Smiley
Nitro Member
Mooresville, N.C., October 13, 2011 – In the first three races of the 2011 NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff, everything has gone according to plan for Jason Line and the Summit Racing team. With two wins in three final round appearances, three No. 1 qualifying performances (part of a string of five straight poles) and a new national elapsed time record in Reading two weeks ago, he has firmly entrenched himself as the favorite for this year’s Pro Stock championship, with his 181-point lead the largest among all professional categories.
However, as the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to the desert for this weekend’s Arizona Nationals at Firebird Raceway, the 27-time national event winner acknowledges that with three races remaining, he is far from declaring victory. Therefore, his approach to this race will be the same as it has all season, as he looks to keep the pressure on his competition.
“You always hope that things will go as well as they have for us in the Countdown, but to actually have it happen is really exciting,” said Line. “In this format, the goal at the start of the year is to peak during the playoffs, and we’ve been able to do that, which is huge. The entire Summit Racing team has done a tremendous job, giving me a great car to drive and making the right calls on race day, and we’ve been able to take advantage of it and build up a nice lead. Still, at this point nothing is guaranteed, so we’re not about to let up.
“I had said going into the Countdown that you would have to win four of the six races to win the championship. Well, so far we have won two, so I’m approaching Phoenix the same as I do every race, namely that it’s one we have to win. After all, you have to keep doing the things that made you successful in the first place. Besides, I’ve never won at Firebird Raceway before, so it would be nice to add it to the list.”
Although securing his second championship remains his top priority, having already established new personal marks for single-season wins (6) and elapsed time (6.477 seconds) Line looks to use this season’s final three races to add to his total. As he explains it, it is simply a matter of taking advantage of the opportunity presented.
“There is still plenty left for me to accomplish this season,” said Line. “For example, I had never won six races in a season before this year, so with three races left there’s no reason I can’t win even more. As a competitor, it comes down to making the most of what you have available, and it has been some time since I had a car as strong as this one.
“As well as our Summit Racing team has been performing, I feel good going into the weekend. Everything just seems to be clicking, with everyone working really well together. The car has been running strong and it’s responding to the changes we have made. When that happens, it’s just boosts the confidence of the entire team and good things seem to happen. We’re having a lot of fun right now, and we certainly want that to continue.
“We’ll have a bit of a challenge this weekend in Phoenix with the new racing surface and the warm temperatures, but as consistent as we have been, I’m confident we’ll be in the mix, and hopefully we’ll be able to add to our lead. It won’t be easy, but I think we’re up to it.”
However, as the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to the desert for this weekend’s Arizona Nationals at Firebird Raceway, the 27-time national event winner acknowledges that with three races remaining, he is far from declaring victory. Therefore, his approach to this race will be the same as it has all season, as he looks to keep the pressure on his competition.
“You always hope that things will go as well as they have for us in the Countdown, but to actually have it happen is really exciting,” said Line. “In this format, the goal at the start of the year is to peak during the playoffs, and we’ve been able to do that, which is huge. The entire Summit Racing team has done a tremendous job, giving me a great car to drive and making the right calls on race day, and we’ve been able to take advantage of it and build up a nice lead. Still, at this point nothing is guaranteed, so we’re not about to let up.
“I had said going into the Countdown that you would have to win four of the six races to win the championship. Well, so far we have won two, so I’m approaching Phoenix the same as I do every race, namely that it’s one we have to win. After all, you have to keep doing the things that made you successful in the first place. Besides, I’ve never won at Firebird Raceway before, so it would be nice to add it to the list.”
Although securing his second championship remains his top priority, having already established new personal marks for single-season wins (6) and elapsed time (6.477 seconds) Line looks to use this season’s final three races to add to his total. As he explains it, it is simply a matter of taking advantage of the opportunity presented.
“There is still plenty left for me to accomplish this season,” said Line. “For example, I had never won six races in a season before this year, so with three races left there’s no reason I can’t win even more. As a competitor, it comes down to making the most of what you have available, and it has been some time since I had a car as strong as this one.
“As well as our Summit Racing team has been performing, I feel good going into the weekend. Everything just seems to be clicking, with everyone working really well together. The car has been running strong and it’s responding to the changes we have made. When that happens, it’s just boosts the confidence of the entire team and good things seem to happen. We’re having a lot of fun right now, and we certainly want that to continue.
“We’ll have a bit of a challenge this weekend in Phoenix with the new racing surface and the warm temperatures, but as consistent as we have been, I’m confident we’ll be in the mix, and hopefully we’ll be able to add to our lead. It won’t be easy, but I think we’re up to it.”
