Over the last two months, Jason Line's Summit Racing team has been the standard by which other NHRA
Pro Stock racers are measured. During that time, he has advanced to five consecutive final rounds
for the first time in his career, winning in Norwalk and Sonoma and closing to within 27 points of
the lead in the Full Throttle championship standings.
Although certainly pleased with this recent surge, the 19-time national event winner continues to
focus on the big picture, namely winning his second Pro Stock championship. Therefore, as the
world's best quarter-milers convene in Reading, PA for this weekend's Toyo Tires Nationals, Line is
quick to emphasize the need for continued improvement.
"This Summit Racing team's performance has been great over the last few races," said Line. "After
all, we've gone to five straight final rounds, which I've never done before, and won twice. On top
of that, at the last two races we've put both Summit Pontiacs in the final, with Greg (teammate
Anderson) and I splitting the wins. Anyway you look at it, it's a great run, and something we
should be proud of. I certainly don't want to take anything away from that.
"Even so, there's room for improvement, and I can be better than I am right now. For example, we
went to five finals, but didn't win all five. It just shows that as close as the competition is
right now in Pro Stock, you have to be perfect. If we want to win the championship, which is our
ultimate goal, we must keep any and all mistakes to an absolute minimum. It's all good, but we
just need to keep working at it, which is what we're looking to do this weekend in Reading."
Nestled in the woods outside of Reading, PA, Maple Grove Raceway has seen numerous Pro Stock
records in previous editions of this event. Although the warm temperatures forecast for this
weekend should preclude the establishment of any new marks, the Keystone State strip remains a
favorite among the "factory hot rods" due to its favorable racing surface and appreciative crowd.
"I like going to Maple Grove - it's a fun place to race," said Line. "The fans really get into
Pro Stock, and if the rain stays away the track and the conditions can be pretty favorable. Of
course, it certainly helps your outlook when you're going in with a Summit Racing Pontiac that is
capable of winning every race we enter.
"Of course, as one of the final two races before the start of the Countdown, this is also another
opportunity for us to practice being perfect. We're not quite where we need to be yet, which is
good, because you don't want to peak too soon, and I don't believe we have. I was fortunate enough
to win the first time I ever went to Reading, and would certainly like to add a second win this
weekend. In some ways, I think I'm due."
Finally, as if the challenge of facing another tightly-packed Pro Stock field or racing on
consecutive weekends was not enough, this weekend, the Summit crew will raise the bar even further
by adding a third satellite entry, which will compete in the next four races. Driven by Ronnie
Humphrey, the car will be the Summit Racing Pontiac driven earlier in the season by Line, which
carried him to wins in Pomona and Gainesville, making it a worthy competitor and valuable source of
information.
"This weekend will be a little busy for us, as we'll be running a third car, explains Line.
"Although that should make things a little more exciting, we prefer to see it as another
opportunity to learn. It's my Summit Racing Pontiac from earlier this year, so it should be just
as strong as Greg's and mine. As such, it will give us four extra runs' worth of data in
qualifying, and should be a strong car on race day. It might be a little extra work, but we all
think it's worth it, as the information gathered could prove useful in the last six races."
Fast Facts on Jason Line & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew at the Toyo Tires NHRA
Nationals:
Maple Grove has been good for Jason: Jason has one win (in 2004) In five career starts at Maple
Grove Raceway and three finishes of the semifinals or better.
A great first impression: Jason's only career win to date at Maple Grove Raceway came during his
rookie season in 2004, when he qualified second and defeated Mark Pawuk, David Connolly, Kenny
Koretsky and his teammate Greg Anderson en route to the fourth win of his Pro Stock career.
Line is a Top Five starter in Reading: In five career starts, Jason has one No. 1 qualifier in
Reading (in 2005), with a total of four Top Five starts and a 5.2 average starting position.
Event Schedule:
Friday, August 21: Two qualifying sessions at 3:00 & 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 22: Two qualifying sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 23: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Sunday, August 23 - 1:00 - 3:00 a.m.
&n bsp; (Repeat) Sunday, August 23 - 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, August 23 - 10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, August 23 - 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
(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 ser vice 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 http://www.summitracing.com
