Line Finishes Third, Already Preparing for Stronger 2014
Pomona, Calif., November 10, 2013 – Jason Line entered the 49th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with a chance at earning his third Pro Stock world championship, and although it was not to be, Line and the Summit Racing team leave the final race of the 2013 season of Mello Yello Drag Racing elevated and with a clear mission.
“This wasn’t the end result that the Summit Racing team had hoped for because we have such a strong history and we know what we’re capable of,” said Line, who was a two-time winner on the tour this year and ultimately finished in the No. 3 position in the standings. Line has been a championship contender and finished in the top 5 in each of the 10 seasons he has competed full time. The 2013 season marks the seventh time he has finished third or better.
Line was tied for second in the standings entering raceday in Pomona, and the season title was within reach – he only had to win the race and hope that his toughest competitor, then-points leader Jeg Coughlin, would bow out in the first round. If Coughlin were to win the first round, Line would still have a chance if his rival exited in round two and Line was able to win the race and set a world record. The order was clearly quite tall.
Unbothered by the possible scenarios, Line entered the first round with fierce determination. After leaving the starting line ahead of opponent Greg Stanfield, the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver raced to a 6.560 at 211.76 mph to win the round and earn lane choice over KB Racing teammate Buddy Perkinson in the second act.
In a shocking upset, Line lost traction soon after leaving the starting line and had to get on and off the throttle to regain control. Perkinson went on to get the win with a 6.567 at 211.96 mph to Line’s troubled 6.685, 211.43.
“That was a terrible run, but if I’m going to lose to somebody, I’d rather lose to a teammate,” said Line. “It was not the end result that I had hoped for today, and if we couldn’t be first [in the points], we would have at least liked to have been second. It was a disappointing end to a disappointing year, to be honest. But the one thing I can really tell you is that the Summit Racing team will have a better season in 2014. I know I learned a lot of things – I think we all did here in the KB Racing camp – and what happened this year is not going to happen again. You can’t always be the best, but you can certainly aspire to be.
“The work begins tonight. We have a lot of things in motion already, and we aren’t looking back – we’re looking forward.”