Line Moves Up in Vegas with One Race Left in Championship Chase
 
Las Vegas, Nev., Oct. 27, 2013 – Raceday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway didn’t exactly go as planned for Jason Line, but the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship contender powered the white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to an impressive speed during eliminations and made gains in the points at the NHRA Toyota Nationals. Line, already a two-time Pro Stock champion, moved up to the No. 2 spot and is 71 points outside of first with one race to go before the title is decided.
 
Line stepped into the white Camaro after a crash during testing a little more than a week before the Las Vegas race. Without much experience in KB Racing’s white car, Line was hopeful yet uncertain as to how the weekend would play out. Thankfully, four rounds of qualifying showed Line and the Summit Racing crew that they had plenty to work with, and a start from the No. 5 position – as well as an accumulation of four valuable bonus points – were encouraging factors.
 
On raceday, Line came up against Rodger Brogdon in the first round of eliminations, a driver over whom he held a 3-1 advantage. Line extended his advantage as he left the starting line ahead of his challenger by .025-second and raced to the top end well ahead, clocking a 6.666 at a strong 207.72 mph to topple Brogdon’s 6.708, 206.54.
 
Line had power on display and made the second-quickest pass of the second round paired with the fastest speed. Unfortunately, his 6.669 at 207.43 mph was eclipsed by Shane Gray’s 6.691, 207.24. Line’s fate was sealed at the starting line when he was .068 at the tree to Gray’s .036.
 
Although the outcome was disappointing, Line made a big impression at the event by showing up and performing in a car with which he had relatively little experience.
 
“We definitely started off on a good note with the white car,” said Line. “These Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros are good cars, and I was glad that we ran as well as we did. On Friday, we made a darn good run and it really gave us some good insight. I felt like we could have been a top car here. Today was disappointing, especially with the championship on the line, but we aren’t out of it yet. Team Summit has weathered storms before, and right now we’re in the middle of one. Hopefully, the sun will shine on us at the Finals in Pomona in two weeks.”
 

Line Heavy in the Hunt as Raceday in Vegas Draws Near
 
Las Vegas, Nev., Oct. 26, 2013 – Jason Line has kept calm and remained focused on the objective this weekend during qualifying for the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and expects to continue the trend on raceday. Driving the white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro for the first time this year following a testing incident that took his silver car out of the picture, Line qualified in the No. 5 position and will race Rodger Brogdon in the first round of eliminations. Along the way, he accumulated bonus points that are oh-so valuable in the championship chase.
 
With just two races left in 2013, Line entered the event in the No. 3 position in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings, just 50 points outside of first place.
 
While KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson was regaining a definite level of comfort in the red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro this weekend in Las Vegas, Line was finding comfort of his own behind the wheel of the car that was previously driven by his counterpart.
 
In the first session, Line made a statement with a solid 6.658 at 207.37 mph that moved him into the No. 2 spot for the round – an impressive feat and an important accomplishment because it came with two bonus qualifying points. A 6.673 at 207.18 showed no improvement, but Line was a pleasing 6.653, 207.82 in the first round on Saturday morning and closed out qualifying with a 6.650, 207.69 that was again second quickest and brought in two more marks.
 
“That’s great, but to be honest, I’m not thinking about that right now,” said Line. “I’m thinking that we have to go win tomorrow. Now isn’t the time to be excited; we can be excited after it’s all over. Right now, we have a lot of work to do. The Summit Racing crew has worked very hard all season long, and right now is no time to slack. We have to stay focused so that we can accomplish the goal.”
 
Brogdon is an opponent Line has raced four times so far this year with a 3-1 advantage. Line was the winner in their first-round meetings in Gainesville, Denver, and most recently in Dallas where he went on to win the event.
 
“We are all focused, but we’re certainly looking forward to tomorrow,” said Line. “It’s a great opportunity for us, and both of the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros are running pretty decent at the moment. Tomorrow should be a good day for us. It needs to be.”
 

Anderson a Top Half Qualifier in Red Summit Racing Camaro in Vegas
 
Las Vegas, Nev. Oct. 26, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson had little trouble settling back into the red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro and proved as much during qualifying for the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The red car has been parked since just after the event in Phoenix at the beginning of the 2013 season of NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, but Anderson hopped right in and clocked four runs straight down the quarter-mile track to earn a start from the No. 8 position.
 
Anderson moved back to the red car and handed the white Summit Racing Camaro to teammate Jason Line following a crash during testing before the event that took the silver car out of commission.
 
“This red Summit Racing Camaro is a good car, and it fits like a glove,” said Anderson, who opened qualifying with a 6.678 at 207.18 mph and followed up with a 6.674, 207.15. On day two of the event, the 74-time national event winner and four-time Pro Stock world champion put a 6.653, 208.17 on the scoreboard in the opening session and closed out qualifying with a 6.666, 207.11.
 
In two of the four rounds, Anderson’s passes were nearly identical to Line’s in terms of e.t. – Line was 6.673 at the top end in the white car in the second qualifier, and his 6.653 matched Anderson’s to the thousandth in the third session.
 
