Commerce, Ga., May 6, 2012 – Greg Anderson completed a racer’s dream on Sunday, capturing the Pro Stock title at his primary sponsor’s race, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.  Starting from the third position, he defeated Greg Stanfield, Steve Kent and Allen Johnson in the early rounds before squaring off against his teammate and No. 1 qualifier Jason Line in a repeat of last year’s final round.

Running without lane choice and facing a quicker opponent, Anderson knew he would need to gain an edge in order to give himself a chance at his third win of the season. Attacking the starting line, he left five hundredths of a second ahead and never looked back, using a 6.649-second, 208.26 mph run to hold off his stable mate’s 6.618-second, 209.62 mph pass.  This was Anderson’s 73rd win of his career, third of the 2012 season and fourth at Atlanta Dragway.

“I feel like the luckiest guy out here today, because this was not a typical win for this Summit Racing team,” said Anderson.  “I didn’t have the best car, and I didn’t have my best day of driving, but we kept digging, working to get better with every run.  As a result, we made fewer mistakes than our competition, and made it to the final against our teammate, which is, of course, the ideal scenario at your sponsor’s race.

“I’m not sure what happened to Jason in the final, but he apparently made a mistake, allowing me to get a jump at the starting line.  My car then made a very nice run, and I was able to hold him off.  For whatever reason, the good Lord was shining on me today.  I am very proud to have Summit Racing Equipment on the side of our car, and hope we made them proud today.”

Anderson was quick to credit the KB Racing team and its owner for the successful weekend.  In one of the sport’s most competitive classes, they placed three cars in the top four positions in qualifying, and delivered an equally impressive performance on race day, with all three advancing to the semifinals before the all-Summit Racing championship round.  In addition, he acknowledged the companies whose participation allows the team to compete at such a high level.

“Obviously, as a team we are very happy with today’s results, putting three cars in the semifinals and two in the final,” said Anderson.  “At a Summit event, it just doesn’t get any better than that.  The way this team is right now, if one car has an off race, we still have two that can go rounds and win races.  That doesn’t happen very often with multicar teams, but this truly is one team with three cars, with everyone rowing the boat in the same direction.

“That is the one thing about this team of which I am proudest, and it all goes back to the people on this crew, and our team owner Ken Black.  He is working so hard at his rehabilitation in order to get back out here with us that we just want to keep digging deeper to make him proud.  This is a tough, tough class, one where anyone can win on a given weekend, so we feel fortunate to have won as many as we have so far this season.

“We also couldn’t do this without the support of several outstanding companies, including Summit Racing Equipment, Chevrolet, Red Line Oil, Cometic Gaskets, Mac Tools, PAC Valve Springs, Wilson Manifolds, Diamond Pistons, K&N Filters, Speed Dawg Shift Knobs and many others.  Their involvement with our team makes this all possible, and I’m glad we were able to take them back to the winner’s circle today.

Event:  32nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals

Location: Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia

Day/Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012

After posting a quick time of 6.625-seconds with a top speed of 208.62 mph on Friday, Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team headed into the second day of qualifying at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga. looking to better their performance and put themselves in a good position for Sunday’s final eliminations.  Hindering their efforts were the increased temperatures at Atlanta Dragway, which saw the racing surface reach temperatures exceeding 130 degrees.

Even so, Anderson was able to come close to matching his previous best, clocking a 6.629-second time, which was third-quickest for the morning session and cemented his third-place starting position for race day.  Although the highly competitive racer was disappointed to have not run better, he still found reason to be optimistic heading into his first round match-up with Greg Stanfield about his chances for a fourth Peach State win.

“We didn’t really make the type of runs we were hoping for today, but we’re still in a good position for Sunday,” said Anderson.  “With today’s higher temperatures we knew it would be tough, and although our Summit Racing Pontiac was able to make that 6.62 pass this morning, it wasn’t really a good run.

