Line Looks Forward to Fresh View at New England Dragway
 
MOORESVILLE, N.C., June 19, 2013 – Jason Line and the Summit Racing Pro Stock team are extremely focused at all times on a very specific set of goals that revolve around one thing: having the best hot rods on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. For Line, a championship-caliber driver and expert dyno operator who packs one half of the KB Racing one-two punch alongside teammate Greg Anderson, this weekend’s Inaugural NHRA New England Nationals will be a new setting and an exciting new challenge.
 
“We’ve never had the chance to race at New England Dragway before,” said Line. “And the Summit Racing team is definitely looking forward to it. It’s always fun to go someplace new, and we’ve heard that they’re expecting a pretty big crowd to come out and watch the race. It’ll be neat for us to get there and put on a good show for all those fans. They’ve been waiting for this a long time, so it’s going to be exciting for all of us.”
 
Line, who began his drag racing career in Minnesota and now resides in North Carolina, has won 30 national events in the extremely competitive Pro Stock category and has claimed victory at 16 different racetracks on the tour. Scoring at the facility in Epping is, of course, high on the to-do list for the motivated driver.
 
So far this season, Line has a win on his scorecard – he was the last man standing in Houston this spring – and has qualified in the top half at each of the 10 events. To date, he has been fifth or better during qualifying in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro six times, including just last week at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., when he drove his way to the semifinals for the second consecutive event.
 
“Team Summit has worked very hard this year, just like always, to make our Camaros faster, and we are going to keep working,” said Line. “New England Dragway is a racetrack that is close to sea level, and that sets up some pretty good conditions for these Pro Stock cars. Hopefully, our hard work will show there this weekend. It’s always fun to go someplace new, and we’d sure like to make a good first impression there with our Summit Racing hot rods.”
 

Anderson Debuts New Camaro with Positive Results in Bristol
 
BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 16, 2013) – Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson was eager to debut his brand new Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, and an improved qualifying performance and semifinals finish boosted the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver’s spirits on what was already bound to be a very special weekend.
 
Anderson came to Bristol Dragway, the place of his first win in 2001, intent on celebrating. On the agenda was a return to the winner’s circle at the scenic facility where he also won in 2004, but it was also a weekend to honor his father, Rod Anderson, on his 80th birthday (Saturday, June 15th) and then again on Sunday – Father’s Day.
 
Surrounded by family, Anderson wheeled the white Summit Racing Camaro to a strong 6.698 in the first session of qualifying and improved to a qualifying-best 6.671 at 206.57 mph in the second session. On day two of qualifying, Team Summit experimented with the set-up and established both ends of the spectrum with one conservative and one aggressive pass. Anderson qualified in the No. 7 position and landed a first-round meeting with Greg Stanfield, a driver notoriously quick off the starting line.
 
Naturally, 74-time national event winner Anderson knew exactly what it would take to leave his opponent empty handed at the end of the racetrack and clocked a stellar .005-second reaction to preface his 6.705 at 206.67 mph. Stanfield, however, all but handed Anderson the victory when he fouled out by leaving the starting line .023-second too soon.
 
In the second round, Anderson was again very much on his game and launched ahead of last season’s Pro Stock champion Allen Johnson. The .022 to .037 starting line advantage was the decider, and Anderson won the round on a 6.723 to 6.715 holeshot.
 
“That round with A.J. was, quite honestly, probably the biggest round win I’ve had this year,” said Anderson, who is currently 8th in the Mello Yello Series Pro Stock standings. “I felt good today. This was definitely a positive.”
 
Although his day came to a close in the semifinals when he was again first to leave but unable to maintain the advantage over Erica Enders-Stevens (she won the round by .022-second with a 6.706 to 6.739), Anderson was rejuvenated by the progress found over the course of the weekend.
 
“Some days you wake up on the right side of the bed, and I felt good this morning and like I could do a decent job driving,” said Anderson. “We won a couple of big rounds, and I would have liked to have gone all the way, but we’re getting closer to where we need to be. For a new car, this was a good weekend.
 
“I’d also like to extend my congratulations to [event winner] Rodger Brogdon. He did a fantastic job, and I’m very happy for him. There is nothing like that first win, and he got that today. I had my very first one here, so I know what that feels like. I’m sure he’s going to love Bristol just as much as I do.
 
“This weekend gave the Summit Racing team a little bit more hope,” Anderson continued. “We’ll go home to the KB Racing shop and work for the next three days as hard as we can to figure out what we need to do to improve the performance of our Camaros. The next race is a new one on the schedule, so it’s new for everybody. Nobody will have a home-track advantage or more laps than anyone else. It will be a challenge for everybody, and if there is one thing that this Summit Racing team likes, it’s a challenge.”
 

A Good Day in Bristol for Line and the One Year Old Blue Summit Racing Camaro
                                                                                                                  
BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 16, 2013) – Pro Stock driver Jason Line came to Bristol Dragway to mark the one-year anniversary of the debut of the blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, and he hoped to celebrate with a win. Although a trophy wasn’t ultimately in the cards for Line at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, he saw another respectable outing with a top half qualifying effort and a trip to the semifinals on Father’s Day.
 
Line raced alongside the quickest cars in the category during the second round of qualifying at the event when his 6.661-second blast was third quickest of the session and good for a bonus qualifying point. His performance on the first day held his place in the qualifying order, and Line started fifth on raceday on the opposite side of the ladder from Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson, who was debuting a brand new Camaro of his own.
 
