Through the first two races of the 2011 NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Jason Line and his Summit Racing team have been the class of the Pro Stock category, qualifying No. 1 and advancing to the final in each event, winning last weekend in Dallas, a performance that has allowed him to garner a 112-point lead in the standings (ahead of teammate and defending series champion Greg Anderson), the largest among all professional categories.
Even so, as the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Reading for this weekend’s Auto-Parts Nationals in Reading, Pa., Line is acutely aware that four races still remain to determine this year’s title. Therefore, plenty of work remains to be done in order to secure his second championship starting this weekend in Pennsylvania.
“We’ve certainly gotten off to a good start, but we still have to finish it,” said Line. “Our Summit Racing Pontiac is running really well at the moment, and the crew is making some great calls throughout the weekend, which has let us build up this lead. This fight is far from over – heck, we haven’t even made it to halftime.
“It’s a nice position to be in, but with four races left and a lot of good cars not that far behind us, we still have our work cut out for us. We have a good shot at it, but we’re going to keep doing whatever it takes to make it happen, and we won’t back down until it’s out of reach, which is quite a ways down the road. In the meantime, we’re focusing on winning Reading.”
Fortunately, this weekend the KB Racing crew will be returning to a track on which they have experienced success, with Line having won there in his rookie season in 2004 and stable mate Anderson adding two wins of his own. In addition, with the forecast calling for cool temperatures at Maple Grove Raceway, the possibility exists for new national records to be set, with a new national elapsed time mark coming with a 20-point bonus, invaluable at this time of year, an accomplishment the Summit Racing crew has on their “to-do” list.
“We see this weekend at Maple Grove as another opportunity to do well and score points, and if setting the national record is a possibility, we are certainly going to go after it,” said Line. “Of course, whenever we’re in conditions like they are forecasting for the weekend up in Reading, it’s always on our mind. It’s an accomplishment we take great pride in and aren’t happy when we don’t have it, so hopefully we can take care of it this weekend.”
All talk of records aside, Line has plenty of other reasons for looking forward to this weekend, including welcoming team owner Ken Black, his wife Judy and several members of the Black family as they make their first cross-country trip since Black’s stroke in December 2009. Just having their team leader back in charge promises to be a tremendous boost to the morale of the Summit Racing team. In addition, Line will have the added benefit of having his family with him.
“I like going up to Maple Grove,” said Line. It’s a beautiful area, the race track is good and the fans really enjoy Pro Stock. It’s normally a beautiful time of year which, combined with the lifestyle, reminds me of my home state of Minnesota.
“Best of all, this year we’ll have Ken and Judy Black out at the track with us, and I’ll have my wife and kids with me, both of which are very good for my morale. Ken stopped by our shop last Tuesday, and it was great to see him doing so well. He means so much to every member of this race team, and I’m looking forward to seeing him at the track this weekend.
“Right now, I feel that we can go to any track and win the race, which is a great mindset to have. Of course, we’re going to have the chance to prove it in the next few races, but for right now, our focus is squarely on making it to the winner’s circle in Maple Grove.”
Jason Line & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
By the Numbers – Maple Grove Raceway edition:
1– a) Win by Jason at Maple Grove Raceway coming into this weekend, which occurred in 2004.
b) No. 1 qualifiers by Line in his previous seven Reading starts, which he accomplished in 2005.
4.86 – Average starting position for Jason in his previous starts at the ‘Grove.
6 – Top Four starts by Jason in seven previous Reading starts.
12 – Elimination round wins by Line in his previous seven starts at Maple Grove, versus 6 losses for a 66.7 win percentage.
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