NHRA Summit Racing Pre Race: Line Aims to Add to his Gatornationals History

                                               Contact: Jon Knapp
Summit Racing PR
Ph: 704.662.3121
J2Racing@aol.com
Line Aims to Add to His Gatornationals History
Mooresville, N.C., March 8, 2010 – Even though he grew up 1500 miles away from Gainesville Raceway, Summit Racing NHRA Pro Stock driver Jason Line has been a part of the Gatornationals from a very young age.  His first experience came at the age of 15, when he accompanied his brother on a road trip to the legendary quarter-mile, taking in the sights as a most interested spectator.
 
Eight years later, he returned to the Florida track as a competitor, using the Gators as one of his points-claiming races en route to his national championship in the hotly contested Stock category.  Finally, in 2004, he became a regular participant at the traditional East Coast season opener racing in the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series’ Pro Stock division, culminating with wins in 2005 and 2009.  As the drag racing world once again heads to Gainesville for this weekend’s Tire Kingdom Gatornationals, Line took time to reflect on his experience at this marquee event.
 
“The Gatornationals are one of our oldest and most important races, and is near the top of every drag racer’s wish list, including mine,�?? said Line.  “The first time I attended the Gators was in 1985 when I went to the race with my brother Lance, and we had a huge time. It was a good way to get away from the winter weather in Minnesota and see the stars of our sport.  
 
“After that, I went back with my Stocker in 1993, and made it to the fifth round during my championship season.  As cool as that was, it was even better to go back there and win in 2005 and last year with my Summit Racing Pontiac.  It was great to win there twice, it would be even better to back up last year’s performance with a third Gatornationals Wally.�?? 
 
However, before the 2006 Pro Stock champion can entertain any thoughts of successfully defending his win from a year ago, both he and his Summit Racing team must first tackle a series of unusual challenges.  First, they must learn how recent rule changes will affect their race car’s performance, as well as their ability to fine tune it.  In addition, for Line and seven other racers qualifying will take on added meaning, as the sessions will double as elimination rounds from the recently postponed event in Arizona.  Despite these potential complications, it will be business as usual for the KB Racing crew.
 
“Personally, having to complete the last three rounds of eliminations from Arizona during qualifying doesn’t really change my approach to the weekend,�?? said Line.  “It’s still a matter of trying to make the best run you can, which in this case includes crossing the finish line first.  At this point, I’m actually more concerned with adapting our Summit Racing Pontiac to the rules changes we’ve been given since the last race.  
 
“We have some work to do, but fortunately, we’re going to test for a few days before the race, so by the time we get to Gainesville, we should be in pretty good shape.  I’ll have some extra motivation as my family will be there with me, which is always fun.  The bottom line, however, is that we haven’t gotten off to as good of a start as we’d like this year, and this weekend is the perfect chance for us to get back on track.�??
 
Jason Line Gainesville Raceway Scorecard –
 



Races

Wins

Finals

#1 Qual.

Rounds W

Rounds L

Pct.


6

2

3

0

11

4

.733



 
Notes for Jason Line & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
At Gainesville Raceway:
 
Line at the Gators: In six career starts at Gainesville Raceway, Jason has two wins in three final round appearances and three finishes of the semifinals or better.
 
One year ago – Defending Champion: Jason qualified fifth and defeated Jim Yates, Kurt Johnson, Rickie Jones and Allen Johnson for the 17th win of his NHRA Pro Stock career.
 
Gainesville Raceway Track Record Holder: Jason holds the current Gainesville Raceway top speed track record for the Pro Stock category, based on his 211.69-mph speed from March 2007.
 
Line & Anderson are among select Gatornationals company: KB Racing teammates Jason Line and Greg Anderson each have two Gatornationals wins to their credit, making them two of only 10 Pro Stock drivers to have scored multiple wins at this marquee event. 
 
Line’s Gainesville Qualifying Stats:  Jason has qualified in the top half of the field in each of his six career Gainesville Raceway starts, with a best starting position of second, which he earned in 2006.  Overall, he has an average starting spot of 5.16.
 
Event Schedule:
            Friday, March 12:                   Two qualifying sessions at 12 noon & 2:45 p.m.
            Saturday, March 13:               Two qualifying sessions at 12 noon & 2:45 p.m.
            Sunday, March 14:                 Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
 
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
            Qualifying:                   Sunday, March 14 – 2:00 – 4:00 a.m.
            Eliminations:                Sunday, March 14 – 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
            RaceDay:                    Sunday, March 14 – 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
(All times Eastern)   
 
Established in 1968, Summit Racing Equipment is the leading high performance parts and accessories company. Summit Racing offers the largest selection, lowest prices, and best customer service in the high performance industry via catalogs, Internet, and Retail Super Stores. The company is headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio with retail locations in Tallmadge, Ohio; Sparks, Nevada; and McDonough, Georgia.  For more information, please visit www.summitracing.com.
 
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