In the first round, Mooresville, N.C.-based Line won an impressively close and thrilling match with Vincent Nobile. Former Sportsman standout Line took a .001-second advantage at the starting line and then crossed the finish line first, 6.710 to 6.711, for a slim yet rewarding .002-second margin of victory.
 
Line was on task in the second round to knock out Shane Gray, the driver he beat in the Houston final round earlier this season. Line clocked a .027 reaction and moved ahead to win with a 6.719 that was unchallenged; Gray was too quick at the hit and left the starting line .006-second early with the red light glowing.
 
The day was heating up and teammate Anderson was working his way up on the other side of the ladder. Twice before the Summit Racing teammates had met in the final round, and both were eager for another all-Summit final at the beautiful facility nestled in the tree-lined mountains (Line won in 2006 and Anderson got the nod in 2004). It was not to be, however; Line’s Summit Racing Camaro shook hard off the starting line and veered fiercely to the centerline and he had no choice but to lift and give up on the run.
 
“It’s very aggravating,” admitted Line, who leaves Bristol holding onto the No. 5 position in the Mello Yello Series standings. “But Rodger Brogdon was the guy in the other lane, and he went on to win the race. It was his first win, and he’s a good guy. I have to say that it’s nice to see him win. You want to see everybody have a chance. I don’t ever want him to beat me again, but I’m happy for Rodger today.
 
“We had some luck today with my Summit Racing Camaro, and you absolutely need to have luck, so that was a good thing. We’ve certainly had worse days at the racetrack, and we can definitely see that we are gradually making the progress that we want to see. Greg and I both won a couple of rounds, and that was good for all of us. It was a nice Father’s Day, and my family was here so I got to spend it with them – all in all, it was a good day for the Summit Racing team.”
 

Line Ready to Rise to the Challenge on Raceday at Bristol Dragway
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013
 
Pro Stock driver Jason Line has seen bright moments this weekend in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro and is looking forward to raceday at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Line, the No. 5 qualifier, will take on Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations.
 
The Mooresville, N.C., resident put a 6.700 on the scoreboard in the first session and then bounded from ninth to third in the qualifying order with a 6.661 at 206.73 mph in the second session. The powerful run was the third quickest of the session and allowed Line to bank one of the coveted bonus qualifying points.
 
Day two at Bristol Dragway brought about warmer conditions that required teams to delve deeper into their data banks, and Team Summit rose to the occasion to hang onto a top-half position on a hot and greasy track. Line slowed somewhat in the heat of the day and recorded a 6.720 at 206.95, but his Summit Racing Camaro came back around in the final session with a respectable 6.693, 206.39.
 
Line, the 2006 winner in Bristol, will square off with young Nobile in the first round of eliminations. The two most recently met during eliminations in the first round in Atlanta, when Line earned the win light.
 
“We haven’t mastered this track yet, so tomorrow will be a challenge,” said Line. “But it’s a challenge KB Racing is looking forward to. We might need a little bit of luck, but we have a lot in our favor in terms of determination and just how hard we’re willing to work to get these Summit Racing Camaros faster and going rounds.”
 
Line, who was victorious in Houston earlier this season, is certainly hoping for a very special winner’s circle celebration on Sunday – which happens to be Father’s Day – with his wife and two young children in attendance. However, the compassionate driver is also heading into raceday with a broadening perspective and a heavy heart with the knowledge that a member of the drag racing family is headed home to be with a loved one courageously battling a cruel disease.
 
“Right now I’m thinking a lot about our friend and his family, and our hearts go out to them,” said Line. “Times like this make you think about what’s really important. We have great folks on this team, and we believe we’re going to win more races – tomorrow or down the road. But I think we’re all going to be hugging our families a little tighter tomorrow, no matter the outcome of the race.”
 

Anderson Inspired for Long Day on Father’s Day in Bristol
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is set and ready for eliminations as the final round of qualifying is in the books at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. For Anderson, raceday will bring a fresh opportunity to hit the nail on the head and battle for the 75th title of his career with strong supporters in the house.
 
Qualifying was a strenuous task for the field as drivers and support crews tackled warm conditions and a tricky racing surface. With a 6.698 clocking followed by an improved 6.671 on the first day of the event, Anderson found himself fifth at the conclusion of day one, and the warmer conditions of the second day in Bristol brought about even more challenges.
 
In the first session on Saturday, the team was perhaps a bit too aggressive in the setup with their new, white Summit Racing Camaro and Anderson shook the tires early in the run, amounting to a slowing 6.756 at 204.94 mph. Later in the day, the second session saw them rapping on another door as they leaned in an overly conservative direction for a better, yet still not quite on target, 6.699 at 206.29 as their last offering before the ladder was set.
 
“We’ve run up against both sides of the fence,” said Anderson. “We know where each side is, we’ve set the sidelines, so tomorrow will be about keeping our Summit Racing Camaros in the middle of the course.”
 
Anderson, the No. 7 qualifier, will meet Greg Stanfield in the first round of eliminations. The most recent meeting between the two was at the Summit Racing Southern Nationals in Atlanta, when Anderson got the nod over his opponent in the second round.
 
“I think we can run decent and that we can have a repeatable car tomorrow,” said Anderson. “We just have to make the right decisions and get it done. I’m going to have to drive really well, and with all of that coming together, we’re going to have a chance to go rounds.
 
