"Whenever we get to Vegas, we're either starting the season or ending it, so you always have mixed emotions," said Line. "In the spring, you're happy the season's just begun, but know you have a lot of work ahead, while in the fall you're happy the year's almost over, but still have things you want to accomplish. Either way, you're there to win.

"I've got some good memories of racing in Las Vegas, and hopefully this Summit Racing team will add to them this weekend. It's a fun place to go, and I enjoy racing there. Of course, as Ken and Judy's (team owner Black) hometown, we always want to do well there, and this race is no exception."

With the largest Pro Stock field of the year expected in the Silver State this weekend Line knows that both he and his KB Racing crew will have to be on top of their game in order to contend for the win. Therefore, they have spent the time since the last race in Richmond trying to address any areas of concern they may have with their race car. With the difference between winning and losing often measured in 10,000ths of a second, nothing can be overlooked.

"Over the last three races, we just haven't been making great runs," explained Line. "For example, even though we won Memphis two races ago, we struggled to keep it from shaking the tires. We tried to stay and test after Richmond but were basically rained out, so we've been working on a few things back at the shop which we hope will make it better. I guess we'll find out how successful we were during the first qualifying session on Friday. Hopefully, our Summit Pontiac will go from A to B and give us a good baseline to tune from, which would put us in position to win on Sunday."

Finally, although he is certainly prepared to handle whatever the competition throws at him on the race track, Line will take on a completely new challenge on Wednesday night, taking part in the Sixth Annual Cards for Kids Poker Tournament at the Cannery Hotel & Casino. This annual event pits NHRA drivers against fans in a Texas Hold 'Em tournament, offering cash and other prizes, with the proceeds going to help the Las Vegas chapter of Speedway Childrens' Charities.

"I've never played poker in my life, so this tournament should be an interesting experience," said Line. "Although it's all in fun, and promises to be a really good time I might just have to take a crash course on the game before we get there. After all, I don't want to crash and burn right out of the gate.

"What's really important, though, is that we're doing it for a good cause. Speedway Childrens' Charities is a tremendous organization that does a lot of good work. There are a bunch of drivers signed up, so I invite the fans to come out and play. You'll have a great time while helping out a lot of kids and families in need. It doesn't get any better than that."

Fast Facts on Jason Line & the Summit Racing Pontiac crew at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals:
Jason Line Las Vegas Appearance Information: On Wednesday, October 28, Jason will be participating in the Sixth Annual Cards for Kids Poker Tournament at the Cannery Hotel & Casino, which will run from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.. In addition, Jason will be signing autographs as part of the NHRA FanFest, which will be held from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29 at the Fremont Street Experience. For more information, please visit http://www.lvms.com or http://www.nhra.com.

Jason has been strong on the Strip: This will be Jason's 13th appearance at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he has one win at the 2008 spring race in three final round appearances, and seven finishes of the semifinals or better.

Jason's Vegas Qualifying Stats: Jason has qualified in the top four positions in four of his five previous starts at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including being the No. 1 qualifier at this event in 2004 & 2006.

Event Schedule:
            Friday, October 30:                 Two qualifying sessions at 12:30 & 3:00 p.m.
            Saturday, October 31:                        Two qualifying sessions at 11:30 a.m. &
2:30 p.m.
            Sunday, November 1:                        Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.
 
Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
            Qualifying:                   Saturday, October 31 - 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
            Eliminations:                Sunday, November 1 -  7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
            RaceDay:                    Sunday, November 1 - 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 http://www.summitracing.com.

Courtesy of Jon Knapp