Line gaining in his Summit Racing Camaro with raceday in Bristol on the horizon
BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 14, 2014) – Pro Stock driver Jason Line had a steadily rising car with his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro during qualifying at the 14th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, and the continuously improving performance ultimately placed Line in the No. 4 position heading into raceday at Bristol Dragway. Line will race V. Gaines in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.
The weekend began with Line clocking a 6.686-second blast at 207.21 mph to secure a position in the top half of the field and in the No. 7 spot. The later Friday night sessions provided air that wasn’t quite as productive for the naturally aspirated engines that power the Pro Stock cars, yet Line improved to a 6.677 at 207.18 that held him seventh.
Feeling as though the first two runs were a bit on the safe side, Line and the Summit Racing crew branched out into more assertive territory and made a nice move into the No. 5 spot in the opening session on Saturday afternoon with a 6.652 at 208.07 mph – one of only two runs to eclipse 208 in the session.
Still hungry and realizing there was more for the taking, the team came back in the final session with a stout 6.636 at a speed of 208.55 mph – quite a pass for the conditions and one of only four of the round to exceed the 208 mark.
“That last run there was a pretty good run,” Line said with a smile. “There was more left, and we maybe even could have seen a 6.62 – but we gave up a lot between the 60-foot timer and the 330, but we’re getting better and better overall. These are baby steps, you know, but we’re getting there. To be honest, I feel like this is the best car I have had all year. It will be up to me to let the clutch out tomorrow, because I know I have the car to beat someone. That’s a really good feeling.”
The fact that Sunday is Father’s Day is not lost on the second-generation drag racer, whose dad, Lawrence Line, was a big influence in the course of his life.
“Tomorrow will certainly be a time to reflect on both appreciating my father and on being a father myself, and it’s exciting to have my kids here on Father’s Day. At the end of the day, I win no matter what happens – but you can bet I want to put this Summit Racing Camaro in the winner’s circle.”