Mechanical malfunction slows Line on raceday in Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan., May 25, 2014 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line picked up a round win on Sunday at Heartland Park Topeka’s NHRA Kansas Nationals, but a very strange mechanical malfunction slowed his progress in round two and he was sent home much earlier than anticipated. For Line, the shocking outcome on raceday only created a deeper motivation, and he will be burning the midnight oil in the dyno room at the KB Racing shop in Mooresville, N.C. this week.
Line qualified in the No. 8 position and came up against No. 9 qualifier Jonathan Gray in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. The forecast was grim for the day, but rain stayed away while thick air and warmer temperatures descended upon Heartland Park. Line kept his cool, though, and his 6.691 at 206.13 mph was enough to get the job done over Gray’s 6.736, 206.80.
For the second round, Line was tuned up and ready to make a charge for the win light with young Vincent Nobile in the opposite lane. Nobile, who gets his power from the KB Racing shop, launched with ease and headed down track while Line was stunningly left at the starting line with an unsettling surprise.
“I hit the gas and the car didn’t do anything; the engine died,” said Line, who was paused at the starting line for 1.885-second as the engine gave a cough. “I just went to put it on the two-step and the car misfired. That’s a new one. But it’s just one of those things. It was a fluke, something you don’t normally see and definitely something I’ve never done before.”
Line’s Summit Racing Camaro clocked a 6.674 at 207.56 mph when it finally was able to leave the starting line, but it was too late – Nobile had already turned on the win light with a 6.660, 207.27.
“Sometimes, things just don’t go your way,” said Line. “Things haven’t gone our way here in Topeka before, but we’re leaving here and going to Englishtown next week, a place where the Summit Racing team has had quite a bit of good fortune. We have a great team and great people behind us. We’ll get it turned back around.”
