A Runner-Up on Saturday, Line Looks to Improve One Position on Sunday
Event: Sixth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
Location: Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
Day/Date: Saturday, July 7, 2012
Jason Line and the Summit Racing team rode an emotional roller coaster on Saturday, posting the quickest times of the day in scoring a runner-up finish in the K&N Horsepower Challenge specialty race, which was held as part of the second day of qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Although the blistering heat and drenching humidity at Summit Motorsports Park prevented any changes among the top positions from Friday’s qualifying times, Line used the first two rounds of the annual all-star race to pace the Pro Stock field.
Coming in as the No. 1 qualifier, Line used a 6.705-second, 204.91 mph pass to eliminate Jeg Coughlin, who clocked a 6.746-second time, in the opening stanza. He then squared off against his teammate Greg Anderson, who had won the event the past two years. This time, however, Line combined a lightning-fast .008 reaction time and a 6.718-second, 206.10 mph run to gain the victory and advance to his third Horsepower Challenge final round.
Facing sophomore runner Vincent Nobile, Line tripped the finish line timers in 6.732 seconds with a top speed of 205.66 mph. Unfortunately it was not enough to overcome his opponent’s starting line edge and 6.750-second, 205.94 mph run. Taking full responsibility, Line turned his frustration into motivation for tomorrow’s final eliminations of the Full Throttle event, where he goes in as the No. 2 qualifier.
“As close as the competition is in Pro Stock, you have to be just about perfect to win, and today I came up twelve thousandths short,” said Line. “My Summit Racing Camaro was good enough to win with, but I just didn’t do a good enough job. Fortunately, we only have to wait until tomorrow to bounce back. We may not be the fastest car here, but we are probably the second fastest, and certainly capable of leaving here with the trophy, which would be huge here in front of Ken and Judy (team owners Black) and everyone from Summit.
“However, I was very proud to be here and represent K&N, and I want to thank them for not only putting on the Horsepower Challenge, but everything else they do for the entire Pro Stock class. They are a great company and I really wanted to bring that beautiful trophy home. I guess we will just have to start working on getting back here next year.”