Event:  32nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals

Location: Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia

Day/Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012

Jason Line and the Summit Racing team continued their run of strong qualifying performances on Saturday, capturing the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s final eliminations of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.  After slotting himself atop the field with his 6.612-second, 208.68 mph pass on Friday evening, Line was never headed for the remainder of qualifying, improving to a 6.607-second time and 209.04 mph top speed on Saturday morning before closing with a 6.629-second, 208.39 mph run on the 133 degree Atlanta Dragway track in the fourth and final session.

This is the 28th No. 1 qualifying performance of Line’s career, fourth of the season and first at Atlanta Dragway.  As he prepared for his first round encounter with No. 16 qualifier and fellow Minnesota native Warren Johnson, he was quick to acknowledge the efforts of those who had contributed to his running so well in the adverse conditions as well as needling one of the sport’s announcers.  Finally, he looked to turn his success in qualifying into round wins on Sunday, allowing him to successfully defend his title from this race a year ago.

“The racetrack was certainly hotter today, but the NHRA did a nice job of prepping it because it was phenomenal considering the conditions,” said Line.  “Realizing we’ll be running in something similar tomorrow, we went out in the last session looking to make a nice, safe run and came up with that 6.62, so we feel really good going into race day.

Event:  32nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals

Location: Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia

Day/Date: Friday, May 4, 2012

Jason Line and the Summit Racing team experienced both ends of the competitive spectrum during the opening day of qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.  After posting impressive numbers early in his first attempt at Atlanta Dragway, Line was suddenly slowed by a mechanical malfunction, one that required the team to swap motors in the brief period between rounds.

Undaunted, the entire KB Racing crew jumped into action, finishing the exchange and rolling their car into the staging lanes with moments to spare.  Their hard work was rewarded a few minutes later when Line powered through the quarter mile in 6.612 seconds with a top speed of 208.68 mph to claim the provisional No. 1 position.    

“We had some problems on our first run and damaged the engine, so we had to change it before the second session,” said Line.  “We didn’t even have time to start the thing before we went to the lanes, so I think there’s some room left.  My hat’s off to our engine guys because we were able to just plug an engine in from under the bench and go to the pole.  It’s a very reassuring feeling.

“My Summit Racing Pontiac is really, really good, and made a nice run tonight.  Again, we are missing a little bit, but I think it’s more tune up than anything else.  The car did a great job, we were good enough to be on the pole tonight, so I’m pretty happy.

Mooresville, N.C., May 2, 2012 – For the second time in 2012, teams in the NHRA’s Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will be competing on consecutive weekends, heading directly from Houston, Tex. to Commerce, Ga. for the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals.  Although the timeframe may be compressed, the workload remains the same, and unlike their brethren in other racing series who simply exchange race cars from the fleet at their disposal, the straight-liners must work with the single chassis that they use for the entire season, performing between-race maintenance as well as any necessary repairs or modifications.  

In the case of Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team, the past four days have included nearly 3,000 miles of travel by the team’s twin transporters and Sunday night flights by the remainder of the crew to maximize their time at the shop.  However, the current Pro Stock championship points leader believes the stress of this very hectic week is balanced by the ability to quickly return to competition, whether to extend a run of strong performances or make up for a less than stellar showing.

“This was a very busy week for the Summit Racing team, busier than normal” said Anderson.  “The crew flew home on Sunday night after the race, while one of our transporters came straight home with both race cars so we could work on them, getting them as ship shape as we can for this weekend.  

“At the same time our other truck went north to RJ Race Cars in Illinois to pick up our first Camaro, getting back on Wednesday with just enough time to unpack and reload for Atlanta. We’re really eager to see our Camaros and start this exciting new chapter.  We’re a little disappointed we couldn’t bring them out here at the Summit race, but there just wasn’t enough time.  Besides, we didn’t want to shake down a brand new car at such an important race.   

“It’s certainly been a crazy few days, but if it was up to me I would race every weekend.  When you’re doing well, you naturally want to keep going, while if you have an off race, as we did in Houston, you want to get back to the track as quickly as you can to redeem yourself.  Either way, we’re ready to get back at it in Atlanta.”

