Provisional No. 1 Qualifier Line Sets the Pace in Pomona
POMONA, Calif., February 6, 2015 – The 2015 season of NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is off to a strong start for Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line. The driver who came just a single win light away from scoring the championship here in Pomona last November had the quickest hot rod on the property on Friday at the 55th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals and is positioned to earn the 39th low qualifier award of his career. He simply has to keep the pace through two more rounds of qualifying on Saturday.
“I know I usually whine and say it wasn’t perfect, but we made a good run,” said Line. “It was nice enough to get me [to the No. 1 spot], so I’m pretty about that. It’s fun to start day one and the first race of the 2015 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series this way.”
In the first session of qualifying at venerable Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Line expertly maneuvered his brilliant blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a 6.539-second pass at 212.46 mph. Third quickest for the session, Line and his KB Racing crew tuned it up for the second pass of the day and came out swinging. He flew down the quarter-mile racetrack to a 6.523 at 212.76 that was .004-second quicker than his closest competitor.
For his efforts Line, the defending event champion, was awarded one bonus qualifying point in the first round and three for his speedy 6.52 in the evening session.
Adding to the good vibes in Team Summit’s camp was the fact that Line’s teammate, Greg Anderson, made a very good run in the later session and is currently No. 3 in the line-up.
“We expected Greg to run well, and we were disappointed when he didn’t in the first session, but then he ended up third today and he got a little [bonus] point,” said Line of his counterpart’s 6.535, 211.99. “That’s a good place to start, and now we can chisel away at it and go from there. Last year his car did not perform the way that my car does or the way that we know it is capable of, and that was frustrating for the whole team. We have vowed to not let that happen again, so we are very happy.”