“You never know what can happen on Father’s Day. It’s a special day to me, and I’ve got a lot of support here with my dad Rod, who celebrated his 80th birthday this weekend, my mom Joan, and the rest of the family. I have a lot of reasons, a lot of incentive, to do really well tomorrow in the Summit Racing Camaro. Let’s see what we can do.”
 

Line Ready to Rise to the Challenge on Raceday at Bristol Dragway
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013
 
Pro Stock driver Jason Line has seen bright moments this weekend in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro and is looking forward to raceday at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Line, the No. 5 qualifier, will take on Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations.
 
The Mooresville, N.C., resident put a 6.700 on the scoreboard in the first session and then bounded from ninth to third in the qualifying order with a 6.661 at 206.73 mph in the second session. The powerful run was the third quickest of the session and allowed Line to bank one of the coveted bonus qualifying points.
 
Day two at Bristol Dragway brought about warmer conditions that required teams to delve deeper into their data banks, and Team Summit rose to the occasion to hang onto a top-half position on a hot and greasy track. Line slowed somewhat in the heat of the day and recorded a 6.720 at 206.95, but his Summit Racing Camaro came back around in the final session with a respectable 6.693, 206.39.
 
Line, the 2006 winner in Bristol, will square off with young Nobile in the first round of eliminations. The two most recently met during eliminations in the first round in Atlanta, when Line earned the win light.
 
“We haven’t mastered this track yet, so tomorrow will be a challenge,” said Line. “But it’s a challenge KB Racing is looking forward to. We might need a little bit of luck, but we have a lot in our favor in terms of determination and just how hard we’re willing to work to get these Summit Racing Camaros faster and going rounds.”
 
Line, who was victorious in Houston earlier this season, is certainly hoping for a very special winner’s circle celebration on Sunday – which happens to be Father’s Day – with his wife and two young children in attendance. However, the compassionate driver is also heading into raceday with a broadening perspective and a heavy heart with the knowledge that a member of the drag racing family is headed home to be with a loved one courageously battling a cruel disease.
 
“Right now I’m thinking a lot about our friend and his family, and our hearts go out to them,” said Line. “Times like this make you think about what’s really important. We have great folks on this team, and we believe we’re going to win more races – tomorrow or down the road. But I think we’re all going to be hugging our families a little tighter tomorrow, no matter the outcome of the race.”
 

Line No. 3 on First Day of Qualifying in Thunder Valley
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Friday, June 14, 2013
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock pilot Jason Line had his hands full on the first day of qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, but he and the KB Racing crew applied necessary changes and moved up the ladder to settle into the provisional No. 3 spot by the end of the evening.
 
Line, the 2006 winner in Bristol, was among those in the first session who found the characteristics of the racing surface to be a challenge. His 6.700 at 206.42 mph was decent, but not quick enough to break into the top half of the field.
 
Paused momentarily at ninth after the first session, Line and his team scrutinized the situation, made careful adjustments, and rebounded with a strong 6.661 at 206.73 mph in the later session that was good for the No. 3 position and a bonus qualifying point for the blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro.
 
“I knew we had some work to do after that first run, but we came back for the second session and made a run that was certainly better,” said Line. “I think we still have a ways to go, but that was progress. We just have to figure out how to negotiate the bumps as well as we should, and the Summit Racing team is fortunate because we have a great group of guys. I know they’ll figure it out, and we’ll be better tomorrow.”
 

Anderson Takes New Camaro Right up to the Top Half on Day One in Bristol
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Friday, June 14, 2013
 
The first day of qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at picturesque Bristol Dragway proved to be a positive beginning for Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson as he debuted a new Chevrolet Camaro and grabbed the provisional No. 5 spot in the qualifying line-up.
 
In the warmer first session of the day, two-time Bristol winner Anderson wheeled his brand new sleek white Summit Racing Camaro down the 1/4 mile dragstrip for the first time in competition and clocked a 6.698 to move into the No. 7 position. Anderson’s time was solid, but the speed was way down – the 198.17 mph on the scoreboard was a shock for the driver who came into the event in possession of the track record for speed.
 
“The racetrack is rough and it just bounced over the speed clocks,” explained Anderson. “I didn’t lift early, I didn’t do anything goofy, it simply mis-tripped the speed clocks because of the way the front end was bouncing. But we made some adjustments to the shocks and a few other things before the second run, and it got a little bit better.”
 
In the second session, the track had cooled significantly, and with a firmer grasp of the racing surface, Anderson drove the Summit Racing Camaro to an improved 6.671 at a much more reasonable 206.57 mph.
 
“It’s still bouncing really bad, but that will be our project for tomorrow,” said Anderson. “The number one goal will be to try to make smoother runs on the racetrack. There are bumps out there that we didn’t handle very well today, so we have a little bit more work there. But the good news is that we definitely think we can run better.
 
“Overall, this wasn’t a first day out with this new Summit Racing Chevy Camaro. This is a better position than I’ve been in the last few weeks, and hopefully, there is plenty of room to grow. I think we’ll be happy campers.”

Line Keen on Rekindling Past Father’s Day Performances in Bristol
 
Mooresville, N.C., June 12, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock pilot Jason Line had an excellent track record early in his career on Father’s Day, and at this weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, the father of two would very much like a repeat.

