Line leaves Texas with points lead still in hand
Dallas, Texas, September 21, 2014 – Summit Racing NHRA Pro Stock driver Jason Line came to Texas with the points lead and did his darndest to keep hold of it through a double-header weekend – and he succeeded. On Saturday at Texas Motorplex, Line was a finalist in the delayed NHRA Carolina Nationals, and on Sunday he picked up just enough points to protect the lead. With four races to go in the 2014 NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Line leaves the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals as the guy to beat in the top spot.
In the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Line was first off the starting line to fellow top 10 racer Chris McGaha, and he swiftly got to the finish line first with a 6.574 at 210.80 to his opponent’s 6.617, 208.71. Heading into the second round of eliminations, Line and the blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro were ready for attack and launched ahead of KB Racing-powered Vincent Nobile. However, something soon went wrong. Line slowed to a 12.243 and the win was awarded to his opponent.
The KB Racing team are headed back to the engine shop to repair an injured engine, and the Summit Racing trucks are heading down the road to St. Louis.
“Well, yesterday was a pretty good day for us getting to the final round in the [delayed] Charlotte race, but today didn’t go quite as planned,” said Line, who has two previous wins in three final rounds at the NHRA FallNationals.
“It’s a shame because they give you a really cool cowboy hat if you win this race, and now I’m going to have to stop and buy one instead of getting it in the winner’s circle. But in all seriousness, the championship is not won or lost in one race, so we would consider this a minor setback. More than likely, you’re going to have some bad races – you just have to limit them. Some races you go and everything works in your favor, but sometimes they don’t. We had a good weekend overall, and we’ll get to St. Louis next weekend and hopefully be better.”
Line will continue his quest for a third NHRA Pro Stock world championship at next weekend’s event at Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis. Although he has not yet won in St. Louis, Line sees the absence of a trophy earned as a challenge.
“I guess the odds are in my favor,” said Line. “It might be time to check that one off the list.”