Anderson Enjoys Solid First Day Out in Brainerd
 
BRAINERD, Minn., August 16, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson made a very good first impression at Brainerd International Raceway on the first day of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Duluth, Minnesota-raised Anderson, the No. 1 qualifier at the event in 2004, 2006 and 2008, ultimately earned the provisional No. 5 position and will have two more chances on Saturday to improve.

In the first session of qualifying, with his parents Joan and Rod in attendance to cheer him on, Anderson clocked a swift 6.600 at 209.01 mph to launch right up into the No. 2 spot. His strong pass was just .007-second behind the quickest run of the early round.

The second session found Anderson on the left side of the racetrack in a lane that gave most drivers trouble, but the seasoned driver with four Pro Stock championships on his scorecard still managed to race to a 6.609 at 209.17.

“The first run was real nice, but we were a little bit conservative the second run,” said Anderson. “The racetrack got a little bit better, and we got a little bit soft on the clutch. We just missed it a little bit, but the car is very happy, and I’m looking forward to the rest of this weekend. We’re supposed to have similar conditions all weekend long, and I think we can run real close to the top. We’re closer than we’ve been all year, so we’re going to keep digging and keep trying to pull forward.

“We got off to a good start today, and we were happy to see the gains that we thought we made testing earlier this week actually prove to be true. We have definitely made forward strides, and that is exactly what the Summit Racing team needs to be doing right now.”

BRAINERD, Minn., August 16, 2013 – The first day of qualifying is complete at the 32nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, and hometown racer Jason Line, driver of the blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, is in the No. 6 position following a pair of respectable runs down the quarter-mile racetrack in front of family and friends.

Line, who was the No. 1 qualifier at the Brainerd event in 2007 and 2011, clocked a 6.628 at 209.17 mph in his first hit of the weekend and was No. 8 at the end of the first session. Although the time on the scoreboard was a bit under what the Summit Racing team was aiming for, it provided a good foundation to build upon.

In the second session, the Mooresville, N.C., transplant cleared the finish line with an improved 6.603 at 209.62 mph and jumped up two positions to settle provisionally into the No. 6 spot heading into day two.

“I had hoped for a little bit more, but all in all, it was a pretty good day,” said Line. “We tested a few things earlier this week with our Summit Racing Camaros, and I think it helped. It’s crunch time with the Countdown to the Championship right around the corner, so we’re happy to see any gains we can at this point.”

Although the team won’t be making any major changes overnight in preparation for the final two qualifying sessions in Brainerd, Line, who hails from nearby Wright, Minn., believes that there are things that they will need to iron out before morning if they’re going to shine.

“Obviously, a 6.60 wasn’t good enough to get us up to the top,” said Line. “So you can bet that the KB Racing team is going to be working out a few details before the first session tomorrow.”

Line Hopes to Pocket Very Personal Win in Brainerd
 
Mooresville, N.C., August 13, 2013 – This weekend will afford NHRA Pro Stock driver Jason Line the opportunity to do something he has been meaning to do for a long time – race to victory in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at the facility where he cut his teeth as a drag racer, Brainerd International Raceway.

The arrival of NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series in the North Star state for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals will signify a return to their roots for both Line and his Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson. Line hails from Wright, and Anderson is a native of Duluth. Although a win for either driver would be a homerun for the team, Anderson already possesses three Brainerd trophies, while Line is still after the taste of victory there as a professional competitor.

“It’s pretty great to get to go back and race at the track where this all started for me,” said Line, who scored his first national event win in 1992 at the Brainerd facility in Stock Eliminator and then earned another Brainerd trophy in the sportsman category in 1997. “It’s a lot of fun to see all of our friends and family, and this is certainly a race that would be special to win. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t pretty high up there on the list – and I’ve come pretty close, but I haven’t been able to win this one yet. The Summit Racing team has been putting in a lot of hours towards getting our program in the best shape possible, and we’ve made some good progress. Maybe this weekend will be the weekend to do it.”

Mooresville, N.C.-transplant Line has come achingly close to victory at home twice; his first brush with Brainerd bliss was in 2006 when he narrowly forfeited the title to Dave Connolly, and Line’s most recent trip to the BIR final round was in 2009, when he and Anderson squared off in an all-Summit Racing trophy match.

Line was competing in his fifth consecutive final round and had the car to beat at the 2009 event, and Anderson knew good and well that he had his work cut out for him if he was going to snare the hardware. In a real nail-biter, Line was first to leave the starting line but soon saw Anderson inch ahead with his quickest pass of the weekend to wrench the trophy out of his hands by just two-thousandths of a second.

“We’re always happy when we can put a Team Summit car in the winner’s circle, but yeah, that one stung a little,” admitted Line. “That’s racing, though. Now we’re on our way back up there and if we do our jobs right, the opportunity will present itself again.”

For Line, this weekend’s event in Brainerd and the following race, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, will be utilized to gain as much information and as many points as possible before NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship begins in Charlotte. Already locked into the playoffs and currently in the No. 6 position, Line is hoping to climb closer to the top before the field is set in order to optimize his chance at a third series championship.

“Of course the immediate goal is to go to Brainerd and get a win for KB Racing with one of our Summit Racing Chevy Camaros, but in the bigger picture, we’ll also be working on getting our cars completely dialed in over the next couple of races for the Countdown,” said Line. “This weekend is important to Team Summit in more ways than one.”
 