With a career elimination-round win percentage of almost 75%, Atlanta Dragway, site of this weekend’s race, understandably ranks high on Anderson’s list of favorite tracks.  Located one hour north of the city in the town of Commerce, it has witnessed much of the growth of his Pro Stock career, starting as a crew chief for a Georgia-based legend to his current status as one of the category’s all-time best racers.  This weekend, he looks to further his reputation and put smiles on the faces of some very important people by scoring his fourth win in the Peach State.

“Naturally, as a Summit race, this is a big event for our entire team,” said Anderson. “Fortunately, we have historically done well at Atlanta Dragway, including putting both Summit cars in the final there a year ago.  It’s one of the tracks that is very friendly to our team so it’s a perfect one to have our sponsor’s name on and we naturally enjoy going there.

“It has also been a very good track for me personally.  People seem to forget that for many years I came here as a crew member and crew chief on Warren Johnson’s car, and we made a lot of runs down this track with more than our share of success.  That gave me an invaluable amount of experience on how to tune a car here, which I believe has played a role in my doing so well here with the KB Racing team.

Mooresville, N.C., May 2, 2012 – Celebrity guests are a common occurrence at motorsports events around the world.  From singing the national anthem and being race dignitaries to simply coming the races as invitees of their favorite team, there is always someone of note in attendance when two or four-wheeled competition is involved.

For example, Jason Line and the Summit Racing team are looking forward to welcoming a special guest at this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Southern NHRA Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.  Although he may not be a household name, his presence is extremely important to the reigning Full Throttle champion, as for the last two years Command Sergeant Major William “Buck” O’Neal has welcomed Line and the rest of the Team Summit contingent during their visits to Ramstein Air Force base in Germany.  This weekend, Line looks to return the favor, as Command Sergeant Major O’Neal and his father will be at Atlanta Dragway all weekend as guests of Summit Racing Equipment.

“The last two years during our trips to Ramstein Air Force base, Command Sergeant Major O’Neal would always make a point of coming out to welcome us,” recalled Line.  “During our conversations he would tell us what big drag racing fans both he and his father were, and how he couldn’t wait to return home and take his dad to the races.  Naturally, we told him to let us know once he came back, because we would be glad to set him up with a VIP experience.  After all, this is a man who has dedicated his life to the service of our country, so it’s the least we could do.

“Fortunately, he has now returned stateside, and before he heads to his next posting, both he and his father are going to be the special guests of Summit Racing this weekend in Atlanta.  I’m looking forward to seeing him again as well as meeting his father and returning the hospitality he showed us in Germany, giving them an in-depth look into the world of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing.  It will be good to have them at the track with us and I hope to be able to have them join us in the winner’s circle on Sunday night.”

For Line to achieve his goal of celebrating with the O’Neals on Sunday, he will need to duplicate his Atlanta Dragway performance of a year ago, when he defeated KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson in the final round.  However, standing in his way will be another tough Pro Stock field and unusually warm temperatures which will rob the naturally aspirated engines of valuable horsepower and require an entirely different set-up.  Fortunately, seemingly in his corner is the Peach State speed plant, where he has one win in three final round appearances and seven starts in the top four positions in his previous eight races.

“Last year our Summit Racing team had a really good day in Atlanta, putting both cars in the final, and I was fortunate enough to come out on top,” said Line.  “I think we’re ready to do something good this weekend, which means we’ll have to do a better job than we did last week in Houston.  The conditions there were similar to what is forecast for this weekend, so hopefully we learned a few things about our hot weather tune-up that we’ll be able to use in Atlanta.

Event:  25th annual NHRA Spring Nationals

Location: Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Tex.

Day/Date: Sunday, April 29, 2012

Having been one of the quickest and most consistent cars throughout qualifying, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Tex. cautiously optimistic about his chances of scoring his second win of the 2012 season.  Despite the warmer temperatures and higher humidity that engulfed Royal Purple Raceway on race day, the second-qualified Line and his KB Racing team responded well, posting the third-quickest elapsed time of the opening stanza at 6.571-seconds to defeat Rickie Jones.

In the second round against veteran Mike Edwards, Line was able to deliver the quickest elapsed time of that round, covering the quarter-mile in 6.591-seconds with a top speed of 210.50 mph.  Unfortunately, it fell an immeasurable eight thousandths of a second shy of overcoming his rival’s starting line edge and 6.603-second, 209.79 mph run putting a premature end to the reigning Full Throttle champion’s day.