“We proved it once again: there is no magic in any car. It’s just a matter of rubbing it the right way and getting the right set-up,” Anderson continued. “Each builder out here does a great job with these cars, it just comes down to the decisions we make and how the driver lets his foot off the clutch.”
 
Anderson will race No. 9 qualifier Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. The friendly rivals have met six times on raceday so far this season, with Nobile coming out ahead four times. Anderson was the victor in their two most recent meetings and ousted his challenger in the first round in both St. Louis and at the fall race in Charlotte.
 
For Anderson, sending Nobile away empty handed on Sunday in Las Vegas is the important first step towards winning his first event of the season with only two more chances to accomplish the goal. Anderson has not had a year without a win since the 2000 season. Anderson is currently No. 7 in the series standings, and fellow KB Racing driver Line is No. 3 in the points.
 
“I would love to find a way to beat Jason’s competition for the championship, but it is also very important to me to win a race this year,” admitted Anderson. “It would be very disappointing to me to finish the year without winning a race. I’m not going to dwell on it, and I still have two chances. Hopefully, I can get it done tomorrow.”
 

Line Proves Quick and Effective on Day One in Vegas
 
Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 25, 2013 – Jason Line utilized the first day of qualifying for the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to prove that he was far from finished with pursuing a third Mello Yello Drag Racing Series title. A crash during testing that knocked his stampeding silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro out of commission in the waning hours of the championship chase was certainly no deterrent to Line’s quest, as evidenced by his immediate success in the white Summit Camaro previously piloted by teammate Greg Anderson.
 
In the first session, Line raced to an outstanding 6.658 at 207.37 mph that was the second quickest pass of the round under the hot Las Vegas sun. Although the second session showed no improvement with a fourth-best 6.673 at 207.18, Line was pleased to be so on-target with so little time in the seat of a car completely new to him.
 
“That was pretty cool, actually,” said Mooresville, N.C.-based Line, who is No. 4 in the line-up heading into the second day of the Las Vegas event. “All in all, it was a pretty darn good place to start with the white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro. I have to say that I wasn’t surprised that we ran well – and to be honest, I thought we might even be No. 1. I felt like we would be right up there in the top two or three cars.”
 
Line has qualified in the top half at all but three races in 2013, and he has been the No. 1 qualifier twice – both times in the silver Camaro and most recently as three weeks ago at the event in Reading, Pa.
 
“I think this Summit Racing Camaro is definitely showing shades of grey, that’s for sure,” the KB Racing driver said in reference to the silver car that had carried him all the way up to No. 3 in the standings in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship.
 
“It’s a good feeling to start off so well, and the KB Racing guys have done a really good job getting us here. We have two more qualifying runs tomorrow, but I’m confident that we’ll have a good racecar for Sunday.”
 

Anderson Back in Red Summit Racing Camaro in Las Vegas
 
Mooresville, N.C., Oct. 23, 2013 – The expression “change is good” has held true for the Summit Racing Pro Stock duo of Greg Anderson and Jason Line in the past, and at this weekend’s 13th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the group that shares six NHRA series championships is counting on history to repeat itself.
 
When Line’s silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro was damaged beyond immediate repair in a significant crash during a private test session two weeks ago, the timing was less than ideal with just two NHRA events left to gain championship points. The resourceful team quickly hatched a plan: Line, currently third in the Pro Stock standings and just 50 points back from first place, would slide in behind the wheel of KB Racing’s white Camaro – a car that Anderson had driven since its debut at Bristol Dragway this summer – and Anderson would return to the comfortable seat of a very special car, the red Summit Racing Camaro he debuted in Englishtown in 2012.
 
“We’ve had a lot of turmoil and shake-ups since the last race, but if you look back, most times when the KB Racing team has done a swap-a-roo it’s worked out well for us,” said Anderson, who made history with the red Chevrolet Camaro when he drove it to victory in its Englishtown debut. It was the first Pro Stock win for a Camaro in over a decade and the 100th win for KB Racing.
 
“We haven’t run the red Summit Racing Camaro since earlier this year in Phoenix, but Buddy Perkinson has been driving the blue version of this same car lately and will do so again this weekend, and we’ve been able to learn a lot. The cars ran very well in testing, and to be honest, this adds a certain level of excitement for us. It’s a neat opportunity, and we think it’s going to rejuvenate us, give us new life and renew our desire to show everyone that we aren’t a one-trick pony team. We have grit and fortitude, and we believe that we can recover from this mishap and actually turn it into an opportunity.”
 
The twice-yearly events at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are always eagerly anticipated for the KB Racing group. Team owners Ken and Judy Black are based in Las Vegas, and the Summit Racing team has garnered success there with regularity. Anderson has earned more Las Vegas wins than any other driver in the exceptionally competitive Pro Stock category and has seven trophies earned at the facility in nine final rounds. He has also been very fast during qualifying and has five times been the No. 1 qualifier.
 
“I’ve always loved going to Vegas; it’s probably the most exciting race on the tour,” said Anderson, currently No. 7 in the series standings. “At this time of year, there is a lot on the line – and we are certainly up to the challenge.”
 