Anderson Heads Home to Race for the Brainerd Trophy
 
Mooresville, N.C., August 13, 2013 – Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is returning to his home state of Minnesota this weekend for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, and the driver of the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro has his heart set on one thing: earning his first trophy of the season in front of family and friends at the racetrack where he grew up.

Although the 74-time NHRA national event winner and four-time Pro Stock world champion is obviously no stranger to toting home the hardware, the 2013 season has been a particular challenge for Mooresville, N.C.-based Anderson. Although he has already secured a spot in the Countdown to the Championship and is currently seventh in the Pro Stock standings, Anderson has yet to wheel his way to the winner’s circle. He isn’t just hungry; he’s starving for that win, and there would be no better place to get it done than on the hallowed grounds where he learned his craft.

“Every win is incredibly special in one way or another,” said Anderson. “But Brainerd is just absolutely at the top of the list. It’s a race that means so much, not just to me, but also to my Summit Racing teammate Jason Line. We both have roots there, and we have a lot of supporters at this racetrack cheering us on. To win in Brainerd is really a big deal for this team, and we haven’t seen a lot of bright spots this year – to get it done this weekend would be huge.”

However, it isn’t enough to simply win. Anderson and his team want to earn it, and after the recent journey across the United States for the notoriously strenuous, three-in-a-row Western Swing, the Summit Racing crew powered right back to the KB Racing headquarters to pack as much hard work as possible into the week and a half before the Brainerd race. Anderson and company worked overtime and put the Summit Racing Camaros to the test before the rigs finally departed this week to cut a trail north towards what they hope will be their most successful outing yet this season.

Anderson, a Duluth native, has enjoyed success in the past in Brainerd and has so far acquired three wins in six final rounds, with trophies earned in 2003, 2009, and 2011. Summit Racing teammate Line, who won the first national event of his career in the Stock Eliminator sportsman category in Brainerd, was a Pro Stock finalist in 2006 and again in 2009, when he went toe-to-toe with Anderson but missed the win light by just .002-second.

“I can tell you one thing, this team just doesn’t rest. You just can’t in a class like Pro Stock,” said Anderson, who acquired his work ethic in drag racing honestly, as a student first of his father, Rod, and then of mentor and treasured friend, the late John Hagan, an iconic Minnesota racer. Before launching his own career as a Pro Stock driver, Anderson worked with, and was undoubtedly influenced by, another successful North Star State Pro Stock campaigner, Warren Johnson.

“One thing I’ve learned is that it’s tough out there, you don’t get any breathing room, and you have to be at the top of your game all the time if you want to have any measure of success,” Anderson continued. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a group of very motivated individuals who really give it everything they’ve got. This could be our weekend, and I’d be very, very happy if it was.”
 

Anderson Generating Steam as NHRA Series Departs Seattle
 
KENT, Wash., August 4, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is picking up steam as NHRA’s strenuous Western Swing, the three-race summer stretch, is winding down. For the second weekend in a row, Anderson reached the semifinals in his bright white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, and as the series takes a weekend off before the next event, Anderson is aiming to restock the arsenal and come back as a heavy hitter.

Anderson made good use of the only two qualifying sessions available after Friday’s racing was canceled due to wet weather, and he earned a start from the No. 7 position based on a best time of 6.563 at 210.57 mph. First-round opponent Rodger Brogdon knew he had his work cut out for him and cut it close at the starting line, logging a .006-second reaction, but Anderson had the horsepower to recover for a 6.571, 210.50 victory over his challenger’s 6.618, 210.24.

In round two, Anderson wheeled his Summit Racing mount to a 6.608 over a tire-rattling Rickie Jones to advance to a semifinals meeting with young Vincent Nobile. Anderson was shut out from a return to the final round – he was a finalist in Chicago just a handful of races ago – when Nobile clocked a 6.592 to his 6.621.

“Every weekend it seems that we’re improving. We did a little better this weekend than we have all season, but we have high expectations over here in the Summit Racing camp,” said Anderson. “It’s not good enough yet. We made minor strides, but we want to make major strides. Inch by inch we are gaining, though, so we’ll keep digging in search of that big breakthrough.

“We made a good run in the first round, and we thought we would be in good shape the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Vincent just had a great car and outran us in the semifinals. He went on to win the race, and as for us, we’re going home to test and find a way to get smarter before the next race.”

Although Team Summit did not generate a win on the Western Swing, they enjoyed a productive outing as both Anderson and Summit Racing teammate Jason Line secured a berth in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. Along the way, they accumulated a variety of useful data, and Anderson is eager to return to the KB Racing shop in Mooresville to utilize the fresh knowledge before the next event on the tour, the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

“It will be good to get home and go to a test track so that we can get back to working on our program,” said Anderson, currently seventh in the Pro Stock standings. “It’s hard to learn when you’re out on the West Coast for this three race swing, but we somehow managed to learn a few things, and we’ll pack up and calculate everything, and we think that’s going to help us as we go forward to be even better. We’re improving every weekend, and we believe we can get to Brainerd with an even better package than we have as we are leaving Seattle.”
 

