Qualifying for the United Association SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ got underway on Friday with two sessions at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park under conditions that were nearly perfect for the Pro Stock category. Taking advantage of the seventy-degree temperatures and low humidity, racers posted numbers that had not been seen in three months, requiring a nearly-perfect effort in order to guarantee a top starting spot for Sunday’s final eliminations.
After opening with the sixth-quickest time in afternoon run, Summit Racing Pontiac driver Jason Line picked up the pace in the evening session, posting a 6.560-second time and the second-fastest top speed of 211.23 mph to sit fourth entering Saturday’s final two attempts. Despite this impressive performance, Line acknowledged there was room for improvement.
“My Summit Racing Pontiac made a pretty decent run in the first session, and felt like it was on another good one tonight until it shook the tires really hard,” said Line. “In fact, I was somewhat surprised that it ran as well as it did, so I’m not about to complain. The car seems to be reacting a little better than it had been of late, and this could be my best qualifying performance of the year. We’ll look at our notes from tonight, see what we need to do to avoid shaking the tires, make the necessary adjustments and come back tomorrow trying to run even quicker.”
Unfortunately, the day was marred by the death of sportsman racer Neal Parker, who succumbed to injuries suffered in an incident at the top end of the track.
“Our sport is supposed to be fun, but today was a dark day for all us,” said Line. “Although I didn’t know him personally, we certainly shared something in common, so I feel for both he and his family. Something like that puts everything in perspective. All things considered, it wasn’t a bad day.”
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