Anderson Reaches the Semifinals in Reading
 
READING, Pa., October 6, 2013 – Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson continued to gather round wins in his sleek Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at this weekend’s Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, and the two-time Reading winner visited the semifinals for the second NHRA event in a row. Anderson was once again remarkable in the driver’s seat in his quest to win his first race of the season and fell just one round short of a fourth career final round in scenic Reading.
 
Following four respectable qualifying runs, Anderson came into raceday in the No. 11 position and fired off a .013-second reaction time to gain an important advantage in his first-round meeting with Richie Stevens Jr., a driver he hadn’t raced since the NHRA Finals in 2008.
 
Anderson won their match on a holeshot, 6.607 to 6.605, and advanced to the second round, where he was .014 at the tree to a red-lighting Mike Edwards, one of the lead contenders for the top spot. In the end, Anderson could only be stopped by Allen Johnson, who ran a low of the round 6.595 to better his 6.633 in the semifinals.
 
“The semis any day is a good day, but it’s still obviously short of where we want to be,” said Anderson, who stayed seventh in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings. “I gained a few points on some of the competitors around me, but I had a two-part goal this weekend: I was trying to win the race and trying to help Jason Line win a championship.”
 
Anderson’s defeat of Edwards in the second round was certainly a critical round for Summit Racing as his teammate Line is No. 3 in the points and just five points behind Edwards – and, most importantly, 50 points out of first place.
 
“Anyone can win the championship, but it’s going to take absolute perfection to win,” Anderson continued. “The driver, the engine, the car, nothing can be off. If you want it, you’ll have to find a way to be perfect from here on out. We’re still in the battle with Jason’s car, and we’ve got two weekends off to go test and find what we think we may be missing with my car so that I can win a race before the year is through and help my teammate. Competition is at an all time high out here, but this year isn’t over yet.”
 

Anderson Reaches the Semifinals in Reading
 
READING, Pa., October 6, 2013 – Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson continued to gather round wins in his sleek Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at this weekend’s Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, and the two-time Reading winner visited the semifinals for the second NHRA event in a row. Anderson was once again remarkable in the driver’s seat in his quest to win his first race of the season and fell just one round short of a fourth career final round in scenic Reading.
 
Following four respectable qualifying runs, Anderson came into raceday in the No. 11 position and fired off a .013-second reaction time to gain an important advantage in his first-round meeting with Richie Stevens Jr., a driver he hadn’t raced since the NHRA Finals in 2008.
 
Anderson won their match on a holeshot, 6.607 to 6.605, and advanced to the second round, where he was .014 at the tree to a red-lighting Mike Edwards, one of the lead contenders for the top spot. In the end, Anderson could only be stopped by Allen Johnson, who ran a low of the round 6.595 to better his 6.633 in the semifinals.
 
“The semis any day is a good day, but it’s still obviously short of where we want to be,” said Anderson, who stayed seventh in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings. “I gained a few points on some of the competitors around me, but I had a two-part goal this weekend: I was trying to win the race and trying to help Jason Line win a championship.”
 
Anderson’s defeat of Edwards in the second round was certainly a critical round for Summit Racing as his teammate Line is No. 3 in the points and just five points behind Edwards – and, most importantly, 50 points out of first place.
 
“Anyone can win the championship, but it’s going to take absolute perfection to win,” Anderson continued. “The driver, the engine, the car, nothing can be off. If you want it, you’ll have to find a way to be perfect from here on out. We’re still in the battle with Jason’s car, and we’ve got two weekends off to go test and find what we think we may be missing with my car so that I can win a race before the year is through and help my teammate. Competition is at an all time high out here, but this year isn’t over yet.”

Line Races to the Pole at Maple Grove Raceway
 
READING, Pa., October 5, 2013 – Jason Line has had a very good record at Maple Grove Raceway, the site of this weekend’s Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals, and the Summit Racing Pro Stock driver is clearly continuing the tradition as he raced to the top of the pack on the second day of the event at the racetrack nestled in the forested countryside of Pennsylvania.
 
Line picked up valuable bonus points in every round of qualifying en route to the No. 1 position and strengthened his stance as No. 3 in NHRA’s Pro Stock points with four powerful runs to get a good jump on the weekend. In the first session, Line was 6.599, 210.18 mph and was third-quickest of the factory hot rods, and in the later session on Friday, he improved to a 6.584, 210.64 that was second quickest of them all.
 
Saturday was an even better day from start to finish; the Mooresville, N.C.-based KB Racing driver picked up the pace to cross the finish line in 6.575-second at 210.87 mph in the earlier session and grabbed hold of the No. 1 spot. In the final session, Line was a solid 6.573, 210.70 to strengthen his edge, garner three more bonus points, and protect the top spot. The low qualifier award was his second of the season and his fourth in Reading.
 
“Maple Grove has always been a really good track for the Pro Stockers, and of course I like coming here because we’ve had success here in the past, and hopefully tomorrow will be no exception,” said Line, a two-time winner at the facility known as ‘The Grove’ and a multi-time track record holder there. Notably, Line recorded the national record for speed at Maple Grove Raceway last season with a powerful 214.35 mph blast.
 
