Mooresville, N.C., June 13, 2012 – Ten days after scoring his KB Racing team’s 100th NHRA national event win in Englishtown, N.J., Summit Racing Camaro pilot Greg Anderson will return to the site of another significant moment in his spectacular Pro Stock career, heading to Bristol Dragway for this weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.  In 2001, the championship-winning crew chief turned aspiring race car driver came to the Volunteer State driving the back-up car for a team owned by Las Vegas businessmen George Marnell (who was the team’s established driver) and Ken Black.

In only his 30th start he shocked both himself and his fellow competitors, starting from the ninth position and defeating established veterans Allen Johnson, V. Gaines and Mark Osborne in the early rounds before squaring off against two-time champion Jim Yates in the final.  Gaining the advantage at the starting line, the Minnesota native never looked back, using a 6.993-second, 196.85 mph pass to gain the hole shot victory over his much-heralded opponent and score his first national event win.

“Although I’m a little cloudy on the specifics of that particular day, I do remember I was not expected to win,” said Anderson.  “After all, I was driving an older Pontiac Firebird at a time when the top teams were running the smaller and more aerodynamic Chevrolet Cavaliers and Grand Ams and I was basically running to gather more data for George’s car.

“Still, we were somehow able to pull off the win and I suddenly found myself in the winner’s circle with Fred Simmonds, who was the head of the drag racing program for General Motors at the time and the folks from Mac Tools, who were then the event sponsors.  I recall we were all looking at each other wondering exactly who everyone was, but it actually turned out to be the start of the program we have today with this Summit Racing team.  Mac Tools became one of my first sponsors, I established a relationship with a General Motors and Ken Black decided to start his own team.  The rest, as they say, is history.”

Eleven years later, Anderson returns to Thunder Valley as one of the top racers in the history of the “factory hot rods” with four championships and 74 national event wins to his credit, a total that includes two trips to the Bristol Dragway winner’s circle.  However, with his last Tennessee quarter-mile victory coming in 2004, he is more than ready to make a return appearance, a confidence bolstered by recent performances under similar tuning conditions.

“I will always love Bristol Dragway because it’s where I won my first national event,” stated Anderson.  “I am also extremely partial to Thunder Valley because of the facility and its tremendous history.  It’s a Bruton Smith-owned track that is very well run and promoted, making it a fun weekend for the racers and the fans.  However, for the last few years it has been the type of track that has been our Achilles’ heel, having a little bit of altitude where the cars don’t run that fast.

“The good news is that I believe we’re finally turning the corner in that area based on our performance in Topeka where the atmospheric conditions are fairly similar to what we’ll see this weekend.  Based on that, I think our outlook for Bristol will be completely different this year.  I expect our Summit Racing Camaro is going to be fast with a good chance of winning the race.”

Finally, Anderson and his KB Racing crew are looking to build on the successful debut of their new Chevrolet Camaro.  Despite reaching the winner’s circle in its inaugural race, the current Pro Stock championship points leader is quick to point out that they are still familiarizing themselves with their new mount.

“Although we certainly gave our Summit Racing Camaro a tremendous debut in Englishtown, I think we can make it run even better,” said Anderson.  “For example, we never set low elapsed time. It showed us that it wanted to run, and we kept working on it, making gains throughout the weekend, but never fully hit the nail on the head, so there’s still plenty of room left for improvement.

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Sunday, June 3, 2012

After earning his fifth No. 1 qualifying position of the season, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J. looking to translate his Saturday success into his second win of the season.  Facing Grace Howell in the opening stanza, he showed his intentions by posting the quickest elapsed time of round at 6.527-seconds to gain the victory.

Line duplicated that feat in the second round using a 6.561-second, 211.39 mph pass to defeat Rodger Brogdon and advance to the semifinals, where he would face Erica Enders.  Once again, he proved to be the class of the field, combining a lightning-quick .010 reaction time and a 6.540-second, 211.66 mph pass to eliminate Enders, who posted a 6.569-second time and 211.23 mph speed, and reach his third final round of the season, where he would face teammate Greg Anderson, who was in his first race in his new Chevrolet Camaro.

However, there was more at stake than the national event win, as this victory would be the 100th in the KB Racing team’s history, an accomplishment both drivers desperately wanted on their racing resume.  Leaving the line in tandem, the two raced neck-and-neck for much of the quarter mile, with Line looking to have a slight advantage.  However, just as it seemed he would capture his fourth win at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Line’s mount was slowed by a rare malfunction with the resulting 6.588-second, 200.98 mph run allowing his stable mate, who carded a 6.560-second, 212.03 mph pass, to gain the victory.

