain points on all our competition. Naturally, I would have preferred to be the one holding the Wally, but I’ll just have to wait to do that until the next race. I owe it to my guys, and will do everything possible to finally get it done in Kansas.”


Established in 1968, Summit Racing Equipment is the leading high performance parts and accessories company. Summit Racing offers the largest selection, lowest prices, and best customer service in the high performance industry via catalogs, Internet, and Retail Super Stores. The company is headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio with retail locations in Tallmadge, Ohio; Sparks, Nevada; and McDonough, Georgia. For more information, please visit www.summitracing.com.