Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Sunday, June 3, 2012

After earning his fifth No. 1 qualifying position of the season, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J. looking to translate his Saturday success into his second win of the season.  Facing Grace Howell in the opening stanza, he showed his intentions by posting the quickest elapsed time of round at 6.527-seconds to gain the victory.

Line duplicated that feat in the second round using a 6.561-second, 211.39 mph pass to defeat Rodger Brogdon and advance to the semifinals, where he would face Erica Enders.  Once again, he proved to be the class of the field, combining a lightning-quick .010 reaction time and a 6.540-second, 211.66 mph pass to eliminate Enders, who posted a 6.569-second time and 211.23 mph speed, and reach his third final round of the season, where he would face teammate Greg Anderson, who was in his first race in his new Chevrolet Camaro.

However, there was more at stake than the national event win, as this victory would be the 100th in the KB Racing team’s history, an accomplishment both drivers desperately wanted on their racing resume.  Leaving the line in tandem, the two raced neck-and-neck for much of the quarter mile, with Line looking to have a slight advantage.  However, just as it seemed he would capture his fourth win at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Line’s mount was slowed by a rare malfunction with the resulting 6.588-second, 200.98 mph run allowing his stable mate, who carded a 6.560-second, 212.03 mph pass, to gain the victory.

Naturally disappointed with the results, Line took some consolation in the team victory while also looking forward to the debut of his own Camaro at the next race in Bristol, TN.

“Although I am certainly pleased that we were able to get KB Racing’s 100th win with Ken and Judy (team owners Black) here in attendance, the racer in me is not happy,” said Line.  “We knew going into the final that we were going to get it, and I really wanted to be the one that did it.

“My Summit Racing Pontiac had performed beautifully all weekend, and I thought I was going to send it out a winner.  Unfortunately, just before the finish line, we had a problem with the motor and Greg was able get around me.  So even though I am personally disappointed, it was good day for the team.  I’m happy for everyone on the crew and glad we could get the Camaro a win in its first race back.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my own Summit Racing Camaro out at the next race.  We’ll spend the next few days getting it finished and tested before heading up to Bristol and seeing if we can give my Chevrolet an equally successful debut there.”

Englishtown, N.J., June 3, 2012 – Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson added yet another milestone win to his storied career on Sunday, capturing the KB Racing team’s 100th Pro Stock victory and returning the Chevrolet Camaro to a Full Throttle Drag Racing Series winner’s circle by taking home the title at the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Starting from the sixth position, Anderson defeated Ron Krisher, Mike Edwards and Allen Johnson in the early rounds before squaring off against teammate Jason Line in the final.  

The Summit Racing duo has historically had some of the closest races in the category’s history, and Sunday’s encounter was shaping up to be yet another as the two left the starting line as if welded together.  Although Line seemed to be gaining an edge as the two rocketed down the quarter-mile, his progress was suddenly slowed by a rare mechanical malfunction, allowing Anderson to use a 6.560-second, 212.03 mph pass to gain the historic win, an occasion made even more special by the presence of team owners Ken and Judy Black.  It was the 74th win of Anderson’s career, fourth of 2012 and fifth at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, making him the most successful Pro Stock driver in that track’s storied history.

“Once we both won in the semifinals, we were assured of KB Racing’s 100th win, so it was just a matter of which one of us would do it,” said Anderson. “It was something we both really wanted to accomplish, and to be honest, Jason was ahead of me by two hundredths when he broke a valve spring, or else he certainly would have won.  It was unfortunate for him, and it’s a sad deal any time we hurt a motor, but it was a great day for Ken and Judy Black and everyone on the team.  

“Winning an NHRA national event is not an easy task under any circumstance, so for a brand new car to come out and win in its very first race as we did today with our Summit Racing Camaro is a testament to the talent of the people on this KB Racing team.  They’re an incredible group of guys, and it’s a great feeling to share the winner’s circle and take pictures with Ken and the entire crew, especially those who have been here for all 100 wins.  It’s just a very special day for me.”

