Line Encouraged by Early Numbers, Set for Strong Raceday in Joliet
Event: 16th annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals
Location: Route 66 Raceway, Chicago, Illinois
Day/Date: Saturday, June 29, 2013
The final day of qualifying at the Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Chicago’s Route 66 Raceway was one of the best of the 2013 season of Mello Yello Drag Racing in terms of elapsed time and speed, with a remarkable series of 6.5-second blasts in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, including the 6.584 at 209.33 mph recorded by Summit Racing campaigner Jason Line, who will start sixth on raceday.
The first day of the event, the 12th of 24 on the 2013 schedule, allotted only a single qualifying session due to looming stormy weather. Line cleared the finish line with a 6.637 at 208.30 mph and ended the first day in the No. 6 spot, and in Saturday’s first session, the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver improved to a 6.611 at over 209 mph.
After the first session, the final round of qualifying was projected, accurately, to be the best. Line and the rest of the Pro Stock class watched as the air improved and the track temperature dropped dramatically, creating prime conditions for mind-blowing runs. Line was among those in the category to make their best run of the weekend so far in the later session.
“The conditions changed between the time we left the trailer and we got up there to the staging lanes,” said Line. “The session was fun, and it was good because you usually just kind of know who is going to go fast – it would be hard to bet against certain people right now – but there were a couple of surprises in there.
“Maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but in my particular case we used the run as a test. My car did not make a great run, it shook really hard [through] second gear, but we learned something – and it 60-footed phenomenal. I don’t know that I ever went faster than that [to the 60-foot timer].”
Although the final timer on the racetrack is the critical decider in terms of round wins, the 60-foot marker is a carefully watched increment in a category where victories are often recorded by mere thousandths of a second.
Line’s .965-second dash to the first timing block was the quickest of all the Pro Stock cars, and the Summit Racing team proved that they certainly have the first part of the smooth racing surface figured out better than most as Line’s KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson wasn’t far behind (.968).
“All in all, things ended up pretty good today,” said Line, who will race Mark Martino in the first round of eliminations for the first time this year. “We got the Summit Racing Camaros to run a little bit better, and I have a good starting spot for tomorrow. I’d say we’re all looking forward to tomorrow morning.”