Thanks to the close proximity of Bristol Dragway to his home in Mooresville, N.C., Line will race with the support of his family, including children Jack and Emma, at this weekend’s event. Although Lawrence Line won’t be in attendance, the patriarch will surely be cheering on his son from home, and Line would certainly appreciate the chance to score the “Wally” in honor of his dad on Father’s Day.

“My dad is one of the reasons I got into this,” said Line, who comes from a family of drag racers still active in NHRA’s sportsman series near their Minnesota home base. “Father’s Day was a pretty good weekend for me when I first started racing Pro Stock – the first three times I raced on Father’s Day, I won. Getting those wins for my dad was a pretty neat gift, but it’s been a long time since I was able to do that. It would be nice to do it again for him, and for Summit Racing and our great team owners Ken and Judy Black, who will be there with us this weekend.”

Last year, the race in Bristol marked a significant change of scenery for Line as it was there that he debuted a brand new, brilliant blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro. Since that time, Line has won two national events in the Camaro, including the race in Houston earlier this year, and is aiming to build on the scorecard for his hot rod. Bristol, however, is a particular challenge because of the high altitude and varying conditions.

“It’s usually fairly hot and humid, but you can have a big swing there. You just never know with that racetrack,” said Line. “But I have a lot of faith in the Summit Racing team, and I believe that if everything falls in order, we could end up in a good position. Bristol is a really great place to go and race – it’s definitely on my top 10 list for more than a few reasons. Everyone at the track is really nice, and it’s a great facility and a race I always look forward to because it’s close to home. I enjoy it, and I’ll be working on finding a way to be a little bit better there this weekend, that’s for sure.”

The weekend will actually begin on Thursday as Line and his Summit Racing teammate, Greg Anderson, participate in the 10th annual Bristol Dragway Celebrity Golf Benefit in support of Speedway Children’s Charities.

“The golf tournament is something that Greg and I both look forward to every year,” said Line. “It’s a great cause, and it’s always a nice way to start off the weekend. But once we get to the racetrack on Friday, every guy on the KB Racing crew is going to be extremely focused on one thing: winning the race.”

Anderson Looks Forward to Family Celebrations in Bristol
 
Mooresville, N.C., June 12, 2013 – Summit Racing Camaro driver Greg Anderson already has much to celebrate this weekend at Bristol Dragway as NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes its annual trek to the Smokey Mountains for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Anderson’s father, Rod, will be joining the Summit Racing team in Bristol, Tenn., to celebrate Father’s Day as well as his 80th birthday, and Anderson would like nothing more than to gift his dad with a win.

“My parents are coming down from Minnesota, and all the siblings will be there – brothers and sisters from all over the country. We’ll all be meeting in Bristol to celebrate, so that’s really going to be cool,” said Anderson. “I told my dad on the phone last night that I’ve been so busy because I’m trying hard to get my car to where it will make him proud again. Without a doubt, this weekend would be a great time to turn things around and get back to where we know this Summit Racing team should be – in the winner’s circle.”

In pursuit of his first win of 2013, Anderson and Team Summit are pulling out all the stops for this weekend’s race at Bristol Dragway, where they will debut a brand new Jerry Haas-built Chevrolet Camaro. The sleek, white Chevy has already been down the track a time or two, and Anderson has had plenty of seat time in the new ride in preparation for what he hopes will be a stellar debut.

“You know, we’re looking at this weekend with this Camaro as a new start,” said Anderson. “Since the last race, we’ve tested quite a bit with this new car and probably have 25 runs on it. We’ve been burning the wheels off of it, and we think we’re fairly happy at this point. However, we have tested well in the past and not been able to translate that success at a national event. We’re hoping to turn that around this weekend. We need to make more of those good runs on Friday that we have been making during testing, and we need to make any necessary adjustments early in order to have success on Sunday.”

For Anderson, the annual event at Bristol Dragway is always a highlighted weekend on the schedule as it was where he won his first national event in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category in 2001. Since that time, the Minnesota-born driver has acquired a remarkable 74 national event wins and won the Pro Stock world championship title four times.

“Yes, Bristol Dragway has special meaning for me, and I’m genuinely looking forward to this weekend and kind of returning to the scene of the crime, where it all began,” said Anderson. “Thursday will be a great start to the weekend; my Summit Racing teammate Jason Line and I will be playing in the Bristol Dragway Celebrity Golf Benefit in support of Speedway Children’s Charities, and my son Cody is going to be playing with us, too. He’s pretty darn good at the game, and I think it’ll be a neat way to get things going.

“The theme for us this weekend is family, and we’re happy to have our team owners, Ken and Judy Black, with us in Bristol. Ken is like a second father to me and, really, to all of us in the KB Racing shop. It would be such an honor to celebrate with my dad and Ken Black in the winner’s circle on Father’s Day.”
 

Line Pointed in the Right Direction after Englishtown Campaign
 
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 2, 2013) – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line had a productive weekend at the 44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown. The Mooresville, N.C.-based driver earned a start from the No. 4 position and came just one round short of a final-round finish.
 
Line, currently fifth in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings, rebounded from a heart-wrenching first-round loss in Topeka two weeks ago with a racecar that was strong in qualifying and respectable on raceday. The two-time NHRA series world champion clocked a qualifying best 6.581 at 210.60 mph and picked up a pair of bonus points during the qualifying rounds.
 
Unfortunately for the Summit Racing team, the achievement was somewhat tarnished because the ladder was unsupportive of advancement for both drivers in their group. As the No. 4 qualifier, Line was ordered to face teammate and No. 13 man Greg Anderson in the opening round on raceday for only the fourth time in a decade.
 
