KB Racing LLC: Line focuses on winning rounds at Maple Grove Raceway
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE KB RACING LLC NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT PONTIAC GTO PRO STOCK JASON LINE -- DRIVER MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Schultz PHONE: 425-557-8899 E-MAIL: mschultz@bellsouth.net 22nd ANNUAL NHRA TOYO TIRES NATIONALS MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY -- READING, PENN. SEPTEMBER 14-17, 2006 (Rain Date: Sept. 29-Oct. 1) Line focuses on winning rounds at Maple Grove Raceway* MOHNTON, Penn. (September 28, 2006) -- Jason Line may not be the most flamboyant driver on the NHRA circuit. He may not have a driving style that ranks his stats at the top of the list. But he does have one thing going for him -- he is at the top of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Pro Stock point standings. Two weekends ago, relentless rains in Pennsylvania forced the postponement of the NHRA national event scheduled at Maple Grove Raceway, near Reading, Penn. This weekend, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, Line, who along with teammate Greg Anderson drive identical KB Racing LLC/Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, returns to rerun the rain-delayed NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals. While this weekend may be like any other race, Line doesn't mind the repeat trip to Reading. "I have relatives in that area, so it's fun for me to go to the race twice," said Line. "The weather looks like it might cooperate this time. Greg and I have had the two best cars out there most of the season, so I would like to take advantage of that fact and go some rounds." Coming into the NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals this weekend, Line, who has led the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock point standings since Denver, continues to pursue his first championship. With 16 rounds of racing (eliminations) remaining in 2006, Line leads second place Anderson by almost four rounds of racing and third place Dave Connolly by seven rounds. Translating that to numbers and points, Line leads Anderson by 78 points and Connolly by 140 points. Fourth place Kurt Johnson is 279 behind Line or nearly 14 rounds of racing and fifth place Mike Edwards is almost out of the hunt, 306 points behind (over 15 rounds). The advance weather forecast for this weekend calls for cool temperatures, with daytime highs in the 60s, and cloudy skies. A slight chance of rain (20 to 40 percent) is mentioned on all three days. Since 1985 (when the NHRA first visited this venue for a national event), the national elapsed time record in Pro Stock has been set at Maple Grove Raceway five times and the speed record once - the most recent for both was in October 2001. The 20 points earned for setting a national elapsed time record might help one of the five drivers that still have a chance at the Pro Stock POWERade championship. "The weather could help one of us, who knows," added Line, a Minnesota native, who now lives in Terrell, N.C. "If the weather is right, I think that we have a car capable of record runs. It certainly would be nice to grab 20 extra points. But our focus will be on winning rounds and if a record comes along great." Line holds the Maple Grove Raceway elapsed time track record at 6.669 seconds, which he set in October of 2004. He won here in 2004, when he defeated Anderson, and was No 1 at Reading last year. Line has gone to six final rounds this year, winning three. In addition, Line has four No. 1s in 2006, and, outside of 2003 when he ran only four races, has never finished lower than third in the final point standings (#2 in 2004 and #3 in 2005). And the most important thing is that in the run for the $200,000 that the No. 1 driver in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock point standings takes home, everyone is currently looking at Line's backside. Qualifying for Line and his KB Racing LLC/Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTO begins with two Pro Stock sessions on Friday, Sept. 29, scheduled for 1 and 4 p.m. and concludes with two additional Pro Stock sessions on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Line begins his quest for the Toyo Tires Nationals Pro Stock title on Sunday, Oct. 1, with eliminations for all classes beginning at 11 a.m. *All times are local Reading time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. * *New Television Times:* Qualifying highlights for the rain-delayed 22nd annual NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 on Sept. 30 from 4-6 p.m. ESPN2 will also air same-day television coverage of eliminations from 7 until 10 p.m., Sunday (Oct. 1). The elimination show repeats early Tuesday morning (Oct. 3) from 3:30-5:30 a.m. Also, tune in to NHRA2day on ESPN2, the weekly show that gives you the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA2day can be seen on Sunday morning, Oct. 1, from 12:30 -- 1 p.m. *Television times are Eastern Time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.* /KB Racing LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and his son Kenny Black. KB Racing LLC fields two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, one driven by Greg Anderson and the other by Jason Line in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Anderson has won three consecutive POWERade Pro Stock Championships (2003-2005). Line finished third in the 2005 POWERade point standings and was honored with the 2004 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future award, presented to the most outstanding rookie in a professional category. This year KB Racing LLC also began fielding a Top Fuel Dragster, managed by Kalitta Motorsports, with rookie Top Fuel driver Hillary Will handling the driving duties./ ####