Line Moves Up in Vegas with One Race Left in Championship Chase
Las Vegas, Nev., Oct. 27, 2013 – Raceday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway didn’t exactly go as planned for Jason Line, but the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship contender powered the white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to an impressive speed during eliminations and made gains in the points at the NHRA Toyota Nationals. Line, already a two-time Pro Stock champion, moved up to the No. 2 spot and is 71 points outside of first with one race to go before the title is decided.
Line stepped into the white Camaro after a crash during testing a little more than a week before the Las Vegas race. Without much experience in KB Racing’s white car, Line was hopeful yet uncertain as to how the weekend would play out. Thankfully, four rounds of qualifying showed Line and the Summit Racing crew that they had plenty to work with, and a start from the No. 5 position – as well as an accumulation of four valuable bonus points – were encouraging factors.
On raceday, Line came up against Rodger Brogdon in the first round of eliminations, a driver over whom he held a 3-1 advantage. Line extended his advantage as he left the starting line ahead of his challenger by .025-second and raced to the top end well ahead, clocking a 6.666 at a strong 207.72 mph to topple Brogdon’s 6.708, 206.54.
Line had power on display and made the second-quickest pass of the second round paired with the fastest speed. Unfortunately, his 6.669 at 207.43 mph was eclipsed by Shane Gray’s 6.691, 207.24. Line’s fate was sealed at the starting line when he was .068 at the tree to Gray’s .036.
Although the outcome was disappointing, Line made a big impression at the event by showing up and performing in a car with which he had relatively little experience.
“We definitely started off on a good note with the white car,” said Line. “These Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros are good cars, and I was glad that we ran as well as we did. On Friday, we made a darn good run and it really gave us some good insight. I felt like we could have been a top car here. Today was disappointing, especially with the championship on the line, but we aren’t out of it yet. Team Summit has weathered storms before, and right now we’re in the middle of one. Hopefully, the sun will shine on us at the Finals in Pomona in two weeks.”
