Points Leader Line Charging Towards Maple Grove Raceway with History on His Side
Mooresville, N.C., October 1, 2014 – Last season, Summit Racing NHRA Pro Stock driver Jason Line came to Maple Grove Raceway with some ground to make up if he was to have a chance at the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship, but this season, the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver will arrive with the points lead in hand. That doesn’t take the pressure off – not even in the slightest – but history is on Line’s side as the tour slides into town for the 30th annual NHRA Nationals.
Line, who made his first Reading race a decade ago in 2004, has been low qualifier at the event four times and has a perfect record in Maple Grove final rounds with wins scored in 2004 over Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson and in 2011 over then-KB Racing teammate Ronnie Humphrey.
Perhaps even more notably, however, is Line’s incredible pace at the Northeastern quarter-mile. Line currently holds both ends of the Maple Grove Raceway track record: his 6.477-second blast in 2011 holds as the best elapsed time the racing surface has seen in the Pro Stock category, and his very swift 214.35 mph clocking in 2012 is the fastest speed on record there for the factory hot rods.
“Maple Grove Raceway has been a good place for the Summit Racing team, for sure,” said Line, who shares a winning record there with Anderson – between the two they have four wins in six final rounds, including the 2004 all-Summit Racing final. They also have eight low qualifier awards between them, including four consecutive as a team leading into this year’s event and the most recent three in a row belonging to Line.
“I’m certainly looking forward to this weekend, it should be pretty fast and that always makes it interesting. Hopefully, the KB Racing team will be able to take advantage of those conditions again,” said Line. “Right now, we have good momentum, and I feel like we learned a few things last weekend in St. Louis. We’ve all worked very hard to get to this point, and now is no time to let up.
“We’ve got a little extra morale boost this weekend because our team owners, Ken and Judy Black, will be coming to Maple Grove. I’m excited about that. I tend to do better when they’re there, and it’s always nice to have their support. We definitely have the opportunity for this to be a good weekend for the KB Racing team and our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros.”