Line Ends Western Swing with Guaranteed Shot at Championship
 
KENT, Wash., August 4, 2013 – Jason Line pocketed a round win for the Summit Racing Pro Stock team in Seattle this weekend at the NHRA Northwest Nationals, and it was the icing on the cake after qualifying for NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 2013 Countdown to the Championship on Saturday. For Line, one half of the powerful KB Racing duo that includes Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson, clinching a berth in the Countdown will allow the 30-time NHRA Pro Stock victor the opportunity to race for a third season title.

Clinching a berth in the Countdown playoffs somewhat soothes the fact that Line is departing early from Seattle – the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver was first to the finish in the opening round to dispose of longtime campaigner Larry Morgan, 6.609 to 6.637, but lost a very close race with Mike Edwards in the quarterfinals. The margin of victory in Edwards’ favor was just .005-second as Line was turned away with a 6.612 to his opponent’s 6.590.

“That was a good race,” said Line. “But it’s also a tough loss, to come so close to beating the No. 1 qualifier and the guy leading the points. We always want a win for the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros, but that guy over there really raises the bar, and maybe you want that win a little bit more in a round like that.”

Line, currently holding down the No. 6 position in the standings following this weekend’s event at Pacific Raceways, will have two more races to gather points and work his way up the chain in the Pro Stock points before the Countdown to the Championship kicks off at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. Line will next race at Brainerd International Raceway, a racetrack that the Minnesota-born second-generation driver considers home.

“We definitely look forward to that race every year,” said Line. “It’s great because we get to see the whole family and race with all the old friends I grew up racing with. I wish we could have left Seattle with the trophy for Summit Racing, but Brainerd will be here in just a couple of weeks and we’ll be going after the win there, that’s for sure. For now, we are going to pack up, head back to the KB Racing shop in Mooresville, and get right back to work. We’ll be looking for more horsepower before the next race.”
 

Anderson Starting From Top Half in Pursuit of Fourth Seattle Win
 
KENT, Wash., August 3, 2013 – Summit Racing campaigner Greg Anderson has plenty of history at Pacific Raceways as the current full-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock driver with the most Seattle wins on his resume. With three victories for Anderson in the books, the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver is aiming to preserve his hard-fought status on Sunday with another win at the NHRA Northwest Nationals.

With another abbreviated block of qualifying – the series has seen more than one day of qualifying washed away by rain this season – Anderson and Team Summit had their work cut out for them as they battled for position in just two sessions, both on Saturday.

“It was disappointing to only have the two sessions, but it was the same for everybody,” said Anderson. “We can’t whine about it, but we are in a position right now where we need all the runs we can get – we’re a little bit behind where we would like to be in performance. However, we learned some things that we think can be applied to tomorrow. We’re confident that we can get a Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to the winner’s circle if the drivers do a great job behind the wheel. We’ll need the whole package.”

Friday’s cancellation of festivities due to persistent, misting rain left crew chiefs relying on notes and speculation as they came to the starting line for the first session on Saturday afternoon, but with veteran crew chief Rob Downing at the helm, Anderson and KB Racing teammate Jason Line were a little ahead of the game.

A 6.576 at 210.24 mph flashed on the scoreboard following Anderson’s first journey down the quarter-mile racetrack, and he moved into the No. 6 position. In the second and final qualifying round, the four-time series champ wheeled the white Summit Racing Chevy Camaro to an improved 6.563 at 210.57 mph and will start seventh on Sunday.

Anderson will square off with Rodger Brogdon in round one, a driver he has not raced since Phoenix of 2012. Anderson got the nod in their head-to-head match-up and advanced to the final round – a feat that he hopes to accomplish once again on Sunday in Seattle. Weather will, again, be a factor.

“The conditions were great today, and we had no problems with the racetrack,” said Anderson. “The motors made good power, and quite honestly they acted like we never left Sonoma – it was that close to what we had there last week. It was fun today, now tomorrow is going to be all new. You’re going to see heat and sunshine, and this track is not very friendly to sunshine. It will absolutely demand a different set-up, so we will have to see who can de-tune the best. It will come down to whoever can handle the traction the best.”

In addition to preparing the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros for the racetrack today, Anderson and Team Summit enjoyed a visit with an old friend, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Thomas Whiteside, who was in Landstuhl, Germany back in 2011 when Anderson and his Summit Racing teammate Jason Line visited the wounded warriors at the base hospital. Whiteside is now stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington.

“We had a great day with Staff Sgt. Whiteside,” said Anderson. “He’s an inspiration to all of us, and I think he’s got the best attitude of anyone I’ve ever met. It’s a lot of fun to have him around, and he’ll be back tomorrow. Hopefully to witness us hoisting a Wally.
 

Line Clinches Spot in Countdown in Seattle
 
Event:  26th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals
Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington
Day/Date: Saturday, August 3, 2013
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line secured his position in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship today during qualifying at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle. Line, one half of the Summit Racing duo based in Mooresville, N.C., has earned one of 10 available positions and the chance to race for a third Pro Stock title in the ultra-competitive Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

“It’s great that we were able to accomplish that today,” said Line, who earned the NHRA Pro Stock season trophy in 2006 and 2011. “Really, that’s why we’re out here – to win races and ultimately championships and you can’t win a championship without qualifying for the Countdown. Our focus here in the Summit Racing camp is always on making our cars fast, and if we can do that, we can win races. So now the focus will return to that – going fast, and hopefully winning races during the Countdown, when it matters the most.”

