Line Retains Points Lead Following Summit Racing Event in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, Nev., April 12, 2015 – Jason Line continued to flex KB Racing muscle at this weekend’s 16th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals and powered through qualifying effortlessly in his brilliant blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to score the 39th low qualifier award of his career and swoop up all but three of the top bonus qualifying points – the remaining three belonged to KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson. Launching into raceday in the No. 1 spot, Line was fully prepared to continue his surge and make it to his third final round of the season.
In round one, Line got the nod in immediate fashion when Joey Grose illuminated the red light by .186-second. Lane choice was in the Summit Racing pilot’s pocket due to a quick 6.672, 207.75, but in his second-round meeting with Allen Johnson, strategic placement of his racecar on one side of the racetrack over the other proved disappointingly irrelevant. The Mooresville, N.C.-based driver was .009-second ahead of the tree and saw red.
“This was not the kind of day we were looking for, but our Summit Racing hot rods are definitely coming around,” said Line, who kept hold of the points lead despite the early exit. “We ran well, and Greg’s Chevrolet Camaro ran exceptionally well. I’m very excited about going forward, and things are looking good in the very near future for the Summit Racing team, that’s for sure.”
KB Racing is certainly able to extract positive notes from their weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The conditions at the SummitRacing.com Nationals were the warmest the NHRA tour has seen yet this season, and the team showed adaptability as they proved that their racecars could be quick and fast no matter the conditions.
“Our cars were good here, and they’re getting better,” said Line. “I feel very good about that. Rob [Downing, crew chief], Mike [Edwards] and everybody on our team, they’re doing a great job. We may not have lived up to the standards that we have set for ourselves yet, but it’s right there. It’s on the edge.”
More positive: KB Racing teammate Vincent Nobile turned a corner at the Las Vegas event, flying to the final round of the K&N Horsepower Challenge and repeating the feat on Sunday, posting a final-round finish in his KB Racing-powered Mountain View Chevrolet Camaro.
“It was definitely a get-well weekend for Vincent,” said Line. “They’ve struggled with a couple of things, but they’ve got their car back in a happy spot. Vincent will be a contender. He’s going to be tough, and that’s great. We need that.
“As for what’s next for us as a team, well, we’re going to go back and keep working on things. We have a great group of folks on this Summit Racing team, and I wish everybody could know them the way I do. They’re all really special people. We’ll go back home and work hard, go back and keep digging. That’s what makes us, us.”