Naturally disappointed with the results, Line took some consolation in the team victory while also looking forward to the debut of his own Camaro at the next race in Bristol, TN.

“Although I am certainly pleased that we were able to get KB Racing’s 100th win with Ken and Judy (team owners Black) here in attendance, the racer in me is not happy,” said Line.  “We knew going into the final that we were going to get it, and I really wanted to be the one that did it.

“My Summit Racing Pontiac had performed beautifully all weekend, and I thought I was going to send it out a winner.  Unfortunately, just before the finish line, we had a problem with the motor and Greg was able get around me.  So even though I am personally disappointed, it was good day for the team.  I’m happy for everyone on the crew and glad we could get the Camaro a win in its first race back.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my own Summit Racing Camaro out at the next race.  We’ll spend the next few days getting it finished and tested before heading up to Bristol and seeing if we can give my Chevrolet an equally successful debut there.”

Englishtown, N.J., June 3, 2012 – Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson added yet another milestone win to his storied career on Sunday, capturing the KB Racing team’s 100th Pro Stock victory and returning the Chevrolet Camaro to a Full Throttle Drag Racing Series winner’s circle by taking home the title at the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Starting from the sixth position, Anderson defeated Ron Krisher, Mike Edwards and Allen Johnson in the early rounds before squaring off against teammate Jason Line in the final.  

The Summit Racing duo has historically had some of the closest races in the category’s history, and Sunday’s encounter was shaping up to be yet another as the two left the starting line as if welded together.  Although Line seemed to be gaining an edge as the two rocketed down the quarter-mile, his progress was suddenly slowed by a rare mechanical malfunction, allowing Anderson to use a 6.560-second, 212.03 mph pass to gain the historic win, an occasion made even more special by the presence of team owners Ken and Judy Black.  It was the 74th win of Anderson’s career, fourth of 2012 and fifth at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, making him the most successful Pro Stock driver in that track’s storied history.

“Once we both won in the semifinals, we were assured of KB Racing’s 100th win, so it was just a matter of which one of us would do it,” said Anderson. “It was something we both really wanted to accomplish, and to be honest, Jason was ahead of me by two hundredths when he broke a valve spring, or else he certainly would have won.  It was unfortunate for him, and it’s a sad deal any time we hurt a motor, but it was a great day for Ken and Judy Black and everyone on the team.  

“Winning an NHRA national event is not an easy task under any circumstance, so for a brand new car to come out and win in its very first race as we did today with our Summit Racing Camaro is a testament to the talent of the people on this KB Racing team.  They’re an incredible group of guys, and it’s a great feeling to share the winner’s circle and take pictures with Ken and the entire crew, especially those who have been here for all 100 wins.  It’s just a very special day for me.”

Although Anderson’s victory was not a certainty until he crossed the Raceway Park finish line on Sunday night, there was one very important person who had a premonition about today’s events almost two weeks ago.  In fact, team owner Ken Black made a special trip from his home in Las Vegas to join the team in Englishtown just to ensure he would be on hand to not only see their new race car in its first race, but to also hopefully witness the milestone win, which ironically came at the same track where Anderson had recorded the team’s first Pro Stock victory during their first year of existence in 2002.

“A couple of weeks ago, I lost to Allen Johnson in the Topeka final,” recalled Anderson.  “I thought I had a better car than he had, and I somehow had a better light than he did in the final, but my car shook the tires and we ended up losing the race.   

“When I spoke to Ken later that night I told him that I thought it was a sign that he was supposed to be on hand for his team’s 100th win, and he responded by telling me he was coming to Englishtown.  Traveling cross-country is a major effort for him, but he just had a feeling about this race, and fortunately, everything worked out perfectly.”

Further adding to Anderson’s accomplishment was the fact that he did it in a new and virtually untested race car.  Since taking delivery just over a month ago, the team had worked feverishly to get it ready for competition, completing it just over a week ago.  Following a brief two-day test session last week in North Carolina, they finished their pre-race preparation and headed north to the Garden State, where they would post the first Pro Stock win by a Chevrolet Camaro since the 2000 NHRA Finals in Pomona, Ca.

“We brought our new Summit Camaro to Englishtown with high hopes, but exceeded even those today,” said Anderson.  “After all, with everything we had on the line this weekend, it was a bit of a gutsy call to bring a new car out for the first time this weekend, especially as I had just gone to a final in my old car.  