Qualifying was shortened to just two sessions at Pacific Raceways when Friday’s activities were canceled due to rain and persistent mist that maxed out the dew point. With only two sessions to secure a spot in the field, the competition was fierce as crew chiefs battled for position. Line wheeled the blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a 6.577 at 211.10 mph in the first session to jump into the No. 7 spot. In the last available qualifying round, Line made a solid move with a 6.566, 210.67.

The 30-time national event winner had hold of the No. 7 position until KB Racing counterpart Greg Anderson made his run in the very next pair, blasting to a 6.563 that moved Line down a position but still sitting in the top half of the field as the No. 8 man. He will race for the first-round win light against Larry Morgan on Sunday in Seattle. Line’s most recent opening-act meeting with Morgan was last month at the New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire, when Line got the nod.

“We were able to test a couple of things today, and hopefully we learned something that will help us tomorrow,” said Line. “We’re going up against Larry Morgan, and we’re pretty evenly matched so we will have our work cut out for us. But the Summit Racing team has experienced a good amount of success on Sunday at Pacific Raceways, and we’re certainly looking for more of that tomorrow.

“Obviously, we are never happy unless we qualify No. 1 and 2, and we didn’t do that this weekend – but we did have the chance to visit with an old friend that Greg and I met back in 2011 when we got to visit with troops overseas in Landstuhl, Germany.

“Having Staff Sgt. Whiteside in our pit area was an honor, and it was very good to see him again. I can’t really say enough about what our military does for us. You know, without them we wouldn’t be able to do this. It was definitely a highlight for us this weekend, and hopefully we can get a Summit Racing Camaro to the winner’s circle tomorrow to show our appreciation.”

Line, Last Season’s Runner-Up, Wants Redemption In Seattle
 
Mooresville, N.C., July 30, 2013 – Last season, Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro driver Jason Line was a hundredth of a second away from scoring his third victory at Seattle’s Pacific Raceways. This year, the 30-time Pro Stock national event victor is seeking redemption as NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series pulls into town for the NHRA Northwest Nationals, the 16th of 24 races on the 2013 tour.

Minnesota-native Line was particularly challenged by the racetrack in Seattle in the early days of his career as the pilot of a 200+ mph factory hot rod. In 2008, however, the Mooresville, N.C.-transplant turned over a new leaf as he raced to the money round flying the colors of Summit Racing and closed the deal with the defeat of tough customer Allen Johnson.

The very next season, Line made his way to the final round again but was stopped just short of victory, and after KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson nabbed the win in 2010, Line returned to the winner’s circle in 2011 by putting his Summit Racing partner on the trailer. Line’s runner-up finish to Erica Enders-Stevens last summer marked the fifth consecutive season that a Summit Racing car had shown up to run for the trophy in Seattle.

“We’ve had some success in Seattle for the past few years,” admitted Line. “But you never go to a racetrack assuming you’re going to be handed any kind of luck or success. You have to work for it, and that’s something Team Summit is good at – these guys work hard, and if we can see the fruits of our labor in Seattle this weekend, we’ll all be very, very happy.”

Line already has a victory on his scorecard this year – he took home the trophy at the SpringNationals earlier this season in Houston – and is eager to add another to his collection as the Countdown to the Championship playoffs come into view. Line and the rest of the field are vying for all of the points they can accumulate towards earning one of 10 positions in the Countdown. Currently sixth in the series standings, Line’s approach is very simple.

“All I’m worried about right now is making sure our Summit Racing Chevy Camaros are as fast as they can possibly be,” said the two-time season titlist. “That’s where it all starts. Greg and I both need to be on our game as drivers, but we have to have the horsepower to get it done. Hopefully, this weekend in Seattle will be a replay of the all-Summit final we had in 2011. That would definitely make up for last year.”  
 

Anderson Looking to Capitalize on Gains in Seattle
 
Mooresville, N.C., July 30, 2013 – Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro pilot Greg Anderson has been extremely focused this year on overcoming the obstacles before him and putting together a winning package, and as NHRA’s 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series travels to the Seattle area for the Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the four-time Pro Stock world champion is extremely close to sealing the deal.

Anderson, of Mooresville, N.C., is in the midst of a unique season that has yet to produce a victory, and the driver with 74 national event wins on his resume is eager to return to his winning ways. Seattle seems the ideal setting to make his way back to the winner’s circle as the Summit Racing Pro Stock entries are particularly receptive to the conditions present at the highly oxygenated facility nestled in the forested Pacific Northwest.

“What we like about Seattle is that it’s close to sea level, and it has very good atmospheric conditions,” said Anderson. “Just like Sonoma last week, there is very good air in Seattle and that means that our Summit Racing Chevy Camaros can generate good power. The track itself is a little more tricky to negotiate, but the atmospheric conditions always seems to fall more into our wheelhouse than the hot, sticky and muggy conditions found elsewhere on the tour.

“The fact that the racetrack has a few bumps and is a little more of a challenge when the sun comes out may be an opportunity that we need to capitalize on. Hopefully, we can perform similar to how we did in Sonoma – or maybe even better. We have a lot of experience in Seattle and seem to do well in conditions typical to that racetrack.”

