Line Reaches Final Round at SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals

Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line showed the Summit Racing colors in the final round of the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. It was Line’s 67th career final round appearance.

Line qualified fifth with a 6.630 second, 208.94 mph pass. After an extended delay due to high winds on Sunday, Line wheeled the blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to the starting line for a Round One matchup with Deric Kramer. Line took the win with a 6.645/207.37 pass to Kramer’s 6.705/206.29.

Line drew Dave Connolly in the second round. He got the jump on Connolly at the starting line by .005 of a second, and the race down the track was just as close. Line won by .007 of a second, 6.652/207.72 to Connolly’s 6.654/ 207.91.

Line met up with teammate Jimmy Alund in the semi-finals. Both were exceptionally quick at the starting line and stayed glued together down the track, but it was Line who got the win, 6.645/207.98 to Alund’s 6.647/208.10.

It was Line versus Erica Enders-Stevens in the final round. Both racers recorded .034 second reaction times; Line’s 6.633/208.23 was his best run of the day, but Enders-Stevens’ 6.612/208.78 got the edge at the finish line.

“It’s certainly disappointing to come so close and not get the win,” said Line. “But the end result was decent, and we’re going to take our Summit Racing Camaros out to the race track in Charlotte next week and do some testing before the next race. If we step back from being disappointed that we didn’t win, today was a pretty darn good day for the Summit Racing team.”

Line is currently second in the Pro Stock points standings.

Alund Takes Out Coughlin, Makes Semi-Finals
Jimmy Alund had a great weekend in Las Vegas. He qualified eighth with a 6.639/208.49 pass to earn a first-round meeting with Vincent Nobile. The pair were the first Pro Stock cars to take to the track on Race Day, and both drivers had more power than the track could hold. Alund and Nobile were on and off the throttle as they lurched down the quarter-mile. But it was Alund who took the win, 7.821/194.18 to 8.110/178.10.

“I was prepared to do whatever it took to take the car down to the finish line, and I was thinking both of us were probably going to be in trouble—which we were,” said Alund. “I drove the car like I stole it and got to the finish line. (The tires were) shaking really bad. I put it into first gear and it was shaking. It was shaking in second gear, too. I tried to put it into third gear but it deadheaded (transmission would not go into gear) because it was shaking so bad. So I just shoved it into fourth and went.”

Alund advanced to a second-round meeting with Jeg Coughlin. Alund got a big .052 second jump on his opponent and used that advantage to take the win, 6.689/206.92 to 6.653/207.82. The margin of victory was just .002 of a second, about 10 inches.

“I’ve been watching what (Coughlin) has been doing over the years as a driver, and I know he is one of the best out here,” said Alund, “Putting him on the trailer for the team made my day.”

“I think the best part of my day was when Jimmy beat Coughlin,” concurred teammate Jason Line. “We might as well have won the race—that was big for us. Jimmy took care of business for Team Summit, and we were all very happy about that.”

Alund finished the day with a loss to Jason Line in the semifinals, but was satisfied with the weekend’s results. He attributed much of his success to the presence of Greg Anderson, who made his first appearance at a race since his surgery in February.

“Greg [Anderson] was here this weekend, and it was better to have him here,” he explained. “We work well together. We have the same thoughts on a lot of things on the car and on the setup, too. I would say that working with Greg was making me even more comfortable than I was before.”

“My wife, Anna, is here from Sweden, along with the people from Summit Racing and (team owners) Ken, Judy, and Kenny Black. I couldn’t have picked a better race to do well. I’m very happy.”

Alund is currently 10th in the Pro Stock points standings.

Greg Anderson Makes Appearance in Vegas
Four-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson attended the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, his first public appearance since he underwent heart surgery in February.

“I feel great—it is really good to be back,” Greg said in a pre-race interview. “I’ve been sitting on the couch watching the races, and it’s been tough. Even though I’m not in the race car, I’m still happy to be back.”

You can watch the entire Greg Anderson interview here.

DeJoria Gets Second Win of the Season
Team Summit Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria outpaced Robert Hight to win in Las Vegas. She defeated Matt Hagan, Tony Pedregon, and Cruz Pedregon to reach the final round. Hight got a .038 second jump on DeJoria at the starting line, but she outpowered him to take the win, 4.026/309.98 to 4.083/315.42.

The victory is DeJoria’s second of the season and of her Funny Car career. She defeated Hight in Phoenix to earn her first career win.

“This was definitely a grudge match (with Hight) coming off our win in Phoenix,” DeJoria said. “I was just in shock when we won there. It was gratifying and intense. Today my team gave me a good car and got me down the track first. I really appreciate them so much and all they give up to help this team go racing.”

Team Summit Results: Top Fuel
Doug Kalitta qualified second (3.775/321.88). He defeated Steve Faria in Round One of eliminations, Bob Vandergriff in Round Two, and Steve Torrence in the semi-finals, but lost to Tony Schumacher in the final round. Kalitta is still Number One in the points standings.

Team Summit Results: Funny Car
Tim Wilkerson qualified 11th (4.090/312.13) but lost to Ron Capps in Round One. Wilkerson is currently 12th in the points standings.
Del Worsham qualified fourth (4.041/315.71) but lost to Tony Pedregon in Round One. Worsham is currently fifth in the points standings.

Final Round Results
Top Fuel: Tony Schumacher defeated Doug Kalitta, 3.797/326.16 to 3.814/321.12.
Funny Car: Alexis DeJoria defeated Robert Hight 4.026/309.98 to 4.083/315.42.
Pro Stock: Erica Enders-Stevens defeated Jason Line, 6.612/208.78 to 6.633/208.23.

Next Race
The next event is the 4Wide NHRA Nationals, April 11-13 in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more news and in-depth results from the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, go to http://www.DragRaceCentral.com.