Anderson took a slight advantage in their head-to-head meeting but Line soon surged ahead for a bittersweet 6.595 to 6.639 victory. For his troubles, Line was awarded with a quarterfinals match with Jeg Coughlin. He easily overcame his very traction-troubled challenger with a strong 6.630 that was the second-quickest of the round. Although Line would fall to eventual event winner Mike Edwards in the semifinals, he made a strong closing statement with the fastest speed of the round in a 6.633, 209.59 effort.
 
“We were decent this weekend, we were better and getting back to good,” said Line. “Our performance with my car showed that we’re heading in the right direction, and the KB Racing team made the car better as we went along. The guys all did a really good job. We’re certainly getting closer to where we should be.”
 
Line’s second round victory over Coughlin was a thrill in more ways than one; the win light flashed in Line’s lane as expected, but his parachutes became tangled and failed to blossom. The seasoned driver knew just what to do, but the experience still got his heart racing.
 
“I was thinking, oh no, I’m going into the sand,” said Line. “I really didn’t think I was going to be able to get it stopped. I was just pumping the brakes and trying to get the car to calm down so that it would stop bouncing. If I was going into the sand, I wanted to be going as slow as possible before I got there. Thankfully, the brakes were good, we have good equipment, and I was able to get it slowed down enough so that I could round the corner and stop safely.
 
“All in all, the weekend was good. A lot of people seemed to have trouble with reaction times here, and my lights weren’t terrific, but the car and the crew bailed me out when I needed it. It was a good day.”
 

Line Set on Making the Most of First Round Meeting with Teammate
 
Event:  44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals
Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
Day/Date: Saturday, June 1, 2013
 
Qualifying for the Toyota NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park has concluded, and Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line has found himself in the unfavorable position of squaring off with his KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson for the second time this season. Although Line had hoped to meet face-to-face with his friendly foe in a much later round, the bright side is that the early meeting guarantees a Summit Racing Camaro will advance to the second round and have a fair shake at going after the event title.
 
Line, who will start from the No. 4 position with a best time of 6.581 at 210.60 mph, had a strong car during qualifying. The Mooresville, N.C.-based driver opened eliminations with a 6.608 at just over 210 mph that immediately identified Line as a top half contender despite thick air and extraordinary heat that plagued the day and would carry on through qualifying.
 
In the second session, Line picked up the pace and was 4th quickest of the group with a swift 6.581, 210.60. Although Line’s numbers in the third qualifier did not exceed his best time of the weekend, his car’s performance showed that the experienced Summit Racing group had a handle on the conditions and the right combination for his blue Chevrolet Summit Racing Camaro as they made the second-quickest pass of the session – a 6.596 at a consistent 210.60 mph that scored two valuable bonus qualifying points. Line rounded out qualifying with a sixth-best 6.627, 209.82.
 
“We made at least one decent run out there this weekend in the Summit Racing Camaro,” said Line. “But there is certainly more left, no question. I’m looking forward to eliminations, but I would be a lot more excited if I didn’t have to meet my teammate in the first round.”
 
Raceday in Englishtown will mark only the fourth time in a decade that Summit Racing teammates Line and Anderson have met in the first round of eliminations. The infrequency of the unfortunate occurrence makes it no less unsettling for the duo that have collectively amassed 104 national event wins and six NHRA Pro Stock world championships.
 
“This is definitely not the way we want the ladder to look on Sunday,” said Line, who won the event in Houston just last month. “But it is what it is. We weren’t able to prevent it, so now we just have to deal with it and make the most of the situation. One way or another, a Team Summit car is going to advance, and it doesn’t matter which one of us it is. It will be up to that driver to take Summit Racing all the way to the winner’s circle. And that’s what we plan to do.”

Line Sees Respectable, Predictable Runs as Positive on Day One in Englishtown
 
Event:  44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals
Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J.
Day/Date: Friday, May 31, 2013
 
Jason Line drove the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a pair of respectable runs on the first day of qualifying at the 44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals at venerable Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown to finish Friday provisionally situated in the No. 4 position.
 
Conditions were intense in Englishtown, with track temperatures soaring above 123 degrees Fahrenheit and the air thick with humidity and registering at 96 degrees when the first pair of Pro Stockers took to the track.
 
Despite the tricky conditions, Line’s first run down the racetrack in his Summit Racing Camaro equated to a 6.608 at 210.87 mph that was seventh-quickest of the 18 cars on the property. The second session produced an improved 6.581, 210.60 that moved him up three positions to fourth.
 
“We’re headed the right way,” said an optimistic Line. “We didn’t make killer runs today, but we picked up some speed in my Summit Racing Chevy Camaro. We’re trying a couple of things this weekend, doing things a little bit differently, and I’d say for the initial hits it definitely could have been worse.
 
“The really good news, though, is that both of the runs were predictable. Sometimes, that’s a good thing. When you think it’s going to do something and goes in the opposite direction, that’s when it can really be frustrating. But that didn’t happen today, so we’re pretty happy. My partner over there, Greg Anderson, is struggling a little bit – but I’m confident that we’ll get those issues worked out before tomorrow.”
 
Line and the rest of the Pro Stock class will have two more runs on Saturday to try to improve before the field is set for final eliminations on Sunday.
 