Just a few days ago at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Anderson continued down a path of resurgence, qualifying in the No. 4 position and driving his white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to the semifinals. Throughout the weekend, Anderson exhibited strong numbers at the early timers on the racetrack and was well ahead of his competitors for the first 60 feet.

“Last weekend in Sonoma we continued to improve,” said three-time Seattle winner Anderson. “We’re looking to build on that and to race error free; that’s the goal. We’re glad we get to race this week without too much of a break because when you’re learning, you don’t want to stop. You want to keep digging and making progress. That’s what the Summit Racing team plans to do in Seattle.”
 

Anderson Advances to Semifinals in Sonoma
 
SONOMA, Calif., July 28, 2013 – Following a string of improving qualifying runs at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals this weekend, Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson, a four-time Sonoma winner, advanced to the semifinals to protect his position in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock top 10 as the Countdown to the Championship inches ever closer. Anderson, of Mooresville, N.C., is currently holding in the No. 7 spot in the Pro Stock points with three races to go before the Countdown players are decided.

Starting strongly from the No. 4 position with a qualifying-best time of 6.545 at 210.57 mph, Anderson drew JR Carr as a first-round opponent on Sunday. Anderson, a 74-time national event winner with 327 races under his belt, cut an experienced .010-second light and left his opponent well behind, clearing the finish line with a 6.571 at 211.36 mph blast. In the second round, Anderson was consistent with another .010 reaction time and ousted veteran driver V. Gaines on a holeshot, 6.559, 211.30 to 6.541, 212.06.

Revved up and with the familiar winner’s circle coming into view, Anderson came to the starting line for a semifinals meeting with young Vincent Nobile. Although Nobile and Anderson recorded identical elapsed times in the round prior to their match, Anderson came to their meeting with lane choice based on a faster speed. All was going according to plan, except this time Anderson left the starting line .071-second too soon and was eliminated from competition by way of a foul start.

“I don’t know if I saw a flash of some sort or what, but something told me to let the clutch out, and I let it go,” said Anderson. “I tried to stop half way out, and it was too late, she was going. It slipped the clutch real bad because I tried to catch it, I double clutched it, basically. I just thought it was time to go, and it wasn’t.”

A red-light start is a rare occurrence for four-time Pro Stock series champion Anderson, who is eager to leave the occurrence in California and move on to the next race, the Pacific NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, next weekend.

“The good news is that the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro is better,” said Anderson. “We can focus on the positive because we were basically within a couple-hundredths of the fast guys. That’s the closest we’ve been for quite a while, and obviously we still need to continue working on it, but we ran close enough this weekend that we had a chance to win. Unfortunately, I made a mistake. But we’ll try to build on the positives that we uncovered this weekend and try to race error free. You can’t lay back up there, you have to go for it every time, but I have no excuses. I want that one back, but I can’t have it back. We’ll just do better next weekend.”

Anderson Looks Forward to Tight Races on Sunday in Sonoma
 
SONOMA, Calif., July 27, 2013 – Greg Anderson made four consistently improving runs this weekend during qualifying for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in the picturesque California Napa Valley, and the four-time Sonoma winner is preparing to start from the No. 4 spot at one of his favorite tracks on NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. On Sunday in Sonoma, Anderson will race against JR Carr in the first round of eliminations, a driver he has yet to meet on raceday.

In the first session of qualifying, Anderson put a respectable 6.612 at 210.14 mph on the scoreboard to jump into the No. 7 spot, but he and Team Summit were not satisfied and returned for the cooler second session with an even better set-up. Anderson reeled off a markedly improved 6.545 at 210.57 mph to grab hold of the No. 4 position, which he was able to protect on Saturday with a set of 6.56 passes, each at over 210 mph.

“We were trying a few things this weekend, and thankfully we were able to do that without losing any ground,” said Anderson. “We made some big changes, and to be honest, I’m surprised to see that we ran the same. We expected it to be better or worse, but thankfully we were able to try those things and didn’t lose our way.”

For Anderson, the valuable information gained during qualifying will come into play on Sunday as he challenges for his first victory of the season at a racetrack where he is currently recognized as the class-leader in terms of victories.

“The challenge right now is that the track is so good that nearly every car is making good runs,” said Anderson. “Sonoma Raceway is a great equalizer for all of the Pro Stock cars, and I think you’ll see a lot of very, very close, side-by-side racing on Sunday. We’ll need to find a way to win; it’s as simple as that. There won’t be any huge margins of victory, so it’s going to be exciting out there. We sure love this racetrack.

“We have a very competitive car, and with two more runs today under our belt, we should be able to take what we learned with our Summit Racing Camaros, apply them, and move forward tomorrow. Because it’s such a great racetrack out there, you’re able to make really nice runs – and that means it’s going to be a good raceday tomorrow. I’m going to have to drive really well, but I certainly feel like I have a chance tomorrow. Maybe we can close the gap a little bit more, have a little fortune, and maybe we’ll be able to put a Summit Racing Camaro in the winner’s circle at the end of the day.”