“It was a tough decision, but we are so excited about General Motors’ getting back into Pro Stock with a true muscle car.  We also felt that the sooner we could get that car on the racetrack, the better off both KB Racing and the class would be.  We tested for a couple days last week, gained on it throughout qualifying, and then ran very well today.

“The Pro Stock class is fantastic right now.  We have Mopars, Fords and General Motors cars, which were primarily Pontiacs up until now with the introduction of the Camaro, racing in arguably one of the most competitive classes in all of motorsports.  I feel very fortunate to have been in General Motors cars for my entire career, and the future looks even brighter.  If you think about GM and racing, it’s Chevrolet, and it feels great to get them their first win in their return to Pro Stock drag racing.”

Anderson was also quick to recognize those whose support had made today’s success possible. Finally, with another new car in the works for his teammate and the next race rapidly approaching, he admitted that any post-race celebrations would be kept to a minimum.

“Of course, we would not have been able to reach 100 wins without the support of several outstanding people and companies,” said Anderson.  “Naturally, it all starts with Ken, Judy and Kenny Black, who started this team ten years ago.  They mean everything to us.  Also at the very top of the list is Summit Racing Equipment, who has been such a big part of our team for so many years.  In addition, we want to thank Chevrolet, Red Line Oil, Cometic Gaskets, Mac Tools, PAC Valve Springs, Wilson Manifolds, Diamond Pistons, K&N Filters, Speed Dawg Shift Knobs, Oakley and everyone else whose involvement with our race team makes days like today possible.  We are glad to share this win with all of them.

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Saturday, June 2, 2012

Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team had multiple objectives entering the second and final day of qualifying for the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  On one hand, they wanted to secure as high a starting position as possible for Sunday’s final eliminations, while they also looked to continue to familiarize themselves with their stunning new Camaro.  Fortunately, they were able to accomplish both goals on Saturday, closing their qualifying effort with their quickest pass of 6.538-seconds and a top speed of 211.99 mph to earn the sixth starting spot and a first round encounter with veteran Ron Krisher.

Although acknowledging that work still remained to be done in order to extract the maximum performance from his new ride, Anderson was pleased with the progress his team had made with the race car during the two days at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.  

“The bottom line is that there is a ton of potential with this new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Anderson.  “We just haven’t gotten all the round pegs in the round holes yet, but we will.  You always think it’s going to happen quicker than it does because we have so much confidence in this crew.  They’re sharp guys, so you always think you’re going to get it done right away, and I still believe we’ll get this new car straightened out fairly quickly.

“I love everything about this car.  Just the fact that it’s a Camaro and a muscle car makes perfect sense that we’re racing it in Pro Stock.  There’s no downside to it, and when we get it to run at the top of the class and winning races, it’s going to be happy times.

“The last run we made today was absolutely our best one so far with this car, and I’m confident we wouldn’t have done any better with my Pontiac. We just have missed the set-up, and it took us a few runs to figure out what this track wanted.  The good news is that we took a big step forward this afternoon, and should be able to take another one tomorrow.

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Saturday, June 2, 2012

Jason Line and the Summit Racing team continued their season-long qualifying excellence, capturing the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Taking advantage of the cooler temperatures on Friday evening at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Line raced through the quarter-mile in 6.518-seconds, best among the 18 cars attempting to qualify.

Although rival Allen Johnson was able to match his elapsed time on his final attempt on Saturday afternoon, the reigning Full Throttle Pro Stock champion earned the top spot on the basis of the top speed tiebreaker, with his Pontiac’s 212.09 mph effort besting Johnson’s 211.76 mark. This was Line’s fifth No. 1 qualifying performance of the season, 29th of his career and second consecutive at the venerable Englishtown quarter-mile.

Having posted one of the top two elapsed times in each of the four qualifying sessions, Line was cautiously optimistic heading into his first-round meeting with No. 16 qualifier Grace Howell, targeting his fourth New Jersey win in what will most likely be his final race in his current race car before switching to the new Camaro.  However, he was equally concerned with making sure his teammate Greg Anderson had a successful debut this weekend in his own Chevrolet.

“Obviously it feels good to hold on to the No. 1 position,” said Line.  “We had a little bit of a tense moment when AJ matched our time in the final session, but we were able to get him on speed and hold on to the pole, which is a really big deal.  This Summit Racing Pontiac has been a great car, and the guys are doing a tremendous job of working on it.

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Friday, June 1, 2012

While teammate Greg Anderson took to the track in his new Summit Racing Camaro on Friday at NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J., with his new mount not quite ready, Jason Line continued to campaign the Pontiac which had carried him to the 2011 Full Throttle Championship.  Not unexpectedly, therefore, he proved to be the class of the field at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, posting the quickest elapsed time and fastest top speed in each of the two qualifying sessions, with his 6.518-second, 212.09 mph best placing him atop the field with two final attempts remaining on Saturday.