“It’s always a big deal for us to have a Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro in the No. 1 spot, especially at this point in the season,” he continued. “Those bonus points really matter right now with just a couple of races left to decide the championship. Even more satisfying, though, is the fact that we have a great racecar. The Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro is very good right now, and it’s just been a lot of fun to drive.”
 
Line powers into raceday in pursuit of his third win of the season; he most recently hoisted a trophy in the winner’s circle two weeks ago in Dallas and is just 25 points outside of first place in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings.
 
“We’re looking forward to tomorrow,” said Line, who will race Kenny Delco in the first round of eliminations. “It’s a big deal to peak at the right time, and Team Summit has been putting in a lot of effort to make sure that we do. We could have a big day tomorrow. No matter what, we have a great hot rod, and I wouldn’t trade it for anybody else’s.”

Anderson Steadily Improves During Qualifying in Reading
 
READING, Pa., October 5, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson utilized each of the four runs available during qualifying at Maple Grove Raceway’s Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals to chip away at a situation that is somewhat of a mystery. Although the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver isn’t quite where he intended to be in the line-up, Anderson is pleased by the progress made so far this weekend and eager to test the capabilities of his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.
 
“The bottom line is that we started off way behind with this car this weekend, and it’s taken four runs to get it in the ballpark – but we’re getting there,” Said Anderson. “We have a tall challenge ahead, but the KB Racing crew could very well have a long day on Sunday. We certainly learned a few things this weekend already, and we have definitely been able to make the Summit Racing Camaro better and better. We just have to keep digging in those directions.”
 
Anderson started the weekend with a 6.628 at 209.36 mph and came back in the second session with an improved 6.620, again at just over 209. Saturday’s earlier session brought about another run that was just a tad better, and the scoreboards showed a 6.606 at 209.82. Anderson closed out qualifying on another improved pass, clearing the finish line in 6.598-second at 209.85 mph.
 
Notably, for the first time since the NHRA Finals in 2008, Anderson will race Richie Stevens Jr. in the first round. In their most recent meeting, Anderson took out Stevens in the morning battle and then went on to win the event title.
 
While Summit Racing teammate Jason Line earned his second pole position of the season, Anderson’s qualifying performance resulted in a start from the No. 11 position. Their two Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros have been decidedly different in terms of performance at many points this season, and the KB Racing team is somewhat mystified by the difference as the Chevrolet Camaros are cut from the same cloth and powered by nearly identical engines.
 
“Jason’s car is running very fast, and we’ve tried to do things with my car like we do with his, but it seems as though we aren’t making enough forward progress with that approach,” said Anderson, a two-time winner at Maple Grove Raceway and four-time No. 1 qualifier. “It’s been a challenge, but we have to do things different – we have to treat each car as its own animal. You have to forget about the team car for the time being and be narrowly focused on each car. That’s the game plan now. Hopefully, it pays off tomorrow.”
 

Anderson Unfazed by Four in a Row, Eager to Race in Reading
 
Mooresville, N.C., October 2, 2013 – The 2013 season of NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is winding down, and this weekend as the tour settles in at Maple Grove Raceway for the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals – the 22nd race of 24 on the schedule – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is anything but exhausted.
 
“I just enjoy racing as much as I possibly can,” said Anderson prior to the final race in a quick string of four in a row. “I would like to have an off-weekend to go and test, but with how much we have been racing lately, we should have more than enough chances to fix anything that we possibly need to with our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros. The more time you get on the racetrack, whether it’s a test or a race, the more chances you have to learn. I’m fine with racing four in a row, and as far as attitude and stamina, the KB Racing team is fresh. We’re not complaining at all; we’re excited. May the strongest team win.”
 
Last weekend in St. Louis, Anderson was seriously on task and powered through eliminations before he was halted just one round short of the final, and for his efforts he was rewarded with a jump up two spots in the points. Currently seventh in the series standings, Anderson believes that his main focus at this point in the season should be on helping Summit Racing teammate Jason Line advance towards a championship. Line is currently ranked third in the Pro Stock points.
 
“This is a team effort here, and right now, Jason has a better chance at winning the championship for Summit Racing,” said Anderson, a four-time titlist in NHRA’s elite Pro Stock class. “Hopefully, any success that I have this weekend and in the last three races of the year will help him, and we’ll be able to bring home another big trophy for our team owners Ken and Judy Black and the folks at Summit Racing. We’re going to Maple Grove with guns blazing.”
 
Team Summit has an extraordinary track record in Reading. In 2004, Anderson made his way to the final at Maple Grove Raceway for the first time, and it was his teammate who beat him for the title. Between them, the Summit Racing duo own four Reading titles, and the team has seven times been on the pole on raceday (Anderson has four low qualifier awards at the venerable facility while Line has three). Anderson’s career best elapsed time was recorded there in 2012 (6.487), and Line currently holds the national record for speed at 214.35, set there last year.
 
“We’ve had a lot of success in Reading, and we love racing there,” said Mooresville, N.C.-based Anderson. “You always get good atmospheric conditions at Maple Grove, and the Pro Stock cars are able to run very well. That seems to fall into the hands of KB Racing a little more than it does for other teams, and hopefully we can get those good conditions again this year. There are several very good cars out there right now, and this could come down to the very last race. It’s going to be a battle, and no one has any earthly idea at this point who will win it – but I sure want to help my guy as much as I can.”
 

