<img src="https://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/Line.jpg" alt="Line" align="right"borders="0"/>
POMONA, Calif. -- After being crowned the 2006 NHRA Pro Stock Champion, Jason Line, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Summit Racing Equipment-backed Pontiac GTO, begins his quest for his second consecutive championship when qualifying begins for this weekend's 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals, which take place on the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona quarter-mile track in Pomona, Calif.
Line, who just finished testing in Las Vegas, enters the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series with additional confidence as a result of winning last years title, but he knows the road through the 23-race schedule will not be an easy one.
"We're cautiously optimistic going into this first race but testing here in Vegas has gone well, especially if you discount the problems but team cars encountered in the Pontiac Shootout on Saturday," said Line. We're going out to win each race but we're going to go somewhat slow the first few races.
In Saturday's Pontiac Pro Stock Shootout both Line's GTO and that of his teammate Greg Anderson exited in the opening round. Line due to tire shake and Anderson had an oil line shake loose.
"We have some new personnel this season and will probably be running new engines at Pomona. After working off and on for nearly two years on developing the DRCE 3 (third generation Drag Racing Competition Engine from General Motors) we devoted the entire off season to getting it ready for this season and are please with the results it is showing. So there are a lot of new variables for the team.
As to Pomona and the season, Line said, "I have always been a slow starter and then I get better as the season goes on, so that might just play into this new NHRA POWERade Championship point deal -- the Countdown to the Championship. I feel better this year and have more confidence entering this year than any season since I've turned pro. My goal, as it is at every race, is to win at Pomona. I know we have the equipment and engines that can get the job done. It's just a matter of getting up on the wheel and driving good. There are a lot of good cars out there and a lot of good drivers and it's a time going through the 23 races to reach the end. Our goal at KB Racing is what it always has been. That is to have both Summit Racing Pontiac on top at the end of those 23 races."
QUALIFYING: Qualifying for the 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals gets underway on Thursday and Friday, with single Pro Stock sessions each day at 2 p.m. Qualifying concludes on Saturday with two additional Pro Stock sessions at 12 noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations for all teams begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Times are local Pomona, Calif. time (PT) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (Feb. 10) from 10 p.m. until midnight. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday from 8-11 p.m. (Feb. 11). The elimination show repeats early Wednesday morning fro 4-6 a.m.. Also, NHRA2Day is back for another season providing the drag racing fan with the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The Winternationals installment of NHRA2Day can be seen this Sunday (Feb. 11) from 11-11:30 a.m. Television times are ET and subject to change without notice. Check your local listing.
KB RACING LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and his son Kenny Black. In the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, KB Racing LLC fields two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, one driven by Greg Anderson, a native of Duluth, Minn. who now lives in the Charlotte, N. C. area, and the other by Jason Line, a native of Wright, Minn. who now lives in the Charlotte, N. C. area, and a Top Fuel dragster, managed by Kalitta Motorsports, and driven by Hillary Will, a native of Fortuna, Calif. who now resides in Ypsilanti, Mich. Anderson won three consecutive POWERade Pro Stock Championships (2003-2005) and finished second in the point standings in 2006. Line, who finished second in points in his rookie season in 2004 and third in 2005, is the reigning 2006 POWERade Pro Stock Champion. Line was honored with the 2004 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, presented to the outstanding rookie in a professional category. Will finished No. 10 in her rookie season in Top Fuel in 2006 and was nominated for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award. The Pro Stock shop of Anderson and Line is in Mooresville, N. C. and the Kalitta Motorsports racing operation is in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Line Begins Defense of his Pro Stock Crown
POMONA, Calif. -- After being crowned the 2006 NHRA Pro Stock Champion, Jason Line, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Summit Racing Equipment-backed Pontiac GTO, begins his quest for his second consecutive championship when qualifying begins for this weekend's 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals, which take place on the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona quarter-mile track in Pomona, Calif.
Line, who just finished testing in Las Vegas, enters the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series with additional confidence as a result of winning last years title, but he knows the road through the 23-race schedule will not be an easy one.
"We're cautiously optimistic going into this first race but testing here in Vegas has gone well, especially if you discount the problems but team cars encountered in the Pontiac Shootout on Saturday," said Line. We're going out to win each race but we're going to go somewhat slow the first few races.
In Saturday's Pontiac Pro Stock Shootout both Line's GTO and that of his teammate Greg Anderson exited in the opening round. Line due to tire shake and Anderson had an oil line shake loose.
"We have some new personnel this season and will probably be running new engines at Pomona. After working off and on for nearly two years on developing the DRCE 3 (third generation Drag Racing Competition Engine from General Motors) we devoted the entire off season to getting it ready for this season and are please with the results it is showing. So there are a lot of new variables for the team.
As to Pomona and the season, Line said, "I have always been a slow starter and then I get better as the season goes on, so that might just play into this new NHRA POWERade Championship point deal -- the Countdown to the Championship. I feel better this year and have more confidence entering this year than any season since I've turned pro. My goal, as it is at every race, is to win at Pomona. I know we have the equipment and engines that can get the job done. It's just a matter of getting up on the wheel and driving good. There are a lot of good cars out there and a lot of good drivers and it's a time going through the 23 races to reach the end. Our goal at KB Racing is what it always has been. That is to have both Summit Racing Pontiac on top at the end of those 23 races."
QUALIFYING: Qualifying for the 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals gets underway on Thursday and Friday, with single Pro Stock sessions each day at 2 p.m. Qualifying concludes on Saturday with two additional Pro Stock sessions at 12 noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations for all teams begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Times are local Pomona, Calif. time (PT) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (Feb. 10) from 10 p.m. until midnight. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday from 8-11 p.m. (Feb. 11). The elimination show repeats early Wednesday morning fro 4-6 a.m.. Also, NHRA2Day is back for another season providing the drag racing fan with the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The Winternationals installment of NHRA2Day can be seen this Sunday (Feb. 11) from 11-11:30 a.m. Television times are ET and subject to change without notice. Check your local listing.
KB RACING LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and his son Kenny Black. In the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, KB Racing LLC fields two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, one driven by Greg Anderson, a native of Duluth, Minn. who now lives in the Charlotte, N. C. area, and the other by Jason Line, a native of Wright, Minn. who now lives in the Charlotte, N. C. area, and a Top Fuel dragster, managed by Kalitta Motorsports, and driven by Hillary Will, a native of Fortuna, Calif. who now resides in Ypsilanti, Mich. Anderson won three consecutive POWERade Pro Stock Championships (2003-2005) and finished second in the point standings in 2006. Line, who finished second in points in his rookie season in 2004 and third in 2005, is the reigning 2006 POWERade Pro Stock Champion. Line was honored with the 2004 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, presented to the outstanding rookie in a professional category. Will finished No. 10 in her rookie season in Top Fuel in 2006 and was nominated for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award. The Pro Stock shop of Anderson and Line is in Mooresville, N. C. and the Kalitta Motorsports racing operation is in Ypsilanti, Mich.