Although naturally pleased with his showing, Line believed further improvement was certainly possible, while also looking forward to joining his teammate (who occupies the provisional ninth position) in the Bow Tie Brigade.

“I certainly like my current car, but I’m looking forward to getting out of it and into my new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Line.  “Greg’s may not have had the debut we were hoping for today, but we’ll get it straightened out.   As for my performance today, we’re off to a great start.  I’m not sure that time will hold for the pole, because if the weather holds, I think tomorrow’s morning session could be even faster.

“Even so, it was still a good run and my guys have done a tremendous job.  There was quite a bit of water in the air today, which slowed the entire Pro Stock field down by a couple hundredths, but I felt like we should have gone faster, so there’s something we could be missing.  The good news is that we have two more chances to figure it out tomorrow and make this car even better.”

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Friday, June 1, 2012

Greg Anderson and the KB Racing team opened a new chapter in their storied history on Friday, with their Summit Racing Pro Stock Camaro making its competitive debut during the first day of qualifying for the NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Although the cool and overcast conditions at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park were completely unlike those in which he made his initial testing runs one week ago, Anderson was still able to make two competitive passes, highlighted by his 6.554-second, 211.03 mph best in the evening session.  

Sitting an uncharacteristic ninth midway through the qualifying procedure, the four-time champion sang the praises of his new car, while admitting both he and his team were still in the process of determining its performance envelope.     

“I absolutely love my new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Anderson.  “I think it’s going to be a tremendous car.  It looks fantastic, I love driving it and it feels great.  It obviously wants to run, but we’re just not getting off the starting line or through the first two gears the way we would like, which is not the car’s fault.   

“We’re just off on the tune-up both car-wise and motor-wise, which has nothing to do with what body we’re running.  We’ll have to make some big moves tomorrow to get it in the game.  My hat’s off to the General for building a great car – I’m excited about the future.  For now, we need to get it closer to the bulls-eye.”

Event:  24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals

Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas

Day/Date: Sunday, May 20, 2012

After recording the quickest time in two of the four qualifying sessions, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan. looking to add his first Kansas “Wally” to his trophy case.  He seemed headed in that direction in the first round, as he combined the quickest elapsed time of the weekend at 6.566-seconds with a top speed of 210.11 mph to defeat Steve Kent.

It was a similar situation in the second stanza, with Line covering the quarter-mile in 6.571 seconds with a top speed of 209.26 mph to eliminate a resurgent V. Gaines.  This set the stage for a semifinal encounter with teammate Greg Anderson.  Although Line posted his best reaction time of the day at .028 and made another strong 6.580-second, 210.57 mph run, it fell thirteen thousandths of a second shy of his stablemate’s 6.575-second, 210.93 mph effort, putting a premature end to the 2011 champion’s day.

“The Summit Racing team had a good day today, and I had one of my best in Topeka,” said Line.  “It stings to not come out of here with a win, but we leave knowing Greg had the best car he’s had all year, and mine was good enough to run low e.t. of the weekend and be quickest in four of the seven rounds we ran.  I also made some strides, doing a better job of driving overall.  The bottom line, however, is that we didn’t win, and we’ll have to wait two weeks for our next chance.

Event:  24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals

Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas

Day/Date: Sunday, May 20, 2012

Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team continued their strong 2012 campaign on Sunday, scoring a runner-up finish at the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan.  Starting from the second position, he defeated Richard Freeman, Vincent Nobile and teammate Jason Line in the early rounds before squaring off against veteran Allen Johnson in the final round.

Although he was able to gain the advantage at the start with a near-perfect .004 reaction time, Anderson’s hopes for a fifth Topeka win were quickly shattered by severe tire shake, which found him fighting to maintain control of his race car, with the resulting 6.696-second, 210.21 mph run allowing his opponent to use a 6.587-second, 210.54 mph pass to get around him for the win.

“My Summit Racing Pontiac made seven of the best runs it’s made this season, but we needed eight,” said Anderson.  “From the moment we rolled it off the trailer, it ran great, and we never lost the tune-up, giving me the best hot rod I’ve had all year.  Unfortunately, we made a minor mistake in the final round, missing on the starting line and it shook the tires almost immediately.  Naturally, we’re kicking ourselves for giving one away like that, but it was still a great weekend, and we’re very proud of everything that happened.  We just picked the wrong time to make a bad run.”