Line Looking for Move Up at Maple Grove
 
Mooresville, N.C., October 2, 2013 – Summit Racing campaigner Jason Line has emerged as one of the top challengers for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock title in 2013, and the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver looks to this weekend’s Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway for the opportunity to climb a bit higher in the standings. Line, a two-time world champion in the extremely competitive factory hot rod class, is currently No. 3 in the Pro Stock points with just three races left before the title is decided.
 
“It’s as simple as this: I have to win rounds,” said Line, whose most recent victory in the current season was just two weeks ago in Dallas, and last weekend in St. Louis he had the dominant car during eliminations but was edged out of contention for the win by just a fraction of a second.
 
“We didn’t have a great day in St. Louis last week, but you’re going to have those,” continued Line. “As tight as the competition is, it isn’t reasonable to expect you’ll win every week – but you’d sure like to. We just lost a heck of a good drag race with our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro. But this is a new day, a new weekend, a new race. If we keep going like we have been, there is a very good possibility that we can redeem ourselves.”
 
Line has had a superb track record at Maple Grove Raceway and currently holds the track record for elapsed time (6.477 clocked in 2011) and speed (214.35 mph, the standing national record recorded at the event last October).
 
In his career, the Minnesota native has won twice in Reading. In 2004, Line beat Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson in the final round, and in 2011 he ousted then-teammate Ronnie Humphrey in the trophy round. He has also been the low qualifier at the event three times, including at the two most recent races held there.
 
“Maple Grove is a good place, and I certainly have enjoyed some success there in the past,” said Line. “It’s fun to go back there, and it’s a very pretty part of the country. I don’t know that there will be the opportunity to set more records this time around, but if it’s up for grabs, you can be sure that Summit Racing will be going after them. The record is worth 20 points, and at this time of the year every one of those points counts.”
 

Anderson Goes to Semis, Moves up Two Positions in St. Louis
 
Madison, Illinois, September 29, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson used tremendous driving skills to make important moves on Sunday at Gateway Motorsports Park’s second annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals. Anderson, who entered the event ninth in the series standings, vaulted up two spots to seventh at the St. Louis area facility and put the points leader on the trailer en route to a semifinals finish.
 
“I had a good run going today,” said Anderson, who easily halted a traction-troubled Vincent Nobile in the first round with a powerful 6.537 at 211.16 mph before recording a psychic .005-second reaction time at the starting line in his streaking white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Jeg Coughlin with a stunning holeshot in the second round.
 
“It was almost a great day, but unfortunately I came up .007-second short in the semifinals. Luck was on my side much of the day, but we just couldn’t quite get it done. That win over the yellow car really was great, though; that helped my Summit Racing teammate Jason Line tremendously points-wise.”
 
Following a win in Dallas last week, Line was in sole possession of the points lead. An early exit in St. Louis, however, allowed Coughlin to briefly move into the top spot. Anderson’s impressive lashing just one round later helped prevent the competitor from leaving St. Louis as the No. 1 driver in the standings.
 
In the semifinals, Anderson had the opportunity to further aid his teammate’s cause. As he was in each round of eliminations, Anderson was out of the gate first – this time with a remarkable .011-second reaction time to Mike Edwards’ .035 – and recorded a 6.560 in the less-desirable lane. Edwards’ 6.529 got the nod by the slim margin.
 
“I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to win that one, but we almost had it,” said Anderson. “The bottom line is that it is very, very tough out here, and we need to keep digging and fighting the good fight to win as a team. I’m not completely out of the running for the championship, but we’ll see what happens. Jason is No. 3 in the points right now with his Summit Racing Camaro, and he has a very real shot at securing a championship for KB Racing. This class is tough. You just have to continue to strive for perfection, and that is exactly what we will do.”
 

Anderson to Face Nobile in St. Louis First Round
 
Madison, Illinois, September 28, 2013 – Greg Anderson is ready to put qualifying behind him and bring his A-game to the table for the first round of eliminations at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis. The four-time Gateway finalist last earned a win at the facility nestled in the shadow of the famous St. Louis arch in 2004, and he is good and ready to return to the winner’s circle this weekend in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro.
 
“I like this facility, and I really enjoy the fans here; they’re just great,” said the Mooresville, N.C.-based Anderson. “We didn’t give them the show we wanted to yet this weekend, but we’ve got tomorrow to make up some ground. Right now, everyone on the Summit Racing team is focused on preparing our Camaros for a better day. We’re digging in tonight, and we expect it to show tomorrow.”
 
Anderson and Team Summit pushed as hard as they could during qualifying to edge up the ladder. His best time of 6.566 at 210.47 mph was recorded in the third round of qualifying in the cool morning air on Saturday and was sixth-best of the session. Ultimately, Anderson’s time was good for a start from the No. 11 position with 20 drivers vying for one of 16 raceday spots.
 
In the first round, Anderson will race Vincent Nobile, a driver he most recently met in the first round in Charlotte just a couple of weeks ago. In their most recent meeting, Anderson got the nod with a stout 6.59 to his opponent’s traction troubled pass.
 