Line Relishes Opportunity to Shine Once Again at Raceway Park
 
Mooresville, N.C., May 29, 2013 – Jason Line is positively filled with enthusiasm at the prospect of returning to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown this weekend for the 44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals, the ninth of 24 events on NHRA’s 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. Last season, Line enjoyed a near-ideal showing as he wheeled his Summit Racing stead to a start from the No. 1 position and then advanced to the final round on raceday.
 
Last season, the only driver who could best Line was his Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson, who was piloting a brand new Chevrolet Camaro and got the win light in the final round. Collectively, the Mooresville, N.C.-based duo has racked up a remarkable eight wins in 10 finals at the North Eastern facility. From 2004, Line’s debut season as a Pro Stock driver, to 2006, he was unstoppable and collected three consecutive victories.
 
“Englishtown is a really cool track, and there is a lot of history there – and a lot of history for this Summit Racing team,” said Line, the current track-record holder at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park with a 6.508-second blast recorded in 2011. “It’s definitely one of the tracks I really enjoy, and the fans are just hardcore race fans. It makes it a lot of fun to race there, and I look forward to going there every year.
 
“This year is certainly no exception. It should be fun, and hopefully it will give us a chance to rebound from Topeka. We didn’t feel like we had a very good outing there, and we’re all eager to go out and get back to form with our Summit Racing Chevy Camaros.”
 
Last season, the title was up for grabs in the final round – but so was a milestone for the Ken Black-owned team: the 100th win for KB Racing. When Anderson got the nod, it was a crushing blow for Line.
 
“To be honest, I really like to win, but I’m a guy who likes to go fast more than anything,” said Line, a respected dyno operator whose heart is in engine building and digging up horsepower. “But that particular race was important to me. I wasn’t with KB Racing to give Ken Black his first win, but I had it set in my heart and my head that I was going to give him his 100th. It was a disappointing loss, and it was bittersweet, really. But a lot of things have changed since then, and I’d be happy to get my rear-end kicked by Greg Anderson in the final this weekend.”
 
The challenge this weekend will be to master the racing surface in what have been predicted as very warm conditions.
 
“When it gets hot, it’s going to get really greasy,” said Line. “It will be tough because you already have a track with a very high barometer, and that has a big effect on the Pro Stock cars and how much power the engines can make. Couple that with a lot of sunshine, and it’s definitely a challenge to get hold of the racetrack. The comfort in that is that it’s the same for everybody. We haven’t shined quite like we’re use to lately, and this will give us a good opportunity to work on that.”

Anderson Seeks Title Defense and Milestone Win at Historic Englishtown Track
 
Mooresville, N.C., May 29, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is eager to return to Englishtown this weekend for the 44th annual Toyota NHRA Nationals at historic Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. The Mooresville, N.C.-based competitor hasn’t yet experienced the familiar joy of celebrating in the winner’s circle this season, but he looks for a strong outing this weekend at a racetrack that holds many treasured memories.
 
With a weekend off between national events for the first time in over a month, Anderson and the KB Racing crew have been tirelessly devoted to improving their program in a category where every tiny margin of progress has the ability to equate to a grand and coveted reward. Never wary of a daring move, the group has spent a good number of days recently testing a brand new Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro that they plan to add to the mix in the next few races. Although a definitive decision has not yet been made, at this time it appears that Anderson will be the guy with the new ride when it comes time for its debut; Houston winner and Summit Racing teammate Jason Line will likely continue piloting the blue Summit Racing Camaro.
 
Just one year ago and at the very racetrack where NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour will next venture, Anderson reaped the rewards of a risky move when he slid in behind the wheel of his first brand new Chevy Camaro and wheeled it to victory in its inaugural showing.
 
“You have to take risks, otherwise you get left behind,” said Anderson. “It’s really that simple. You can’t gain an advantage on the rest of the competition and expect to sit back and have that edge forever. You will get passed by, but that’s one of the coolest things about Pro Stock and the beauty of drag racing in general. Nobody sits still; everybody works hard to try to invent new ways to go faster and be the baddest dog out there. You can’t just sit on what you have. You’ll get passed by in a heartbeat.
 
“It was fantastic to win there last year, especially because it was the first time out with the new Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro. GM had been on the sidelines for a few years, and to get them back out in their new Camaro, a car that they considered to be their new baby, it felt really, really good. GM is very proud of these cars, and they should be – it was great to be able to win it for them and show them that their hard work in designing this new car was going to pay off. The future is going to be very bright for these Camaros, and they will go down as the best cars we’ve ever had, I guarantee it.”
 
A return to Englishtown as the defending event champion also stands as a return to the site of a monumental moment for the team. Anderson and Line battled their way up the ladder to square off in an all-Summit Racing final round for a title that would signify the 100th win for team owner Ken Black and KB Racing.
 
“Jason and I both wanted that win very badly,” recalled Anderson. “I know Jason was very disappointed that he didn’t get that 100th win, and I would have been just as disappointed if I was on the other side of it – it’s very important to both of us to make Ken Black proud, and for Ken and KB Racing to be able to say that they have 100 wins, well it’s absolutely amazing. For Jason and I, this is cool. But what it means to Ken, that’s what it’s all about. It means so much to both of us, and it was very special.”
 
Anderson is just one race-win away from another milestone, but this one is of a more personal nature. The four-time Pro Stock world champion has 74 national event wins to his credit. One more final-round win light will result in achieving his 75th victory and a move up from the No. 8 spot on the all-time win list to a tie for 7th with Pat Austin.
 
