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POMONA, Calif., Nov. 10, 2006 - With his first POWERade Pro Stock championship already secure, Jason Line came to the NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway looking to have a little fun. Having a little fun couldn't slow down the performance of his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO, though, which propelled Line into the No. 1 qualifying position today with a run of 6.667 seconds at 207.21 mph.
"It's always nice to be No. 1 qualifier, but I think when it's all finished tomorrow, Greg (Anderson) will be at the top of the ladder," said Line. "Greg will be in the left lane in the morning, which is a tick better than the right, plus the air should be better so that will play into it as well. I just think his Summit Racing Pontiac is going to be tough to beat. My job this weekend is to have fun so that's what I'm going to do. With the points race over, there's no pressure, and of course our goal is to win the race, but we're going to try and do that while enjoying it at the same time.
"We're not testing anything really and to be honest it's business as usual. We're going to have a lot of work to do over the winter to maintain what small margin we have over everybody else, so there won't be any vacation. We might take Christmas off."
Line has been No. 1 qualifier at six national events this season, and he was also the top qualifier here at last year's race. The 37-year-old Minnesota native has never won at Pomona Raceway, but he was runner-up at this event in 2004 to teammate Greg Anderson.
"What I've learned from Greg the most is how to maintain a high level of competitiveness," said Line. "His desire to win is probably stronger than anyone I've ever met. Greg wants to win all the time and he also handles himself in a professional manner, which are probably the two things I've learned most from him."
Greg Anderson's Pontiac GTO is qualified in the No. 2 position with a 6.677 e.t. at 207.59 mph and Dave Connolly has the quickest Chevrolet in the 16-car field which is currently parked in the No. 4 spot. Connolly's Cobalt posted a 6.701 second run at 206.51 mph.
ESPN2 will carry two hours of qualifying highlights of the NHRA Finals from Pomona Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 11, beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern. Final eliminations will be broadcast on ESPN2 on Sunday, Nov. 12, starting at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Jason Line's Pontiac GTO Moves to the top of the Pro Stock Qualifying Ladder at NHRA Finals
2006 POWERade Champion was No. 1 Qualifier at Last Year's Contest
POMONA, Calif., Nov. 10, 2006 - With his first POWERade Pro Stock championship already secure, Jason Line came to the NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway looking to have a little fun. Having a little fun couldn't slow down the performance of his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO, though, which propelled Line into the No. 1 qualifying position today with a run of 6.667 seconds at 207.21 mph.
"It's always nice to be No. 1 qualifier, but I think when it's all finished tomorrow, Greg (Anderson) will be at the top of the ladder," said Line. "Greg will be in the left lane in the morning, which is a tick better than the right, plus the air should be better so that will play into it as well. I just think his Summit Racing Pontiac is going to be tough to beat. My job this weekend is to have fun so that's what I'm going to do. With the points race over, there's no pressure, and of course our goal is to win the race, but we're going to try and do that while enjoying it at the same time.
"We're not testing anything really and to be honest it's business as usual. We're going to have a lot of work to do over the winter to maintain what small margin we have over everybody else, so there won't be any vacation. We might take Christmas off."
Line has been No. 1 qualifier at six national events this season, and he was also the top qualifier here at last year's race. The 37-year-old Minnesota native has never won at Pomona Raceway, but he was runner-up at this event in 2004 to teammate Greg Anderson.
"What I've learned from Greg the most is how to maintain a high level of competitiveness," said Line. "His desire to win is probably stronger than anyone I've ever met. Greg wants to win all the time and he also handles himself in a professional manner, which are probably the two things I've learned most from him."
Greg Anderson's Pontiac GTO is qualified in the No. 2 position with a 6.677 e.t. at 207.59 mph and Dave Connolly has the quickest Chevrolet in the 16-car field which is currently parked in the No. 4 spot. Connolly's Cobalt posted a 6.701 second run at 206.51 mph.
ESPN2 will carry two hours of qualifying highlights of the NHRA Finals from Pomona Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 11, beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern. Final eliminations will be broadcast on ESPN2 on Sunday, Nov. 12, starting at 7 p.m. Eastern.