“There is no question about it, we will have a challenge tomorrow,” said Anderson, who entered the event 9th in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings. “But the Summit Racing team is eager to rise to the challenge. There is no time like the present to show what we are capable of.”
 

Line Pumped to Regain Points Lead on Raceday in St. Louis
 
Madison, Illinois, September 28, 2013 – Jason Line made four passes in the 6.5-second zone during qualifying for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals and earned a raceday start from the No. 10 spot at Gateway Motorsports Park. Dallas winner Line, as the most recent Pro Stock winner on NHRA’s 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour, expected a higher starting position but heads into Sunday with a positive outlook and a Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro that is capable of winning again.
 
“We certainly proved last week in Dallas that we have a car that can win, and you can bet that the Summit Racing crew is going to be working overtime tonight to get back to form,” said Line, who had sole possession of the points lead entering the event and was tied for first place at the conclusion of qualifying.
 
Line came to St. Louis owning both ends of the Gateway Motorsports Park track record (6.496 and 213.47 mph), and no driver was able to exceed his spectacular numbers during qualifying. Line clocked a qualifying best time of 6.555 at 211.83 mph on Friday night in one of the best sessions of the weekend, and starting tenth, the driver who raced to the final round in St. Louis in 2009 will be paired with Mike Edwards in the opening act on Sunday.
 
“It really doesn’t matter who is in the other lane, we’re going to have our work cut out for us without lane choice,” said Line. “We’ll need a little luck, and we’ll need to resurrect what we had in Dallas last week so that we can get the job done again tomorrow. I’m not a huge fan of sharing the points lead, but if things go as planned on Sunday, I’ll get it back.”
 
A third KB Racing Chevrolet Camaro is being piloted this weekend by young Buddy Perkinson, the No. 8 qualifier who will race Rickie Jones in round one. Perkinson made his debut in the KB Racing entry in Charlotte.
 
“It’s exciting to see Buddy doing well out here in his second race in a KB Racing Camaro,” said Line. “It’s a lot of fun, and we want to see him do well.
 
“We’re putting in the hours tonight, and tomorrow should be interesting. It certainly has the potential to be a very good day for Summit Racing.”
 

Points Leader Line on a Roll Heading into St. Louis
 
Mooresville, N.C., September 25, 2013 – Jason Line was exceptionally quick and fast last year at Gateway Motorsports Park in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, and the timing is right for a replay of last season’s performance and perhaps a bit more as NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series arrives in St. Louis this weekend for the second annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
 
Line, of Mooresville, N.C., is leading the Pro Stock points and hot off of a win last week in Dallas – his second of the season. He will arrive in St. Louis aiming to defend the Gateway Motorsports Park track records for both elapsed time and speed; last season, Line was No. 1 qualifier at the event with track record numbers of 6.496 and 213.47 mph.
 
Also on the agenda this weekend: a third consecutive final round appearance that will, hopefully, result in a win. Line’s Dallas victory was preceded by a final-round finish in Charlotte, the first race of NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship playoffs, the week before.
 
“Timing is everything,” said Line, who took over the points lead in Dallas. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to show the capabilities of the Summit Racing team earlier this year, but lately we have been running closer to where we know we should be. It’s very encouraging that we are turning things around now, at the beginning of the Countdown. The points are very close, and there isn’t any wiggle room so to speak, so we really have to keep at it. St. Louis has been successful for us in the past, and hopefully we can capitalize on that.”
 
Minnesota native Line has a total of two low qualifier awards at Gateway (he was also No. 1 in 2008), and his near-miss of the title in 2009 is something he certainly intends to rectify this weekend.
 
“Obviously, someone is going to be better than everyone else in the class and put their car in the winner’s circle this weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park” said Line. “I’m not going to lie; I’d like it if that car was mine, but as long as it’s one of the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros, I’ll be very happy.”
 

Anderson Preparing to Revisit St. Louis Success
 
Mooresville, N.C., September 25, 2013 – It doesn’t take much to summon positive memories for Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson when it comes to Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis, the site of this weekend’s AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals. Anderson, who launched his Pro Stock driving career 25 years ago, was a regular threat in St. Louis early in his career. This weekend, the four-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion would certainly appreciate a return to the powerful stance with which he is so familiar.
 
Anderson visited his first St. Louis final round in 2000, competing in only his third season as a driver in the exceptionally competitive category of naturally aspirated factory hot rods. He was again runner-up in 2002, and in 2004 the Minnesota native was the No. 1 qualifier at the event and finally earned the longed-for trophy with a final-round defeat of Steve Johns. The next season, Anderson fell just short of defending the title and finished in the final, and in 2006 and 2007 he continued to show great power at the facility as he raced to back-to-back starts from the No. 1 position.
 
“Team Summit has had a fair amount of success in St. Louis, and I think we’re in a great position to go back there and get a win for Summit Racing and our team owners, Ken and Judy Black,” said Anderson, who will be joined at the racetrack this weekend by Summit Racing teammate Jason Line as well as Buddy Perkinson, who will drive a third KB Racing car at the event. “Jason is the points leader, he won last week in Dallas and was a finalist the weekend before in Charlotte, and our goal is always to keep our two Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros as close as possible. It should be getting close to my time to shine, and boy, I’m ready.”
 