As they plan to switch to a new Chevrolet Camaro for the next NHRA national event in Englishtown, Anderson and the KB Racing crew had hoped to give their venerable Pontiac GXP a proper sendoff at Heartland Park Topeka.  After being among the best of the “factory hot rods” in qualifying, Anderson was equally strong on race day, using the second-quickest elapsed time of the opening round at 6.568-seconds to defeat Richard Freeman.

Although Vincent Nobile’s red-light start awarded him the automatic win in the second round, the four-time champion still reset the track top speed record with his 6.575-second, 211.30 mph pass.  In what proved to be one of the closest races of the day, Anderson used a nearly identical 6.575-second, 210.93 mph run to edge his teammate Jason Line and advance to his sixth final round of the year, fifth at the Kansas quarter-mile and 109th of his Pro Stock career.  Naturally disappointed to not be leaving the Sunflower State with the winner’s trophy, he nevertheless found plenty of reasons to smile heading forward, as the team embarks upon a new chapter in its storied history.

“Even though we didn’t win, we still had a lot of bright spots here in Topeka,” said Anderson.  “This entire KB Racing team did a great job all weekend, with both Jason and I qualifying in the top three, getting both cars running well and making it to the semifinals today.  In fact, up until the final, it was just about perfect, so we can’t leave here too unhappy.  Besides, we’re heading back to North Carolina to work on our new cars.

Event:  24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals

Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas

Day/Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012

Summit Racing Pontiac Greg Anderson completed a strong qualifying effort in impressive fashion on Saturday, posting the quickest elapsed time of the fourth and final session at the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan.  With two sessions held in the heat of the day at Heartland Park Topeka, Anderson’s 6.624-second time from Friday night, which came with a track record top speed of 208.55 mph, remained his run of record and earned him the second starting position for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Even so, Anderson was equally pleased with his 6.633-second, 207.37 mph pass in the heat of the afternoon on Saturday.  Armed with a consistent and fast race car, the four-time champion heads into race day and his first round encounter with Richard Freeman cautiously optimistic about his chances of scoring a fifth Heartland Park Topeka win.

“I am happier after qualifying today than I’ve been at any race all year,” said Anderson.  “I don’t know why, but my Summit Racing Pontiac has suddenly come to life. My opinion is that it’s scared that I’m going to retire it, because we certainly haven’t made any major changes to it.  I may not fully understand why it’s happened, but I’m glad it did.

“The good news is that we’re going to have a really good hot rod tomorrow.  We’ve had two good days of qualifying, made four solid runs and scored bonus points in all four sessions, which is a major improvement.  We’ve had a great car so far this weekend, and tomorrow we need to do something with it.

Event:  24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals

Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas

Day/Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012

On the strength of a 6.630-second time posted in second qualifying session on Friday evening, Jason Line and the Summit Racing team earned the third starting position for Sunday’s final eliminations of the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan.  Although the elevated temperatures on Saturday at Heartland Park Topeka prevented any changes among the top six positions in the Pro Stock category, Line continued his torrid pace, topping the charts in the third session with his 6.635-second, 206.13 mph pass, before wrapping up with a competitive 6.650-second, 207.02 mph run on his fourth and final attempt.

This marks the 16th straight race in which Line has secured a starting spot in the Top Three positions, dating back to the Seattle race last August.  With a first-round matchup set against No. 14 qualifier Steve Kent, the reigning Full Throttle Champion looked to use this performance to propel him to his first win at the Kansas quarter-mile.

Event:  24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals

Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas

Day/Date: Friday, May 18, 2012

Greg Anderson received a pleasant surprise during Friday’s opening qualifying sessions for the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan., as his Summit Racing Pontiac delivered its most consistent first day performance of the 2012 season.  After posting the third-quickest time in afternoon session, the four-time Topeka winner picked up almost three hundredths of a second in the evening round, with his 6.624-second, 208.55 mph pass slotting him in the second position with two attempts remaining on Saturday.

Although naturally pleased with this solid showing, Anderson was also surprised as in previous races he and his KB Racing team had struggled to find a consistent handle in qualifying, offering his own reasons for this sudden return to form.

“I am absolutely shocked at how well my Summit Racing Pontiac ran today,” joked Anderson.  “I actually think it’s because it knows this is probably its last race before we switch to our new Chevy Camaros and it wants us to reconsider.

“Today was very different from the rest of the season because we had been struggling in qualifying and today it wanted to run in both sessions, which is a different feeling for me on Friday, and one I am very happy with.  The car is showing a lot of potential – we didn’t make perfect runs with the car, but the motor ran really well, and I think, given the right conditions, it’s capable of going to the pole.