“It hurts to wait,” admitted Anderson. “It’s no fun, and we’ve been working extremely hard to get there. Our troubles have been obvious lately, but this Summit Racing team continues to dig and test every week to find out where we’re crossed up, and I really think we’re gaining on it. We made progress in Atlanta, and then we took a step back last weekend in Topeka, but this week off that we’ve had has given us a great opportunity to do some testing and make more forward progress. I don’t want to brag or say, ‘Look out everyone, here we come,’ but we all feel a little more positive. I’d like to wait and see what happens, but I think we’ll run better this weekend.”
 
With temperatures projected to soar to the 90-degrees Fahrenheit range, the challenge for all will be to master a hot and greasy racing surface, but the Summit Racing team have historically had the right recipe for conditions at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. In addition to his win there last year, Anderson has four previous victories (2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008), making him the full-time active driver with the most wins in any professional category at the venerable facility. Only Don Prudhomme, Larry Dixon and Joe Amato have more Etown trophies than Anderson, and his Summit Racing teammate Line has three of his own (2004-06).
 
“We like this racetrack; we like it a lot,” said Anderson. “It’s a feel-good racetrack for us, and history has shown us that we can run well and win this race. Quite honestly, I can’t wait to get there and see what our week of testing has done for us. We expect to be able to contend for the race win.”

Line Qualified 7th, Geared to Go Rounds in Topeka
 
Event:  25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas
Day/Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line made four runs down the racetrack in his Chevrolet Camaro at Heartland Park Topeka and is eagerly preparing to make the most of Sunday, when he will start from the No. 7 position and square off with Matt Hartford in the first round of eliminations at the 25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals.
 
Line made two smooth and steady passes in his Summit Racing Chevy on opening day in Topeka, clearing the finish line with a 6.684 at 207.40 mph followed by an improved 6.657, 208.20. Although the second set of runs at the Kansas facility weren’t quite as productive, Line continued to exhibit top-half efforts and clocked a 6.696, 206.86 in the third qualifier followed by a 6.720, 206.10 in the hot and sticky midday conditions.
 
The runs were respectable, however, the Houston winner was in no way satisfied.
 
“So far we haven’t made the quick passes that we’ve been hoping to make here, and we’re not very happy about that,” said Line. “It’s great to qualify in the top half with our Summit Racing Chevy Camaros, but really, my teammate Greg Anderson is sixth and I’m seventh – and that’s just not where we want to be. We want to be one and two, right there at the top.
 
“The good news is that tomorrow we’ll have a chance to get it right on raceday with our Team Summit Camaros. We aren’t where we want to be, but tomorrow is a new day.”
 
Line will meet Hartford in the first round of eliminations for the second time this season. The last time the two sparred in the opening act was just a few weeks ago in Houston, when Line bested his opponent en route to the final round and, ultimately, the win.
 
“We always hope for the best, but really, we know what the Summit Racing team is capable of,” said Line. “We just need to make sure we live up to our own expectations tomorrow.”

Anderson Ready to Battle from the No. 6 Position in Topeka
 
Event:  25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas
Day/Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013
 
Day two of the NHRA Kansas Nationals concluded with Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson qualifying sixth and preparing for a first-round match with Larry Morgan. Anderson, who has qualified in the top half of the field at all but one of the events during the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, had the opportunity to make four passes down the racetrack for the first time since the Las Vegas race earlier this spring.
 
Unforgiving weather has plagued qualifying, and sometimes raceday, at the most recent three events leading up to this weekend’s NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, and qualifying has regularly been shortened to just two or three sessions as opposed to the usual four.
 
“It was good to be able to get all four runs in finally,” said Anderson. “There isn’t much you can do about the weather, and it just seems like we’ve fought that a lot lately. You have to take whatever Mother Nature deals you, and you do the best you can. We were thankful that we were able to make four passes so far this weekend, and we’d like to make four more tomorrow, that’s for sure.”
 
On the first day of qualifying, Anderson’s Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro made smooth runs on a hot racing surface that was surprisingly responsive. Equally as surprising was the fact that the runs were not as quick as Team Summit believed they had the potential to be. Anderson clocked a 6.662 at 207.88 mph in the first session and crossed the finish line with a 6.655 at 207.85 mph in the early evening session.
 
The team regrouped and came to the table with high hopes on Saturday morning for the first of two remaining sessions, but a 6.717 at 204.82 mph wasn’t what they were looking for.
 
“We went in the wrong direction there,” said Anderson. “We lost two miles an hour that we shouldn’t have, and that was an eye-opener. So for the next round, we spun around, did a 180, and picked that 2 1/2 mph back up tonight [with a 6.705 at 206.80 mph]. That was the right direction, and now we definitely know the direction we need to go in for tomorrow. We’ll pray for more good weather and to have sharp minds so that we can make good decisions, and we’ll see what we can do with our Summit Racing Camaros.”
 

Anderson Determined to Pick Up on Second Day of Kansas Nationals
 
Event:  25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas
Day/Date: Friday, May 17, 2013
 
The first day of the NHRA Kansas Nationals left Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson hungry and a little perplexed as he made a pair of clean runs, just like teammate Jason Line, but didn’t see the numbers come up on the scoreboard that he expected. Eager for day two of the event at Heartland Park Topeka, Anderson is set on rectifying the situation and rising in the line-up from his current position as the provisional No. 6 qualifier.
 