Line Continues to Note Improvement as Raceday Nears in Sonoma
 
SONOMA, Calif., July 27, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line made his quickest run of the weekend in the final qualifying round at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway, the 15th race of 24 on NHRA’s 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. Starting from the No. 9 position on Sunday at the racetrack situated in California’s Napa Valley, Line will race Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations.

The Mooresville, N.C.-based driver clicked off a 6.635 at 209.72 mph in the first session on Friday, and he came back in the later session with a significantly improved 6.571 at 210.64. The third round of qualifying, which took place early Saturday afternoon, did not reflect a quicker trip down the quarter-mile in terms of e.t.; however, Line displayed a bit more of his available horsepower and cleared the finish line with a greater speed of 211.30 mph.

Entering the final qualifying session, Line was positioned in the No. 10 spot – on the opposite side of the ladder from Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson. Line gave it all he had in the final session and came up with a 6.568 at 211.10 mph. The time was a bit of a double-edged sword as it meant a move up in the line-up to the No. 9 spot, but also signified a move to the same side of the ladder as Anderson and eliminated the possibility of an all-Summit Racing final round on raceday.

“You know, to be honest I really wasn’t thinking about the ladder before the last qualifying session,” said Line. “I don’t think you can really think about those things. You have to try to think about how to make the car go faster each run, and then you have to make the best of what you’ve got. We would rather have the Summit Racing Camaros on opposite sides of the ladder, but it is what it is and now we have to focus on getting one of our cars to the winner’s circle.”

Line and his KB Racing counterpart Anderson are familiar with the winner’s circle at the facility; they collectively possess six Sonoma Raceway wins, with Line contributing two victories (2006 and 2009).

“I will say this, my Summit Racing Chevy Camaro got better with each run during qualifying,” said Line, who last faced Nobile in the first round at Bristol, where he eliminated his opponent and advanced to the semifinals. “That’s encouraging, and heading into tomorrow, hopefully we can continue to improve. It’ll be tough because we’ll be the first pair out, but maybe luck will be on our side.

“Our biggest challenge is going to be getting past the first round. After that, we’ll just take it one round at a time and see if we can get back to the winner’s circle. This racetrack here in Sonoma has been good to Team Summit in the past, and if history has anything to do with how tomorrow goes, it could be a very good day for us.”
 

Line Looks to Capitalize on Sonoma History
 
MOORESVILLE, N.C., July 24, 2013 – Pro Stock pilot Jason Line appreciates every opportunity to power his brilliant blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro down the quarter-mile dragstrip at speeds in excess of 200 mph, and this weekend he will do just that as he competes for the title at the 26th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals at scenic Sonoma Raceway – the second of three races in a row commonly referred to as the strenuous Western Swing – in NHRA’s 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

“Traditionally, Sonoma Raceway has been a good place for the KB Racing team, so the fact that it’s in the middle of the Western Swing is a good thing for us,” said Line, a two-time winner in Sonoma. “Leaving Denver, where you need to have a very different tune-up, to come to sea-level Sonoma is a welcome journey. Our Summit Racing Chevy Camaros have a good chance of running well there, and it’s just such a great racetrack. Bruton Smith is known for his phenomenal tracks, and Sonoma Raceway is no exception.”

Line’s two Sonoma wins, recorded in 2006 and then again in 2009, pair nicely with Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson’s class-best four Napa Valley victories. The KB Racing duo together have won six of the last nine races held at the facility, with team owners Ken and Judy Black regularly traveling from Las Vegas to cheer the team as they picked up round wins on the way to the winner’s circle.

For Line, who celebrates a birthday just a couple of days before the event, a victory at Sonoma Raceway in front of his supportive team owners and family would result in his second trophy of the season and a nice collection of points to add to the pile. With the Countdown to the Championship inching ever closer – the six-race run for the season title will begin in Charlotte in September – every race is of magnified importance. At the Mile-High Nationals last weekend, Line qualified in the top half and scored a round win. He left the event as the No. 5 man in the Mello Yello Series Pro Stock standings.

“We didn’t go as many rounds as we would have liked in Denver last week,” said Line. “But we hit on a couple of things there that certainly showed us a glimmer of hope to start off this three-race swing. Hopefully, those things will parlay into some success in Sonoma. Everyone on the Summit Racing team enjoys going there, and for me, personally, Sonoma Raceway is one of my favorite places to go on the tour. I look forward to it every year, and hopefully everything will come together this weekend for the KB Racing team. We would love to leave there with another win for Summit Racing and Ken and Judy Black.”

Anderson Looking to Revive Sonoma Success
 
MOORESVILLE, N.C., July 23, 2013 – Every driver competing in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series has a racetrack or two that he holds in particularly high regard, and for Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson, Napa Valley’s Sonoma Raceway is certainly a facility to which he enjoys returning.

Anderson, a four-time series champion, has a record at the scenic venue that outshines every other driver in the category. This year, he returns for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals looking to strengthen his stranglehold on the title as most decorated Pro Stock driver at the facility.

Mooresville, N.C.-based Anderson has won a record four times in Sonoma, most recently in 2011, and last year he came up just a bit short in the final round, narrowly missing win No. 5. This time around, the 74-time national event victor is coming to Sonoma with his first win of the season at the top of the to-do list.