Anderson is currently ninth in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings, and although he has dipped below a comfortable position in the points, the 74-time national event winner is maintaining a positive outlook and a definite sense of determination with the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship on the horizon.
 
“It’s been a tough year, and it’s been very out of character for me and for this team,” said Anderson, the KB Racing driver whose highlight so far this year was a runner-up finish in Chicago at Route 66 Raceway. “But right now is where we can turn it around and cross the finish line strong. We’re almost where we need to be with Jason’s car, and we’ve seen moments of greatness with my Summit Racing Camaro. We have an opportunity this weekend to prove ourselves. Hopefully, we are able to take advantage of that opportunity.”
 

Line Wins Dallas and Moves into Points Lead
 
ENNIS, Texas, September 22, 2013 – Jason Line is becoming a very big fan of the Lone Star state. The Summit Racing Pro Stock driver raced to victory today at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, adding another Texas trophy to his collection after scoring in Houston earlier this season. With the win – the 31st of his career – Line moved into the points lead for the first time in 2013.
 
“I wanted another one of those Wild Bill cowboy hats you get for winning here, and I got it, but having the points lead is really exciting,” said Line, who was a finalist last week in Charlotte and sits atop the points with four races left in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. “That’s a big deal. To go from where we were two months ago to being here is a small miracle and a testament to all of our KB Racing guys and all the Summit Racing folks. There has been a lot of effort. We have worked harder than we have in a long, long time, that’s for sure. It’s good to see it starting to pay off.”
 
Although qualifying was cut short by two runs due to persistent rain that plagued the area surrounding Texas Motorplex, Line, who was No. 1 qualifier in 2011 and went on to win the event, had no trouble qualifying the silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro in the No. 5 position with a best time of 6.566 at 211.06 mph.
 
In the opening act on Sunday, the Mooresville, N.C.-based Line knocked out Rodger Brogdon with a second-best of the round 6.555 at 211.20 to his opponent’s 6.662, 209.52. His quick e.t. was good for the win light; however, it wasn’t quick enough to garner lane choice over Allen Johnson in the second round.
 
As the outcome would show, Line didn’t require lane choice to beat the defending series champ, and he launched his Summit Racing Camaro ahead of his challenger and continued to surge ahead for a 6.568, 211.39 to 6.578, 211.53 victory. This time, Line did earn honors for having the quickest car of the round, and he scored them again in the semifinals when he clocked an awesome 6.579 at 210.67 mph in his defeat of a red-lighting V. Gaines.
 
Loaded with horsepower and a definite sense of determination, Team Summit was calm as they towed up to the staging lanes for what would be Line’s 65th final round in NHRA’s tough Pro Stock division. Fully expecting a repeat of the Houston event, when Line beat Shane Gray in the final round for the title, the team saw their expectations become a reality as the scoreboard lit up with a 6.590 at 211.16 to Gray’s 6.595, 210.44.
 
“We were a little bit lucky today for sure,” said Line, referring to what appeared to be a malfunction at the starting line that was later suspected to be a disturbance of the staging beams by crickets. When Line pulled his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro into position to stage, the top bulb on the Tree, NHRA’s starting system, flickered off and on instead of fully illuminating.
 
“That was probably the oddest final of my life, no question,” continued Line. “I was not in deep [a method of inching in further than normal during the staging process in order to shave time off of a driver’s reaction time]; I did what I normally do without a plan to be first or last off the starting line. I was just doing my thing, and to be honest, I panicked because I didn’t know what was going on. I was definitely thrown for a loop.”
 
The disruption on the starting line showed in each driver’s reaction time. Line was a surprising .067 at the hit of the throttle while Gray was only a bit behind with a .074-second reaction.
 
“It is what it is, though,” Line concluded. “This win is huge, and timing is everything. We still aren’t where we feel we need to be, but the Summit Racing team is competitive. I can assure you that we are going to continue to work to get an advantage. We aren’t going to stop, and we have some very talented folks on the KB Racing team. It’s unfortunate that at the beginning of the year we didn’t show that, but sometimes you have to be willing to go backwards to go forward.”
 

Anderson a Top Half Player in Qualifying in Dallas
 
ENNIS, Texas, September 21, 2013 – Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson has regularly earned a start from the top half of the field in the extremely competitive Pro Stock category this year, and at Texas Motorplex and the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver is continuing his strong record with a start from the No. 7 position at the conclusion of qualifying.
 
Anderson will have lane choice over Jeg Coughlin on Sunday, a driver he last raced in the final round in Chicago earlier this year.
 
“That’s a big round for us, and obviously we want those bragging rights,” said Anderson, as the scene pits Coughlin’s namesake mail order parts house against the Summit Racing Equipment-backed Chevrolet Camaro he intends to drive to the winner’s circle. “And right now, there is a lot on the line in terms of the points. We want that round win, but we want those points, too. We want to add them to the pile so that we can work our way up. It’s now or never for me in the Countdown to the Championship, and I have to make it happen tomorrow. It doesn’t matter who is in the other lane first round, they’ve all got to get out of my way.”
 
