Line wants to shine in Pro Stock’s end of an era at NHRA Finals
Mooresville, N.C., November 11, 2015 – The final race of the 2015 season comes to a close at this weekend’s 51st annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. More than simply the finale of the 24-race 2015 season, Pomona will mark the end of NHRA Pro Stock as it has long been known. Significant rule changes mean that the 2016 season of NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will have a new look and feel for the Pro Stock competitors. Two-time series champion Jason Line intends to be the man holding the Wally on Sunday to end a very memorable and successful age ahead of what’s new.
“Two weeks ago in Las Vegas, things didn’t go the way that we had hoped,” said Line, who has qualified in the top half at all but three races this season and scored two wins in four final rounds. “We won a round with my car, but that certainly wasn’t all we wanted out of that race. It wasn’t the day we were looking for, but we’ve had a few of those this year. We’re going to Pomona planning to put our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro back in the winner’s circle.”
Line will arrive in Southern California for the final race of the year as the most recent victor on the hallowed grounds of Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Starting from the No. 2 position, Line was powerful on Sunday and earned the trophy to move right into first place in the standings.
The Mooresville, N.C.-based driver got on a hot streak in the early part of the season following his Winternationals win, and he was No. 1 qualifier at three consecutive events – Las Vegas, Houston, and the Summit Racing NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, where he went on to win the event with a final-round victory over Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson. Reaching the final round in Brainerd allowed Line to enter the Countdown to the Championship in the No. 4 position, but Line has not yet seen the success that he is accustomed to in the six-race playoffs.
For the driver with 37 wins in 78 final rounds, expectations are reasonably high – particularly as Line has reached a Pomona final in each of his most recent three performances at Auto Club Raceway. He won the 2014 Winternationals, was runner-up at the 2014 NHRA Finals, and won the 2015 Winternationals.
“I’d like to end this season with a bang,” said Line, who is No. 7 in the standings entering the event. He has never placed lower than No. 5 since launching a full-time career as an NHRA Pro Stock driver with the KB Racing team in 2004. “No question about it, I’d really like to finish this season strong. This is an end to an era that KB Racing has had a big influence on for the past 15 years. It would be nice to end it on a strong note.”