Event:  24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals

Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas

Day/Date: Friday, May 18, 2012

Summit Racing driver Jason Line opened his qualifying effort for the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan. in the same manner he has started every race this season, posting some of the quickest times among the 23 cars making an attempt.  On his first run at Heartland Park Topeka, the reigning Pro Stock champion covered the quarter-mile in 6.646-seconds with a top speed of 207.50 mph, best among the “factory hot rods”.

He followed that performance with an equally impressive run in the evening session, improving to a 6.630-second time and 207.11 mph top speed, good enough for third midway through the qualifying procedure, a showing which has Line cautiously optimistic about his chances for the remainder of the weekend.

Mooresville, N.C., May 15, 2012 – This weekend, Summit Racing driver Jason Line will head to Topeka, Kansas looking to accomplish two goals with one primary action.  Naturally, as he does at every stop on the Full Throttle Drag Racing circuit, he enters this weekend’s Dollar General NHRA Summernationals with full intentions of winning.  Should he do so, it will not only be his second victory of the 2012 season, but also his first professional win at Heartland Park Topeka, adding to his successes achieved there in the sportsman ranks.

“Heartland Park Topeka and I have a long history together,” said Line.  “In fact, I raced my Stocker at the first event held there, when they were still pouring concrete when we rolled through the gates.  I also won a points meet in Topeka.  But for reasons I can’t quite explain, that success has yet to translate over to my Pro Stock car, something we’re more than ready to change.

“If there ever was a time that we had a car capable of winning the race, it would have to be right now.   My Summit Racing Pontiac has been extremely strong all year, so I feel there is a good possibility we are going fix any issues we’ve had with Kansas in the past this weekend.”

However, the reigning Pro Stock champion knows his path to the Heartland Park Topeka winner’s circle will include challenges beyond mastering the racing surface, whose tricky nature will only be magnified by the warm temperatures forecast for this weekend.  In addition to another tightly packed Pro Stock field, Line and his KB Racing crew will need to deliver the same consistent performance on race day that they have shown in qualifying, where their four No. 1 qualifying positions double those of their nearest competitor.

After seven races, Line’s record in 2012 is something most of his rivals would aspire to, with one win in two final round appearances, four finishes of the semifinals or better and a second-place positioning in the Full Throttle standings (behind only his teammate Greg Anderson).  Even so, with improvement still possible, the quiet-spoken North Carolina racer continues to set his expectations at a very high level.

“The way things have gone this year, it would almost be better if we raced on Saturday (when qualifying is normally held),” joked Line.  “Obviously to win this weekend, we will need a total effort, with four good runs, four good lights and no mistakes, which we haven’t been able to do since Phoenix.  We’ve been close to getting it done, including Atlanta two weeks ago, but just came up a hundredth shy against our teammate in the final.

Mooresville, N.C., May 15, 2012 – Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team are looking for history to repeat itself this weekend at the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kansas.  During the period from 2003 to 2007, the Anderson-led crew was virtually unstoppable at Heartland Park Topeka, with three No. 1 qualifying performances and four wins, one shy of the all-time Pro Stock mark at the Kansas quarter-mile held by Warren Johnson.  Although they have been in contention in their subsequent visits, the four-time champion heads into this event hoping to experience a little déjà vu.

“We’re heading into this weekend looking to rekindle some of the magic this Summit Racing team had with Heartland Park Topeka in the past,” said Anderson.  “We seem to have misplaced it over the last few years, but we’re ready to get it back and return to the form that saw us win there four times.

“The first few years we went there, we considered it one of the super tracks and saw numerous records set there, especially in the fuel classes because the surface was so good.  It’s got some age on it now, and the track has become a little more finicky, putting it in the hands of the crew chiefs.

“It’s a real challenge, a lot like Darlington Raceway in NASCAR, in that it’s very tough to tame, which is the way it should be.  They shouldn’t all be perfect surfaces that are easy to tune for.  When the heat comes on that Topeka track, as is forecast for this weekend, it becomes a handful, turning it into a tuner’s race, so we’ll need to be at our best starting with the first qualifying session on Friday.”

A look at his season to date supports Anderson’s optimistic outlook for this weekend.  Seven races into the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule, he leads the Pro Stock category by 72 points over his teammate Jason Line.  In addition, he is the only competitor among the “factory hot rods” with multiple victories, having scored his third win in Atlanta ten days ago.  However, as the self-proclaimed perfectionist admits, unlike previous years, this season’s success is mostly due to the grit and determination of the KB Racing crew rather than their race car’s performance.  Although naturally pleased with the final results, he knows that maintaining their position atop the standings must include a return to form.

