Norwalk, Ohio, June 28, 2009 – Jason Line scored a very popular win on Sunday, capturing the Pro Stock title at his sponsor’s race, the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Starting from the third position, Line defeated Johnny Gray, Warren Johnson and Ron Krisher in the early rounds before squaring off against Mike Edwards, who was appearing in his fifth consecutive final round.
Knowing he would need a near-perfect effort to secure the win, Line used a lightning-quick .018 reaction time to gain the advantage by almost four hundredths of a second and never looked back, with his Summit Racing Pontiac streaking across the finish line in 6.665 seconds with a top speed of 207.30 mph. It was Line’s third win of the season, 18th of his career, and first at the racetrack bearing his sponsor’s name.
“This is the biggest win of my career by far,” said Line. “We knew Edwards would be tough, and we responded with one of the best runs we have made in a final in a long time. It feels so good to win in front of everyone from Summit Racing, who have done so much for us - I don’t know how to describe it other tha n I just can’t stop grinning.”
An unusual aspect of Line’s winning performance was that he accomplished it in what was essentially a borrowed car. Prior to the race, Line and his team had decided to park the car they had used in the first eleven races of the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing season, opting instead to compete with the Summit Racing Pontiac teammate Greg Anderson had driven in 2008. Although some might have questioned parking a race car that had won two races, the strategy paid immediate dividends.
“I have to give Rob (crew chief Downing) credit for making the call to change cars,” said Line. “It’s not that there was anything wrong with the other car, it’s just that we needed to do something to get us back on track. It performed well during the two days of testing, and got us the win today. We’re not about to get off this winning horse, and they’re going to have a hard time prying this Summit Racing GXP away from me.”
From the start of qualifying, it was apparent that the team had made significant gains, as they were consistently among the best in their category, securing the third starting position, while Anderson captured the top starting spot. This success carried into Sunday, as Line combined a strong race car with consistent driving, culminating with the winning pass in the final.
“I hope the run we made against Mike in the final today is a sign of things to come,” said Line. “We had struggled a little in finals over the last year and a half, but I think our Summit Racing crew has learned a little something from the experience, and we put it to good use today. As well as he has been running, it’s an accomplishment any time you beat him. I said last night that we were going to win the race, even though I didn’t have the best car. Perhaps it was that confidence that helped us end the day in the winner’s circle with everyone from Summit. In any case, this has been a great day.”
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.
Knowing he would need a near-perfect effort to secure the win, Line used a lightning-quick .018 reaction time to gain the advantage by almost four hundredths of a second and never looked back, with his Summit Racing Pontiac streaking across the finish line in 6.665 seconds with a top speed of 207.30 mph. It was Line’s third win of the season, 18th of his career, and first at the racetrack bearing his sponsor’s name.
“This is the biggest win of my career by far,” said Line. “We knew Edwards would be tough, and we responded with one of the best runs we have made in a final in a long time. It feels so good to win in front of everyone from Summit Racing, who have done so much for us - I don’t know how to describe it other tha n I just can’t stop grinning.”
An unusual aspect of Line’s winning performance was that he accomplished it in what was essentially a borrowed car. Prior to the race, Line and his team had decided to park the car they had used in the first eleven races of the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing season, opting instead to compete with the Summit Racing Pontiac teammate Greg Anderson had driven in 2008. Although some might have questioned parking a race car that had won two races, the strategy paid immediate dividends.
“I have to give Rob (crew chief Downing) credit for making the call to change cars,” said Line. “It’s not that there was anything wrong with the other car, it’s just that we needed to do something to get us back on track. It performed well during the two days of testing, and got us the win today. We’re not about to get off this winning horse, and they’re going to have a hard time prying this Summit Racing GXP away from me.”
From the start of qualifying, it was apparent that the team had made significant gains, as they were consistently among the best in their category, securing the third starting position, while Anderson captured the top starting spot. This success carried into Sunday, as Line combined a strong race car with consistent driving, culminating with the winning pass in the final.
“I hope the run we made against Mike in the final today is a sign of things to come,” said Line. “We had struggled a little in finals over the last year and a half, but I think our Summit Racing crew has learned a little something from the experience, and we put it to good use today. As well as he has been running, it’s an accomplishment any time you beat him. I said last night that we were going to win the race, even though I didn’t have the best car. Perhaps it was that confidence that helped us end the day in the winner’s circle with everyone from Summit. In any case, this has been a great day.”
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.
