Speedy Line Picks up Valuable Bonus Points on Day One in Pomona
POMONA, Calif., November 14, 2014 – The first day of qualifying at the Auto Club NHRA Finals is in the books, and Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line has set the stage for a very good weekend that he hopes will put a cap on the 2014 season in spectacular fashion. Line, of Mooresville, N.C., entered the event in the No. 2 position in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock points and was just 17 marks back from the top spot, and with a powerful hotrod, he is warming up for what he intends to be a very successful Sunday.
The 50th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona kicked off under grey skies and with cool temperatures, and Line and company took advantage of the conditions and powered the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a pleasingly quick 6.532-second pass at 211.46 mph that sent him all the way up to the No. 2 spot. With two bonus points in his pocket, Line and the KB Racing team headed back to the pit area to freshen up their fast factory hot rod and came back with another solid run.
A 6.537, 211.33 flashed on the scoreboard in his second pass of the weekend, and Line earned one more bonus qualifying point for the effort as the third quickest driver in the session. Line closed out the day in the No. 3 spot.
“Not a bad start, but we didn’t get as many of those bonus points as we were hoping for,” said Line, who is shooting for his third Pro Stock world championship. “Our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro made two good runs, and there is certainly more left. Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll be able to run even quicker. We gained valuable information today on both of those runs, and we’re certainly optimistic.”
If nothing should shift on the ladder through two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Line will race Pro Stock part-timer Jeff Isbell on Sunday, while teammate Greg Anderson, currently No. 16, will be poised to race the No. 1 qualifier and KB Racing teammate Vincent Nobile will line up against incoming points leader Erica Enders-Stevens.