Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line got his 2011 campaign off to a tremendous start, winning the first two races of the season in Pomona and Gainesville. Although he has cooled off slightly in the last two events, he still arrives at this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas second in the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series championship standings, a scant three points behind his teammate Greg Anderson, who won the last event in Charlotte. With the KB Racing team firing on all cylinders, Line likes his chances of returning to the winner’s circle at the former Houston Raceway Park.
“I’m ready to get back on a winning streak, and Houston is a great place to get started,” said Line. “The conditions should be somewhat similar to Gainesville, and although looking at the forecast it should be substantially warmer, it will still be very fast, which would be perfect for our Summit Racing Pontiac.
“There really is no set way to win one of these races, as the circumstances are constantly changing. Sometimes you have to win with your right foot using all the power at your disposal, other times you have to win with your left foot, leaving the starting line first, while on occasion it just comes down to luck. In any case, it all comes down to doing a better job than your competitors adapting to the racetrack and the conditions. Fortunately, with this KB Racing team behind me, I should be in good shape no matter what gets thrown at us.”
Located on the outskirts of Houston, Royal Purple Raceway is one of the favorites of the Pro Stock class, with its combination of near sea-level altitude and spring temperatures creating ideal conditions for their naturally aspirated powerplants, although crew chiefs will be challenged throughout the weekend to match the extra horsepower to what can be a tricky racing surface. The drivers will also be tested as this will be the first race in the conventional two-wide format using the redesigned Christmas tree introduced in Charlotte.
Ironically, having raced in the Stock Eliminator class two weeks ago, Line will be one of a select few professional racers who come into this event with experience on the new tree in the regular configuration. In addition, his confidence is further bolstered by prior successes in Baytown with a win and three final round appearances in his previous seven visits as a Pro Stock racer. However, one of his favorite memories of the Lone Star State quarter-mile is not his 2007 win, but his runner-up performance in 2005.
“Even though I red lit in the final back in 2005, I drove really well that day,” recalled Line. “My worst light was a .014 in the first round against Erica, and my best was a .008 when I took out Jeggie – even my red light was only a -.008. It was one of those days where I was just on it, although I certainly would have preferred to leave there with the trophy, which I did in 2007 and hope to repeat this weekend.
“I’m also looking forward to using the new tree in the two-wide format. I had some experience with it in Charlotte racing my Stocker, and really like how it works. It’s definitely an improvement, with everyone involved doing a great job with it. All in all, I think this has the potential to be a great weekend for the Summit Racing team, and it’s up to us to make it happen.”
Jason Line & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew
By the Numbers – Royal Purple Raceway edition:
1 - Wins scored by Jason at Royal Purple Raceway prior this weekend, which came in 2007, when he qualified fourth and defeated Kurt Johnson, Warren Johnson, Jeg Coughlin and Allen Johnson.
3 – Final Round Appearances by Jason in Baytown in seven prior starts, most recently in 2007.
7 – Top Half Starts by Line in as many prior RPR starts, highlighted by his No. 1 qualifying performance in 2006.
13 – Elimination round wins scored by Jason in his previous seven RPR starts versus 6 losses for a 68.4 round win percentage.
| 
|