Summit Racing–Line Plans to Take Previous U.S. Nationals Success one Step Further

Line Plans to Take Previous U.S. Nationals Success one Step Further
 
Mooresville, N.C., August 28, 2013 – Pro Stock racer Jason Line has seen the inside of the final round at the most historic race on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour, and this season the 30-time national event winner intends to turn on one more win light in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro and make his way to the winner’s circle at the 59th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at venerable Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.
 
Line, of Mooresville, N.C., was a first-time finalist at the event in 2011, when Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson was the only driver who could stop a charging Line, the No. 1 qualifier, from earning his first U.S. Nationals win. Although the race in Indianapolis has been a particular challenge for Line himself, the collective Summit Racing group has been remarkably successful at the facility. Anderson’s win there in 2011 netted his sixth Indy trophy, and Line’s 6.538-second blast that held as the quickest qualifying time that same year stands to this day as the Lucas Oil Raceway track record for elapsed time.
 
“There is a lot of pride and honor associated with this race,” said Line, whose most recent win on the 2013 tour was at the spring race in Houston. “There’s no doubt about it, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the U.S. Nationals every year, and this year is no exception. We’ve logged quite a few hours testing our Camaros since the last race, and I can promise you that the Summit Racing team has been spending a lot of time both on and off and track making sure we have everything ready to go for this one and the six that follow it.”
 
The significance of the U.S. Nationals extends beyond an acknowledged position as the most prestigious and historic race on the circuit; it also marks the conclusion of the regular season and the beginning of NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship, the six-race run for the series title. Line has twice before come out on top when the curtain dropped, and he is currently positioned No. 6 in the Pro Stock standings.
 
Aside from the stature of the U.S. Nationals, the event is also an extended weekend that requires stamina and careful plotting as teams are allowed one qualifying run on Friday, two on Saturday, and two more on Sunday before final eliminations begin on Labor Day.
 
“On one hand, it’s really good because we get an extra qualifying run to learn a little more before raceday,” said Line. “But on the other hand, it can be pretty exhausting for the crew, and the weather looks like it will be pretty warm all weekend long. Thankfully, the KB Racing team has never really had a problem maintaining a high level of energy. We’re pretty fortunate to have a great group of guys and a couple of good racecars at this point in the season. I think it would be fair to say that we expect to see a Summit Racing Camaro in the winner’s circle on Monday, and we would be pretty disappointed with anything less.”