“Sonoma Raceway is one of the favorite racetracks for this Summit Racing team, that’s for sure,” said Anderson, who has qualified on the pole there six times. “We love going there, and it seems like we’re always able to run well in Sonoma. It’s a place that we know we’ve had good success in the past, so we have good notes to refer to. We can easily see what’s worked well for the KB Racing team there, and hopefully, we’ll come up with a good formula again and have a chance at another win.”

The 2013 season has been unusual in that it has yet to yield a victory for Anderson, who had four checks in the win column by this point last season, but after debuting a brand new Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro mid-year, the Minnesota-bred drag racing veteran has been on an upswing. A final-round finish in Chicago rekindled enthusiasm, and the Summit Racing crew is on the verge of a positive move in the right direction.

“Last week in Denver, we learned a few things,” said Anderson, currently seventh in the Mello Yello Series Pro Stock standings. “I like this three-race Western Swing [the tour heads straight to Seattle next week] because I think we need to go down the track as much as we can right now. The more laps we get, the better chance we have of figuring everything out. We gained knowledge last week in Denver, and that’s certainly going to help us going forward.”

Line Takes Notes in Denver, First of Three in a Row
 
Denver, Colo., July 21, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line was pleasantly surprised by the performance of his Chevrolet Camaro on the first day of qualifying at the Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, but the rest of the weekend didn’t pan out quite as expected. The Mooresville, N.C.-based driver picked up a round win on Sunday but was halted in round two.

The positive for Line, one half of the KB Racing duo that also includes teammate Greg Anderson, is planning to take everything learned on The Mountain and turn it into success as the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour departs for the second of three consecutive events on the notoriously grueling Western Swing.

Line qualified his blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro in the No. 7 spot based on a best time of 6.986-second at 196.70 mph in Denver. In the first round, he was first off the starting line next to opponent Rodger Brogdon and turned the advantage into victory at the top end. Line’s reaction time was a very respectable .029-second to Brogdon’s .047, and the 30-time national event victor scored the round win with a 7.022 at 195.76 mph to his challenger’s quicker yet losing 7.016. The holeshot win came with a second round meeting with V. Gaines, and this time it was his opponent who got the jump at the starting line. Gaines kept ahead for a 7.001 to 7.019 win.

“Unfortunately, I don’t feel like I did a very good job as a driver today,” said a humble Line, who is currently ranked fifth in NHRA’s Mello Yello Series Pro Stock standings. “We did win a round, and that’s always a good thing, but we want to go a lot farther than that with our Summit Racing Camaros no matter where we are. To tell you the truth, I’m glad we’re going to Sonoma next week to race because it gives the KB Racing team the opportunity to continue working on our program. We like Sonoma, and hopefully we’ll be able to rise to the occasion there.

“I do think that we hit on a couple of things here that showed us a glimmer of hope. Hopefully, those things will parlay into some success next week and we can get one of the Summit Racing Chevy Camaros to the winner’s circle.”
 

Anderson Predicts Even Trickier Racing on Sunday in Denver 
 
Denver, Colo., July 20, 2013 – Qualifying has concluded at scenic Bandimere Speedway, and Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is geared up to run for a third Mile-High NHRA Nationals title at one of the most challenging, and therefore exciting racetracks on NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. After a qualifying performance that exceeded expectations, Anderson, starting from the No. 6 position, will take on young Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations.

The Summit Racing team came out in the first session of qualifying with a set-up that they correctly presumed would reproduce what they had seen in testing the week before the event. A 7.009 at 196.36 mph for the white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro in the opening act was a good foundation to build on, and with a slightly more aggressive approach, Anderson reeled off a 6.983, 196.19 in Friday’s second session. Although a pair of back-to-back 7.02-second runs on Saturday didn’t result in an improvement in his qualifying position, Anderson and his KB Racing team were able to gather more data for Sunday’s elimination rounds.

“We did something smart and sent Jason out here to test last week,” said Anderson. “We tried a whole bunch of things, and then we took what we thought were the best things, threw out what we thought were the worst, put everything together, and it gave us a good point to start from. It takes a tremendous amount of change to come here, but we used all the data that he gathered last week and I think we’re running a little bit better than we were a couple of races ago. We still have work to do, but our Summit Racing Camaros are getting better.”

On Friday evening after a marked improvement in the second session, Anderson and the majority of the factory hot rod class competitors believed that the racing surface was on track to only get better and better, but Mother Nature had her say and blazed hot sun on the track nearly all day long – and raceday is slated to bring more of the same.

“Based on past history, we thought the track was going to continue to get better as the weekend wore on, and I think everybody thought that because this morning everybody came out and smoked the tires,” said Anderson. “Everybody thought the same thing, but the sun on the racetrack made the track go right away. We were all way over center in the first run so we had to de-tune again tonight. The sun certainly plays a big part in it, sunshine hurt the track today a lot, and we’re going to have a lot of sunshine again tomorrow.

“It’s going to be tricky. It’s going to come down to which crew chief is making the right decisions on the starting line and low gear. You’re not going to be able to be that aggressive tomorrow, but you can’t get too lazy either or you’ll run slow. It’s going to be a really tricky race and it will probably be a hot son of a gun. It’s going to be a tuner’s race.”
 