“Quite honestly, we felt that we had made decent runs today,” said Anderson. “It’s a little puzzling because we’re just not lighting up the scoreboard like we should be. The runs weren’t perfect, but they were good, they just ran like they had the parachute dragging all the way down the racetrack. We know these Summit Racing Camaros are better than this, so we’ll be working hard before those next two qualifying runs to pick up the pace.”
 
Anderson clocked a 6.662 at 207.88 mph in the first session and crossed the finish line with a 6.655 at 207.85 mph in the later run on the first day in Topeka.
 
“It’s not the track; the track seems fine and it held up great all day,” said Anderson. “We’re just not going nearly as fast as we think we should for how clean these runs are. We were being too conservative, so we’re just going to have to get more aggressive tomorrow, and we think this track will hold it. We just need to be careful not to go over the edge, and hopefully, we can move up the ladder.”
 

Line Surprised by Early Results, Eager for Day Two in Topeka
 
Event:  25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas
Day/Date: Friday, May 17, 2013
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line made a pair of clean and straight runs down the racetrack at Heartland Park Topeka at the first day of the 25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals. The runs were so clean and straight, in fact, that Line was taken aback to learn that the times recorded were not among the quickest when he emerged from his blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at the top end.
 
“I was really surprised,” admitted Line, who was 6.684, 207.40 mph in the first session and improved to a 6.657, 208.20. “The second run, especially, I expected more because it was probably the nicest run I’ve made all year. When I crossed the finish line, I thought to myself, ‘Well, that’s at least a 6.62.’ Nope, it was a 6.65. It was really surprising.”
 
There was some cloud cover and the air temperature at Heartland Park was quite warm on the first day of the event, but the track proved that it could hold a 6.61 for the low qualifier. Line and his Summit Racing teammate Anderson will be looking to close in on that number on the second day of the event. Line is currently No. 7 in the line-up.
 
“In a way, you would rather that the runs were lousy so that you could easily know what you needed to fix, but the truth is that they were nice runs, the graphs looked really good, they were just slow,” said Line. “We just need to find some speed, and that’s what we’ll be looking for tonight.”

Anderson Plans to Continue Resurgence with Topeka Win
 
Mooresville, N.C., May 15, 2013 – Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team continued to exhibit signs of resurgence last weekend at the weather-delayed Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals, and with just a short pause in the action before the 25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, the championship-caliber Pro Stock team plans to stay right on course.
 
This weekend’s event in Topeka, Kan., just six days after leaving Atlanta, marks a return to a facility where the KB Racing crew dominated from 2003 to 2007 with three low-qualifier awards and four event titles. The only Pro Stock competitor to have won more in Topeka is Warren Johnson, who holds the record with five victories.
 
Although Team Summit experienced a dry spell in Kansas for several years, last season was a return to form, and the now 74-time national event winner narrowly missed starting from the No. 1 position and powered his Summit Racing-backed doorslammer all the way to the final round from the No. 2 spot. Although he was stopped just short of the win, Anderson made an impact as he set top speed of the meet at 211.30 mph and his Summit Racing teammate Jason Line recorded low e.t. of the event with a 6.566, both of which were Heartland Park Topeka track records.
 
“We’re obviously hoping to build on what we did there in Topeka last year and take it one round further,” said Anderson, currently tied for eighth in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings. “Last year, the KB Racing team really put our noses to the grindstone and figured out what we were doing wrong, and we ran very well because of that. We should have won the race, but we made a mistake in the final and shook the tires a little bit. We definitely had the strongest cars out there, though, and we feel like we left one on the table.
 
“Thankfully, we know how to run fast there again, and we’re on an upswing with both of our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros this year. We certainly think we should be able to go to Topeka and come away with the trophy.”
 
The vast Heartland Park Topeka facility provides plenty of space for the competitors to comfortably set up camp, and the facility has historically been the site of record-setting performances in some categories. It has also, however, been recognized as a venue where unpredictable weather can be a deciding factor. After a series of rain-plagued events this year, NHRA drivers are hoping to catch a break with a replay of last season’s picture-perfect weekend in Kansas.
 
“Topeka is definitely the King of Crazy Weather,” said Anderson. “You never know what you’ll get there, if you’re going to get twisters or record-setting temperatures, so it’s definitely exciting. We’ve had a little of everything and been able to run well, so we have a lot of confidence that we can play with whatever cards Mother Nature deals us.”
 
At this time last season Anderson had three wins in five final round appearances, and although the 2012 stats comparatively look better on paper, the four-time NHRA Pro Stock champion feels strongly that he is in a much better position now than he was then.
 
“To be honest with you, I have a lot more confidence in my car right now, especially after Atlanta and the test sessions we’ve had,” said Anderson. “I really think we’ve turned a corner. My car is going to be good, and it keeps getting better each weekend. At this time last year, I didn’t feel like we had a complete handle on our racecar, but this Summit Racing Chevy Camaro is adapting to the different conditions that we have to race in, and we’re closer now than we have been in a long time to making good, consistent runs, time after time.
 
“I’m really, really hungry for a win. The win that my teammate Jason Line got a couple of weeks ago in Houston really helped this team. We’ve been working very hard ever since then, and it gave the guys a little more drive. It’s time that I find my way back to victory lane. I believe I still know how to do it, but I need to prove it to myself. I’m overdue, but nobody is going to hand you one of these things. You need to go out and earn it, and that’s what I plan to do this weekend.”