Line in Good Shape as NHRA Tour Hits the Windy City

The Summit Racing Pro Stock team loves Chicago. With four wins shared between them at Route 66 Raceway, Jason Line and teammate Greg Anderson seem to have a good read on the conditions. They expect the same for this weekend's 17th annual O’Reilly Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

"I'm not sure what it is, but there is something almost magical about Route 66 Raceway for us," said Line, who has won the event three times. "I always look forward to going to Chicago. If I've been struggling, when I get there it turns into a get-well weekend for me."

At last week’s Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire, Line made some of the best runs during qualifying, then made the fastest pass in all of eliminations on Sunday. The power is evident, and Line relishes the opportunity to bring that power to one of the race tracks where he has achieved success. Currently fourth in the NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings, the Minnesota-born racer is looking to add to the victory he earned at the season-opening Winternationals.

"We're in a lot better shape than we were even a month ago," said Line. "We're definitely headed in the right direction, and there is a lot of good thinking going on in the KB Racing camp. Everybody is working hard to get better. Nobody is satisfied with where we are, and we are all working as a team to get to the next level."

Jason Line By the Numbers, Route 66 Nationals Edition
1: Number One qualifying performance by Line (2004)
3: Wins at Route 66 Raceway, most recently in 2005
5: Final round appearances by Line
9: Number of times Line qualified in the top half of the field in previous 13 starts
24: Elimination round wins in 13 previous starts

Event Schedule (All Times CST)
Friday, June 27: Two qualifying sessions at 4:30 and 7:15 pm
Saturday, June 28: Two qualifying sessions at 4:15 and 7:15 pm
Sunday, June 29:  Final eliminations start at 11:00 am

Television Coverage on ESPN2 (All Times EST)
Qualifying: Saturday, June 28, 7-9 pm
Eliminations: Sunday, June 29, 3-6 pm