Anderson Encouraged After First Day on the Mountain in Denver 
 
Denver, Colo., July 19, 2013 – The mile-high conditions at Bandimere Speedway in Denver regularly pose quite a challenge for the naturally aspirated Pro Stock cars, and based on a test session that the Summit Racing Pro Stock team participated in at the scenic facility last week, drivers Greg Anderson and Jason Line had realistic expectations entering the Mile-High NHRA Nationals. After the first two runs of the weekend, however, the veteran drivers were pleasantly surprised and looking forward to the second day of the event.

Anderson started the day with a 7.009 at 196.36 and Line, just a tick ahead, clocked a 7.008 at 196.53 mph. The Summit Racing drivers came back in the second session to improved conditions and even better performance for their Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros in the thin air: Anderson’s improved 6.983, 196.19 settled him into the No. 6 position, and Line protected the No. 7 spot with a 6.986, 196.70.

“The first run out was as good as we expected, and it was just about what we were able to do last week when we tested here,” said Anderson. “We started with what we thought would work best, and it ran exactly like it did last week. The racetrack is a little bit different than it was, though, so we made some adjustments for it tonight in the later session, got a little bit more aggressive with the racecars, and it picked up some.

“We’ll try and do the same tomorrow – the racetrack was very good tonight, but it should get even better on Saturday. We know from past history here at Bandimere Speedway that the track does improve with each session and each day, and it’s the best on Sundays. We have to pay attention to that and tune our cars up for that. We made a step forward tonight, and quite honestly, we ran better than we thought we would based on how we tested last week. I think that happened because we went home, did our homework, and tried to add up what really made a difference.

“I think we have a better package this week than what we had testing, and we’re going to see if we can improve on that tomorrow. If the KB Racing team can continue to make progress throughout the weekend, we’ll have a shot on Sunday.”

Anderson Ready to Rise to the Challenge in Denver 
 
Mooresville, N.C., July 16, 2013 – Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing Pro Stock team have done everything within their power to get a jump start on this weekend’s Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver, Colo., an event that presents some of the most challenging conditions on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour with a high-altitude setting that significantly impacts the naturally aspirated engines.

Anderson’s crew made the trek to Denver’s Bandimere Speedway directly after the most recent event in Norwalk, Ohio, and set up shop. Nearly two-dozen test runs later, the team had a fresh batch of information that will come into play this weekend in the thin, horsepower-robbing air of Denver.

“There are a lot of things that we crossed off the list and were able to determine the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro didn’t like, so we’ll add up what worked and what didn’t work, and we’ll come up with what we think is the best package,” said Anderson. “Normally, if you don’t test there, you’re in test mode every run trying to find something that works. Hopefully we’re a little bit ahead of the game this time around.”

Anderson and company have made a strong statement in Denver before and, as an experienced, multi-championship winning team, they intend to do so again; the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver has acquired two national event wins and four No. 1 qualifying performances at Bandimere Speedway over the course of his career and will be looking for more.

Although the quarter-mile journeys down the racetrack in Denver are dramatically slower than elsewhere on the tour, winning rounds requires more than masterful tuning – the driver must also be on his game as he moves through the shift points in a manner unique to the mountain.
 
“It’s just so different, and quite honestly from the driver’s seat of the Summit Racing Chevy Camaro, you don’t realize it’s any slower,” said Anderson. “You have to change the car so drastically so that it will act like it has power that you go through the first four gears quicker than at sea level. It’s hard to believe, but driving the car up there is actually tougher on the driver. It’s a challenge all around, but it’s certainly one that the KB Racing team is willing and excited to rise to.”

Line Prepared to Tackle Denver’s Mile-High Conditions
 
Mooresville, N.C., July 17, 2013 – Jason Line didn’t hurry home, but instead spent the better part of three days behind the wheel of his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro just after the most recent NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event in preparation for this weekend’s Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

With nearly two-dozen passes down the quarter-mile logged last week, Line and the KB Racing team are ready to launch into the strenuous three-race Western Swing at the facility just outside of Denver that sits high above sea level, presenting a challenge for tuners and drivers alike as they battle thin air that robs their naturally aspirated engines of horsepower and atmospheric conditions seen nowhere else on the tour.

“It’s definitely a different place to race, and I’d be lying if we said we felt like we really had a handle on it. There aren’t many people that can go there with that feeling,” admitted Line. “But the Summit Racing team definitely has a head start after testing there, and I can tell you that Bandimere is a fun place to go no matter how you look at it. The Bandimere family, [Facility Manager] Larry Crispe, and the whole group up there take such good care of that racetrack. It’s a unique stop on our tour, and one that we look forward to every year despite the challenges.”

Line, currently fourth in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock points, is going after his second win of the 2013 season and first national event victory at Bandimere Speedway this weekend.

The scenic racetrack carved into the side of the mountain is one of just six on the tour that has not seen Line celebrating in the winner’s circle as a Pro Stock driver, but the Minnesota-born and bred second-generation drag racer has known success there; he scored a victory in Denver as a sportsman competing at a points meet in 1993. Even so, Line makes no assumptions.

“We certainly don’t want to say that we’ll go to Denver and dominate; it’s just not that easy up there,” said Line. “But the KB Racing team has been working very hard to prepare for this weekend and try to find what it will take to do well. Anything can happen, and that’s why we go race. No matter what it looks like on paper, good or bad, you go, do your best, and hope for the outcome that you’ve been working towards.”