Although Anderson’s victory was not a certainty until he crossed the Raceway Park finish line on Sunday night, there was one very important person who had a premonition about today’s events almost two weeks ago.  In fact, team owner Ken Black made a special trip from his home in Las Vegas to join the team in Englishtown just to ensure he would be on hand to not only see their new race car in its first race, but to also hopefully witness the milestone win, which ironically came at the same track where Anderson had recorded the team’s first Pro Stock victory during their first year of existence in 2002.

“A couple of weeks ago, I lost to Allen Johnson in the Topeka final,” recalled Anderson.  “I thought I had a better car than he had, and I somehow had a better light than he did in the final, but my car shook the tires and we ended up losing the race.   

“When I spoke to Ken later that night I told him that I thought it was a sign that he was supposed to be on hand for his team’s 100th win, and he responded by telling me he was coming to Englishtown.  Traveling cross-country is a major effort for him, but he just had a feeling about this race, and fortunately, everything worked out perfectly.”

Further adding to Anderson’s accomplishment was the fact that he did it in a new and virtually untested race car.  Since taking delivery just over a month ago, the team had worked feverishly to get it ready for competition, completing it just over a week ago.  Following a brief two-day test session last week in North Carolina, they finished their pre-race preparation and headed north to the Garden State, where they would post the first Pro Stock win by a Chevrolet Camaro since the 2000 NHRA Finals in Pomona, Ca.

“We brought our new Summit Camaro to Englishtown with high hopes, but exceeded even those today,” said Anderson.  “After all, with everything we had on the line this weekend, it was a bit of a gutsy call to bring a new car out for the first time this weekend, especially as I had just gone to a final in my old car.  

“It was a tough decision, but we are so excited about General Motors’ getting back into Pro Stock with a true muscle car.  We also felt that the sooner we could get that car on the racetrack, the better off both KB Racing and the class would be.  We tested for a couple days last week, gained on it throughout qualifying, and then ran very well today.

“The Pro Stock class is fantastic right now.  We have Mopars, Fords and General Motors cars, which were primarily Pontiacs up until now with the introduction of the Camaro, racing in arguably one of the most competitive classes in all of motorsports.  I feel very fortunate to have been in General Motors cars for my entire career, and the future looks even brighter.  If you think about GM and racing, it’s Chevrolet, and it feels great to get them their first win in their return to Pro Stock drag racing.”

Anderson was also quick to recognize those whose support had made today’s success possible. Finally, with another new car in the works for his teammate and the next race rapidly approaching, he admitted that any post-race celebrations would be kept to a minimum.

“Of course, we would not have been able to reach 100 wins without the support of several outstanding people and companies,” said Anderson.  “Naturally, it all starts with Ken, Judy and Kenny Black, who started this team ten years ago.  They mean everything to us.  Also at the very top of the list is Summit Racing Equipment, who has been such a big part of our team for so many years.  In addition, we want to thank Chevrolet, Red Line Oil, Cometic Gaskets, Mac Tools, PAC Valve Springs, Wilson Manifolds, Diamond Pistons, K&N Filters, Speed Dawg Shift Knobs, Oakley and everyone else whose involvement with our race team makes days like today possible.  We are glad to share this win with all of them.

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Saturday, June 2, 2012

Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team had multiple objectives entering the second and final day of qualifying for the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  On one hand, they wanted to secure as high a starting position as possible for Sunday’s final eliminations, while they also looked to continue to familiarize themselves with their stunning new Camaro.  Fortunately, they were able to accomplish both goals on Saturday, closing their qualifying effort with their quickest pass of 6.538-seconds and a top speed of 211.99 mph to earn the sixth starting spot and a first round encounter with veteran Ron Krisher.

Although acknowledging that work still remained to be done in order to extract the maximum performance from his new ride, Anderson was pleased with the progress his team had made with the race car during the two days at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.  

“The bottom line is that there is a ton of potential with this new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Anderson.  “We just haven’t gotten all the round pegs in the round holes yet, but we will.  You always think it’s going to happen quicker than it does because we have so much confidence in this crew.  They’re sharp guys, so you always think you’re going to get it done right away, and I still believe we’ll get this new car straightened out fairly quickly.

“I love everything about this car.  Just the fact that it’s a Camaro and a muscle car makes perfect sense that we’re racing it in Pro Stock.  There’s no downside to it, and when we get it to run at the top of the class and winning races, it’s going to be happy times.