Qualifying for the event was cut short and only two sessions were allowed after the entire first day of the event was washed away by persistent rain.
 
Anderson, a four-time Dallas winner, made a decent run in the first round of qualifying on Saturday – his 6.567 at 210.64 mph was initially good for the No. 6 spot. A 6.579 in the second and final session didn’t allow for a move up in the order, but lessons that will come into play on raceday were learned.
 
“I made a decent run the first session, but it wasn’t a perfectly smooth run so I knew it could be better,” said Anderson. “The second run was just a little too conservative. It was nice and smooth, but it just wasn’t fast enough. Both of the runs were decent, though, and we found both sides of the tune-up today, so the Summit Racing team believes that we can run even better tomorrow. We should have a good shot.
 
“The track was very good today despite the rain on Friday, and I expect tomorrow it will be even better. The weather should be similar to what we had today, so we should have a good idea what we need to do. Once again, it just comes down to executing. It’s play-off drag racing time. The stakes are high. The Summit Racing team will be bringing our A-game.”

Anderson in Eager Pursuit of Fifth Dallas Trophy
 
Mooresville, N.C., September 18, 2013 – Greg Anderson has proven time and again that he is as tough as they come, and the four-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion is ready to blaze past the competition in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at this weekend’s AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, a facility where the 74-time national event winner has collected four of his hard-earned titles.
 
Anderson, based in Mooresville, N.C., will arrive at the Dallas-area racetrack as the No. 8 man in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings and is eager to make up ground. Last weekend in Charlotte, at the first race of six in the Countdown to the Championship, Anderson pocketed a round win on Sunday – but it wasn’t near enough to satisfy the appetite of a competitor who is the third winningest Pro Stock driver in the history of NHRA.
 
“There is certainly some added pressure this time of year, especially when you aren’t up there in one of the top positions,” said Anderson, who has finished fifth or better in each of the previous 11 seasons and was either No. 1 or No. 2 when the curtain dropped for eight consecutive years.
 
“I am in a position right now where I really don’t have any room to have a bad race. Last weekend was not the start that I had hoped for, but it isn’t mathematically over. There is still a glimmer of hope, but it’s going to take a big weekend to get back in the fight. I have a great team behind me – this KB Racing crew has not taken a minute off since the last race, and the whole group is extremely determined. We have historically been good under pressure, and this team is definitely going to Texas feeling like we can win. It’s just a matter of executing.”
 
With his four victories at Texas Motorplex, Anderson has just one less than the driver with the most wins there, veteran factory hot rod campaigner Warren Johnson. Between Anderson and his Summit Racing teammate Jason Line, the KB Racing crew has brought home five trophies in the last decade of racing in Dallas.
 
There is additional incentive for drivers this weekend at the FallNationals – a Stetson cowboy hat sized, steamed, and branded on-site by Wild Bill of Wild Bill’s Western Wear. Anderson got his first Stetson in the winner’s circle in Dallas in 2010, the first year Texas Motorplex offered the special “trophy” in addition to NHRA’s coveted Wally.
 
“I probably shouldn’t be thinking about how good it would feel to wear that hat again, but it’s cool. I loved that first cowboy hat I got there, and I would love to add another one to my collection,” said Anderson. “We haven’t won a race yet this season, which is completely out of character for this team, but we’ve been a work in progress. We’re knocking on the door. It could easily happen this weekend if all of the stars align, and they need to. Team Summit is ready.”

Line Looks to Continue the Climb in Dallas
 

Mooresville, N.C., September 18, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line made a huge move last week at the first race of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. As the No. 1 qualifier, the two-time Pro Stock world titlist made a powerful launch towards the trophy on Sunday, knocking out everyone in his way en route to the final round. Although Line fell just short in the closing the deal, he moved up to third place from sixth in the series standings, and his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro is tested and ready to get the job done this weekend at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex near Dallas.

“We had a great weekend in Charlotte, but it could have been better for the Summit Racing team,” said Mooresville, N.C.-based Line. “We aren’t really satisfied with second-best, so this weekend we plan to put one of our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros in the winner’s circle. We tested on Monday, and the KB Racing shop was humming this week before the trucks left for Dallas. It’s been a busy few days, and we feel like we are in a good position to keep climbing in the points.”

Line has enjoyed success in Dallas before; he was No. 1 qualifier and won the event at Texas Motorplex in 2011, the year of his most recent Pro Stock championship. The facility, built in 1986 and billed as drag racing’s first supertrack with its all-concrete surface, has been notoriously fast throughout the years, and the Summit Racing team held both ends of the track record as recently as 2011. This year, however, the conditions are not projected to be conducive to breathtaking elapsed time or speed for the naturally aspirated factory hot rods.

“It looks like it will be hot there on Saturday and Sunday,” said Line. “The KB Racing crew would prefer to have a little bit better forecast, but no matter what we always like racing there. The folks in Dallas are great, and that just makes it fun.

“There is a lot at stake right now, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to try to win this thing. Team Summit is rejuvenated, and it feels good to have a competitive car again.”