“I have no idea how we have gotten three wins and five final round appearances this year,” joked Anderson.  “Who knows, maybe because we seem to struggle in qualifying, no one expects a lot from us in final eliminations, but somehow this Summit Racing team keeps getting the job done on race day, more than holding our own with what we have to work with.

“We just seem to have a love/hate relationship with this particular car, and we continue to work on swinging it more into the love side.  She’s a feisty one, fighting us every step of the way, but this KB Racing crew is also a bunch of fighters, throwing everything we can at her.  So far I’d have to call it a draw, and as long as we keep finding ways to win races, I’m good with that.

“As I said after we won Atlanta, I think our success this season comes down to our making fewer mistakes than our opponents.  Even though we haven’t always been the baddest dog on the planet, somehow the people we’ve raced have made mistakes, which you cannot do in this class if you expect to win.  The bottom line is that we keep racing tough, focusing on every little detail and finding ways to capitalize on our competitors’ mistakes.

Event:  32nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals

Location: Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia

Day/Date: Sunday, May 6, 2012

After posting the quickest time in each of the last three sessions en route to the No. 1 qualifying position, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga. cautiously optimistic about his chances of successfully defending his win at this event from a year ago.  In the first round against Warren Johnson, Line picked up where he left off on Saturday, powering through the quarter-mile in 6.599-seconds with a top speed of 209.95 mph to gain the round win.

In the second round against sophomore sensation Vincent Nobile, who had won the last race in Houston just a week ago, Line combined a quick .012 reaction time and a 6.605-second, 209.49 mph pass to eliminate his young opponent and advance to the semifinals, where he would meet Ronnie Humphrey, whose Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pontiac is run out of the KB Racing shops.

Once again, Line proved to be too much, with his 6.634-second, 209.26 mph run easily defeating Humphrey, who was forced to shut off early due to tire shake.  This set the stage for an all-Summit final round, as Line would face teammate Greg Anderson.  Although he was able to deliver another strong run, covering the quarter-mile in 6.618 seconds with a top speed of 209.62 mph, it unfortunately fell one hundredth of a second shy of overcoming his partner’s starting line advantage and 6.649-second, 208.26 mph run.

Although naturally disappointed by the outcome, the reigning Pro Stock champion was still able to find some positives in his team’s performance, and looked forward to earning some redemption in two weeks at the next NHRA Full Throttle Series’ race in Topeka, KS.

“For some reason, I just didn’t have a good rhythm in my staging procedure in the final, which naturally affected my reaction time,” said Line.  “You can’t do that against someone as good as Greg.  As I have often said, he is a four-time champion for a reason, and to beat him, you have to be at your very best.  Unfortunately, in the final today, I was a bit off, and it cost us.

Commerce, Ga., May 6, 2012 – Greg Anderson completed a racer’s dream on Sunday, capturing the Pro Stock title at his primary sponsor’s race, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.  Starting from the third position, he defeated Greg Stanfield, Steve Kent and Allen Johnson in the early rounds before squaring off against his teammate and No. 1 qualifier Jason Line in a repeat of last year’s final round.

Running without lane choice and facing a quicker opponent, Anderson knew he would need to gain an edge in order to give himself a chance at his third win of the season. Attacking the starting line, he left five hundredths of a second ahead and never looked back, using a 6.649-second, 208.26 mph run to hold off his stable mate’s 6.618-second, 209.62 mph pass.  This was Anderson’s 73rd win of his career, third of the 2012 season and fourth at Atlanta Dragway.

“I feel like the luckiest guy out here today, because this was not a typical win for this Summit Racing team,” said Anderson.  “I didn’t have the best car, and I didn’t have my best day of driving, but we kept digging, working to get better with every run.  As a result, we made fewer mistakes than our competition, and made it to the final against our teammate, which is, of course, the ideal scenario at your sponsor’s race.

“I’m not sure what happened to Jason in the final, but he apparently made a mistake, allowing me to get a jump at the starting line.  My car then made a very nice run, and I was able to hold him off.  For whatever reason, the good Lord was shining on me today.  I am very proud to have Summit Racing Equipment on the side of our car, and hope we made them proud today.”

Anderson was quick to credit the KB Racing team and its owner for the successful weekend.  In one of the sport’s most competitive classes, they placed three cars in the top four positions in qualifying, and delivered an equally impressive performance on race day, with all three advancing to the semifinals before the all-Summit Racing championship round.  In addition, he acknowledged the companies whose participation allows the team to compete at such a high level.

