Line enjoys Father’s Day in Bristol both on and off the racetrack
BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 15, 2014) – Father’s Day weekend at Bristol Dragway didn’t quite pan out as Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line had hoped, but the 14th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals certainly showed Line and his competition that Team Summit is inching closer to a return to the winner’s circle.
Line, the No. 4 qualifier, made one of the quickest and fastest passes of the opening round in his defeat of V. Gaines, clocking a winning 6.673 at 207.53 mph to 6.709, 206.99. The win light came with a second round meeting with Dave Connolly, a driver commonly known for quick reaction times. For Line, this proved to be no issue and he launched in a swift .020-second. Meanwhile his opponent ran into wicked tire shake on the track and couldn’t complete the run, allowing Line to surge ahead steadily for a 6.707, 206.95 win.
The day came to an end in the semifinals for Line when he launched just .012-second behind rookie competitor Jonathan Gray and couldn’t make up the difference. The victory went to Gray, 6.730, 206.23 to 6.726, 206.39.
“We definitely had a better weekend for sure with our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro,” said Line. “We weren’t great out there, but we were respectable and even though we struggled in the semis on a greasy racetrack and lost the handle on it, I’m really happy we made it to the semis. It’s a lot better than what we’ve done the last two races, and I definitely think we made forward progress.”
Sunday in Bristol was also Father’s Day, and although Line’s own dad Lawrence was not in attendance, it was still a very special day as the second generation drag racer’s children, Jack and Emma were there to cheer him on, as was team owner Ken Black.
“It was great having my kids and Ken here,” said Line. “It was just a lot of fun for all of us, and it was very special. This morning we got to do the track walk with Ken, and that was cool. It’s also always fun to walk with the fans and see their expressions when they step out onto the track and realize how sticky it is. That was a lot of fun, and I’m glad that my teammate Greg Anderson and I got to do that today.”
With his performance in Bristol, Line remains in the No. 4 position in NHRA’s Mello Yello Series Pro Stock standings, and with another race very near on the horizon – the 2nd annual NHRA New England Nationals – he will soon have the opportunity for advancement.
“We’re looking forward to next week, that’s for sure,” said Line. “It’s just another chance for us to get a Summit Racing Camaro to the winner’s circle.”