“As close as the competition is right now in Pro Stock, you need an absolutely error-free performance to win,” said Line.  “We didn’t have that today, and as a result our day ended earlier than we wanted.   We didn’t make a particularly good run in the second round, and the driver could have done a better job.  If we had done either of those, we probably would have won the round, but we didn’t, so we have to learn from it and move on.

Event:  25th annual NHRA Spring Nationals

Location: Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Tex.

Day/Date: Sunday, April 29, 2012

Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team came into Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Tex. looking to continue their 2012 string of race day successes, having advanced to the final round in four of this season’s five races.  To do so, they knew they would need to elevate their performance and find a competitive consistency.  Further complicating the team’s assignment were the increased temperatures and humidity at Royal Purple Raceway, which would not only rob their naturally aspirated engine of valuable horsepower, but also require changes to the tune-up in order to maximize performance.

Starting fifth, Anderson used a solid 6.605-second, 209.78 mph run to defeat Kurt Johnson in the first round.  This set the stage for a quarterfinal encounter with No. 4 qualifier David Connolly, who had posted the second quickest time in the opening round.  Although the four-time champion posted a representative 6.611-second time with a top speed of 210.05 mph, his opponent was able to score the round win with his 6.596-second, 210.11 mph pass.

“For some reason, we were off on the set-up the entire weekend,” said Anderson.  “It wasn’t for lack of trying, as we threw everything at our Summit Racing Pontiac looking to better its performance, but it never really responded the way we wanted it to.  We made a couple of decent runs in qualifying, but just could not duplicate them today in the heat.  We spun the tires at the hit in the second round, and it cost us.

Event:  25th annual NHRA Spring Nationals

Location: Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Tex.

Day/Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012

Jason Line and his Summit Racing team strung together three consistent runs to earn the second starting spot for Sunday’s eliminations of the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Tex.  Starting with his 6.550-second, 211.00 mph effort on Friday evening, the reigning Pro Stock champion made three consecutive passes in the 6.55-second range, including the two quickest runs in Saturday’s twin qualifying sessions, allowing him to add a total of eight bonus points (out of a maximum of 12) while extending his 2012 streak of qualifying in the top two positions to six.

Despite this impressive performance, as he prepared for his first-round encounter with Rickie Jones, Line still felt there was room for even more improvement.  However, his primary concern entering race day was translating his qualifying success into round wins and, hopefully, his second win of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season.

“It may sound funny considering we had the quickest time in each session today, but I thought we would run better than we did,” said Line.  “After all, we’re never happy unless we’re No. 1.   Still, we had a very good day with our Summit Racing Pontiac, especially considering today’s higher temperatures and humidity.  Best of all, we have a great starting spot for tomorrow and a very fast hot rod, one that is certainly capable of winning the race.

Event:  25th annual NHRA Spring Nationals

Location: Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Tex.

Day/Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012

After posting the eighth-quickest time on Friday, Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson entered the final day of qualifying for the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Tex. determined to improve his standing for race day.  Despite Saturday’s higher temperatures, Anderson and his KB Racing crew responded to the challenge, posting the third-quickest time of the morning session at 6.575-seconds with a top speed of 211.00 mph to claim the fifth starting position, his ninth Top Five qualifying performance in 13 career starts at Royal Purple Raceway.

However, as he prepared to open Sunday’s final eliminations against veteran Kurt Johnson, Anderson opined that both he and his KB Racing crew would need to better their performance in order to contend for their third Houston win.  Fortunately, it is a scenario which they have repeated often during this season’s first five races, resulting in two wins in four final round appearances.

“We’re hoping to continue our 2012 trend where we’ve struggled in qualifying but raced extremely well on Sunday,” said Anderson.  “Basically, we’ve been exploring every option in qualifying, trying to improve our performance and get it closer to the top cars.  We could go out there and make four consistent, average runs, but that’s not how you win races.  As tight as the competition is in Pro Stock, you need every facet to be working at its very best.