“Obviously, as a team we are very happy with today’s results, putting three cars in the semifinals and two in the final,” said Anderson.  “At a Summit event, it just doesn’t get any better than that.  The way this team is right now, if one car has an off race, we still have two that can go rounds and win races.  That doesn’t happen very often with multicar teams, but this truly is one team with three cars, with everyone rowing the boat in the same direction.

“That is the one thing about this team of which I am proudest, and it all goes back to the people on this crew, and our team owner Ken Black.  He is working so hard at his rehabilitation in order to get back out here with us that we just want to keep digging deeper to make him proud.  This is a tough, tough class, one where anyone can win on a given weekend, so we feel fortunate to have won as many as we have so far this season.

“We also couldn’t do this without the support of several outstanding companies, including Summit Racing Equipment, Chevrolet, Red Line Oil, Cometic Gaskets, Mac Tools, PAC Valve Springs, Wilson Manifolds, Diamond Pistons, K&N Filters, Speed Dawg Shift Knobs and many others.  Their involvement with our team makes this all possible, and I’m glad we were able to take them back to the winner’s circle today.

Event:  32nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals

Location: Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia

Day/Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012

After posting a quick time of 6.625-seconds with a top speed of 208.62 mph on Friday, Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team headed into the second day of qualifying at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga. looking to better their performance and put themselves in a good position for Sunday’s final eliminations.  Hindering their efforts were the increased temperatures at Atlanta Dragway, which saw the racing surface reach temperatures exceeding 130 degrees.

Even so, Anderson was able to come close to matching his previous best, clocking a 6.629-second time, which was third-quickest for the morning session and cemented his third-place starting position for race day.  Although the highly competitive racer was disappointed to have not run better, he still found reason to be optimistic heading into his first round match-up with Greg Stanfield about his chances for a fourth Peach State win.

“We didn’t really make the type of runs we were hoping for today, but we’re still in a good position for Sunday,” said Anderson.  “With today’s higher temperatures we knew it would be tough, and although our Summit Racing Pontiac was able to make that 6.62 pass this morning, it wasn’t really a good run.

Event:  32nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals

Location: Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia

Day/Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012

Jason Line and the Summit Racing team continued their run of strong qualifying performances on Saturday, capturing the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s final eliminations of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.  After slotting himself atop the field with his 6.612-second, 208.68 mph pass on Friday evening, Line was never headed for the remainder of qualifying, improving to a 6.607-second time and 209.04 mph top speed on Saturday morning before closing with a 6.629-second, 208.39 mph run on the 133 degree Atlanta Dragway track in the fourth and final session.

This is the 28th No. 1 qualifying performance of Line’s career, fourth of the season and first at Atlanta Dragway.  As he prepared for his first round encounter with No. 16 qualifier and fellow Minnesota native Warren Johnson, he was quick to acknowledge the efforts of those who had contributed to his running so well in the adverse conditions as well as needling one of the sport’s announcers.  Finally, he looked to turn his success in qualifying into round wins on Sunday, allowing him to successfully defend his title from this race a year ago.

“The racetrack was certainly hotter today, but the NHRA did a nice job of prepping it because it was phenomenal considering the conditions,” said Line.  “Realizing we’ll be running in something similar tomorrow, we went out in the last session looking to make a nice, safe run and came up with that 6.62, so we feel really good going into race day.

Event:  32nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals

Location: Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia

Day/Date: Friday, May 4, 2012

Jason Line and the Summit Racing team experienced both ends of the competitive spectrum during the opening day of qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.  After posting impressive numbers early in his first attempt at Atlanta Dragway, Line was suddenly slowed by a mechanical malfunction, one that required the team to swap motors in the brief period between rounds.

Undaunted, the entire KB Racing crew jumped into action, finishing the exchange and rolling their car into the staging lanes with moments to spare.  Their hard work was rewarded a few minutes later when Line powered through the quarter mile in 6.612 seconds with a top speed of 208.68 mph to claim the provisional No. 1 position.    

“We had some problems on our first run and damaged the engine, so we had to change it before the second session,” said Line.  “We didn’t even have time to start the thing before we went to the lanes, so I think there’s some room left.  My hat’s off to our engine guys because we were able to just plug an engine in from under the bench and go to the pole.  It’s a very reassuring feeling.

“My Summit Racing Pontiac is really, really good, and made a nice run tonight.  Again, we are missing a little bit, but I think it’s more tune up than anything else.  The car did a great job, we were good enough to be on the pole tonight, so I’m pretty happy.