“The last run we made today was absolutely our best one so far with this car, and I’m confident we wouldn’t have done any better with my Pontiac. We just have missed the set-up, and it took us a few runs to figure out what this track wanted.  The good news is that we took a big step forward this afternoon, and should be able to take another one tomorrow.

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Saturday, June 2, 2012

Jason Line and the Summit Racing team continued their season-long qualifying excellence, capturing the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Taking advantage of the cooler temperatures on Friday evening at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Line raced through the quarter-mile in 6.518-seconds, best among the 18 cars attempting to qualify.

Although rival Allen Johnson was able to match his elapsed time on his final attempt on Saturday afternoon, the reigning Full Throttle Pro Stock champion earned the top spot on the basis of the top speed tiebreaker, with his Pontiac’s 212.09 mph effort besting Johnson’s 211.76 mark. This was Line’s fifth No. 1 qualifying performance of the season, 29th of his career and second consecutive at the venerable Englishtown quarter-mile.

Having posted one of the top two elapsed times in each of the four qualifying sessions, Line was cautiously optimistic heading into his first-round meeting with No. 16 qualifier Grace Howell, targeting his fourth New Jersey win in what will most likely be his final race in his current race car before switching to the new Camaro.  However, he was equally concerned with making sure his teammate Greg Anderson had a successful debut this weekend in his own Chevrolet.

“Obviously it feels good to hold on to the No. 1 position,” said Line.  “We had a little bit of a tense moment when AJ matched our time in the final session, but we were able to get him on speed and hold on to the pole, which is a really big deal.  This Summit Racing Pontiac has been a great car, and the guys are doing a tremendous job of working on it.

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Friday, June 1, 2012

While teammate Greg Anderson took to the track in his new Summit Racing Camaro on Friday at NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J., with his new mount not quite ready, Jason Line continued to campaign the Pontiac which had carried him to the 2011 Full Throttle Championship.  Not unexpectedly, therefore, he proved to be the class of the field at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, posting the quickest elapsed time and fastest top speed in each of the two qualifying sessions, with his 6.518-second, 212.09 mph best placing him atop the field with two final attempts remaining on Saturday.

Although naturally pleased with his showing, Line believed further improvement was certainly possible, while also looking forward to joining his teammate (who occupies the provisional ninth position) in the Bow Tie Brigade.

“I certainly like my current car, but I’m looking forward to getting out of it and into my new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Line.  “Greg’s may not have had the debut we were hoping for today, but we’ll get it straightened out.   As for my performance today, we’re off to a great start.  I’m not sure that time will hold for the pole, because if the weather holds, I think tomorrow’s morning session could be even faster.

“Even so, it was still a good run and my guys have done a tremendous job.  There was quite a bit of water in the air today, which slowed the entire Pro Stock field down by a couple hundredths, but I felt like we should have gone faster, so there’s something we could be missing.  The good news is that we have two more chances to figure it out tomorrow and make this car even better.”

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Friday, June 1, 2012

Greg Anderson and the KB Racing team opened a new chapter in their storied history on Friday, with their Summit Racing Pro Stock Camaro making its competitive debut during the first day of qualifying for the NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Although the cool and overcast conditions at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park were completely unlike those in which he made his initial testing runs one week ago, Anderson was still able to make two competitive passes, highlighted by his 6.554-second, 211.03 mph best in the evening session.  

Sitting an uncharacteristic ninth midway through the qualifying procedure, the four-time champion sang the praises of his new car, while admitting both he and his team were still in the process of determining its performance envelope.     

“I absolutely love my new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Anderson.  “I think it’s going to be a tremendous car.  It looks fantastic, I love driving it and it feels great.  It obviously wants to run, but we’re just not getting off the starting line or through the first two gears the way we would like, which is not the car’s fault.   

“We’re just off on the tune-up both car-wise and motor-wise, which has nothing to do with what body we’re running.  We’ll have to make some big moves tomorrow to get it in the game.  My hat’s off to the General for building a great car – I’m excited about the future.  For now, we need to get it closer to the bulls-eye.”