Summit Racing–Line No. 1 Qualifier at Mile-High NHRA Nationals

DENVER, Colo., July 19, 2014 – Jason Line and Bandimere Speedway are forming quite a bond this weekend at the 35th annual Mile-High NHRA Nationals. Line powered his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a series of remarkable passes during qualifying and dramatically snatched the low qualifier award at the very last moment on Saturday evening. Line, who earned his first No. 1 qualifying position of the year, will race Steve Kalkowski in the first round on Sunday.

“Coming into the weekend, I didn’t really expect that we would be No. 1,” admitted Line, who moved into fourth place in the standings with the aid of bonus points picked up during qualifying. “But I did feel like we would run better than we have been lately. I can’t tell you how hard everybody has been working at the shop. It’s been a tough grind, but we are tired of running bad and tired of losing. At some point, you get kicked enough and you get up and do something about it. We are definitely at that point. I didn’t think we would be No. 1, but I knew that we would be good.”

From the very first run down the quarter-mile dragstrip at Bandimere Speedway, Line and his Rob Downing-tuned Summit Racing steed had the right combination for the unique high-altitude conditions. A 6.967-second run at 197.10 mph vaulted him into the No. 2 position, and there he stayed through the first three rounds. In the second session, Line improved to a 6.929, 197.97, and in the third round he put a respectable 6.940, 198.35 in the logbook.

As the No. 2 man in the qualifying order, Line and then No. 1 qualifier Allen Johnson were held back as the last pair of Pro Stockers to make their final qualifying pass of the weekend. As the two crossed the finish line, a brilliant 6.924 at 198.70 flashed on Line’s side of the scoreboards; he had bumped Johnson down to second and nabbed the lead by .004-second with a brand new Bandimere Speedway track record.

Line will start from the No. 1 position for the first time since the Maple Grove Raceway event last fall. It is the 36th No. 1 qualifier award of his career and his second at Bandimere Speedway, where he was No. 1 in 2006.

“We may have a slightly unfair advantage with Summit Racing Equipment, ‘The World’s Speed Shop’ behind us, but we are turning a corner, and I feel very optimistic,” said Line. “We’ve worked really hard and our guys have done a great job. This is the most excited I’ve been in a long time, I can tell you that.”