Jason Line Wins First Race of NHRA Countdown to the Championship

Jason Line Wins First Race of NHRA Countdown to the Championship

Concord, NC (September 19, 2016) – It was an all-Team Summit Racing Pro Stock final at the NHRA Carolina Nationals as Jason Line won the first race of the Countdown to the Championship.

JASON LINE Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS
Jason Line qualified second behind Summit Teammate Greg Anderson with a 6.581 second, 210.41 MPH pass.

Line defeated Shane Tucker in Round One of eliminations (6.639/208.94 to 6.715/207.46), KB Racing teammate Bo Butner in Round 2 (6.642/209.01 to 6.672/209.75) and Vincent Nobile in the semifinals (6.630/209.20 to 6.646/209.30) to face Greg Anderson in the final round.

Line had a slight starting line advantage with a .025 second reaction time to Anderson’s .037. Both had near identical speeds (209.39 to 209.20 MPH), but Line took the win with an elapsed time of 6.621 seconds to Anderson’s 6.639.

“It’s just a great way to start the Countdown,” Line said. “If you want to win the Championship you really just have to come out smoking and somehow we were able to do that today. To race Greg is good, but it’s also bad because he is the last guy you want to race in the final round. He gets the best of me more often than not, but today was my day.”

This is Line’s eighth win of 2016 and 45th of his career. He maintains the Pro Stock points lead.

GREG ANDERSON Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS
Greg Anderson was Number One qualifier with a 6.578/210.50 pass. It was his sixth first place qualifier of the season and the 86th of his career. That qualifying run also set low ET and top speed for the weekend.

Anderson defeated Alan Prusiensky (6.642/209.23 to 6.762/205.35) in Round One, Chris McGaha in Round Two (6.663/208.39 to 6.690/208.10) and Alex Laughlin in the semifinals (6.673/208.59 to 6.674/209.36). Anderson wasn’t stopped until the final round against teammate Line.

“We just didn’t have a good enough package to beat that blue car in the final round. He is tough,” Anderson said. “As the day went on Jason just got better and better. He was a little ahead of me and I needed one more run to get the tune back on this one. But it was a good day for KB Racing. We go to St. Louis with first and second in the points.”

Anderson is currently second in the Pro Stock points standings.

TIM WILKERSON Ford Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car
Tim Wilkerson qualified sixth with a 3.911/323.97 run. He defeated Chad Head (4.029/312.28 to 4.172/253.99) in Round One of eliminations, and met up with John Force in Round Two. Wilkerson got a huge jump on Force at the starting line, but the hot race track got the best of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang, causing the tires to smoke. Force took the win, 4.013/319.90 to 7.401/103.50.

“In first round we did okay—we just spun the tires and put a cylinder out, but still went 4.02,” Wilkerson said. “In the second round the tires would just not stop spinning leaving the starting line. That starting line was crazy tricky up there. Everybody was fighting it as you can see. If you got past the starting line, you could get whatever you wanted out there in the middle, but we just missed it.”

Wilkerson is currently ninth in the Funny Car points standings.

KENNY LANG Summit Racing Equipment 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Kenny Lang came close to making the highly competitive NHRA J&A Services Pro Mod field, but just fell short with a 6.026/241.93 pass.

Team Summit Notes: Top Fuel
Doug Kalitta qualified Number One (3.721/327.11). It was his first Number One at zMax Dragway, the fourth of the season, and the 47th of his career. He defeated Ike Maier, Leah Pritchett, and Wayne Newby in the first three rounds of eliminations, but lost to Antron Brown in the final. Kalitta is currently second in the points standings.

J.R. Todd qualified sixth (3.741/325.37) but was defeated by Pat Dakin in Round One. He is currently sixth in the points standings.

Team Summit Notes: Funny Car
Del Worsham qualified 12th (3.963/318.99). He defeated Jack Beckman and John Bojec in the first two rounds of eliminations, but lost to Tommy Johnson Jr. in the semi-finals. Worsham is currently second in the points standings.

Alexis DeJoria qualified fourth (3.887/324.67) but was defeated by John Bojec in Round One. She is currently 10th in the point standings.