Team Summit Racing Maintains Points Lead after Northwest Nationals

Team Summit Racing finished the Western Swing at the rain-soaked Protect The Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals. While Greg Anderson and Jason Line did not make it to the final round, they retain their very comfortable points leads over their Pro Stock competition.

The final rounds for Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock were cancelled due to rain. The final rounds of Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car will be decided at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota. The Pro Stock final will be run at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. 
Top Fuel: Antron Brown vs. Steve Torrence
Nitro Funny Car: Del Worsham vs. Ron Capps
Pro Stock: Aaron Strong vs. Vincent Nobile

Line Back in First Place
Jason Line qualified fourth with a 6.545 second, 211.53 MPH pass. He defeated Chris McGaha in Round One (6.557/211.49 to 6.567/210.24) and Allen Johnson in Round Two (6.543/210.77 to 6.566/209.62). In the semifinals Line cut a -0.318 second red light, giving the win to Vincent Nobile.

“We had a little malfunction there on the starting line. Something broke,” Line said. “It’s one of those things; it happens. “I’m looking forward to heading to the race in Brainerd where I’ll be racing my Pro Stock Camaro and my Stocker.”

Line’s semi-final finish puts him back in the Pro Stock points lead.

Anderson Has Transmission Trouble
Greg Anderson qualified third with a 6.544/210.77 run. In the first round against Aaron Strong, Anderson’s car encountered problems and lost power. Strong took the win, 6.658/208.30 to 9.624/95.25.

“My transmission jumped out of third gear. It went into third gear and about halfway through popped back out of third gear,” Anderson explained. “Apparently it did not get engaged quite enough, so it dumped into neutral. It happens every few hundred runs, but you hope it doesn’t happen at the important times.”

Anderson leaves Seattle second in the Pro Stock points standings.

Wilkerson Out in Bizarre First Round
Tim Wilkerson qualified sixth with a 3.878/328.14 mph pass. In a bizarre first round of eliminations, Cruz Pedregon smoked the tires right away, leaving fans thinking Wilkerson won the race. But a problem with the Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang caused it to coast across the finish line. Pedregon took the win, 5.928/223.92 to Wilkerson’s 7.107/84.11.

“I pulled the tires loose out there at 80 feet and I didn’t catch it quick enough and coughed the (supercharger) burst panels out of it,” Wilkerson said. “Just one more piece of bad luck on race day.”

Wilkerson is currently ninth in Nitro Funny Car points standings.

Team Summit Notes: Top Fuel
Doug Kalitta qualified seventh (3.741/323.81) but was defeated by Richie Crampton in Round One of eliminations. Kalitta is currently second in the points standings. 

"I did not finish the Western Swing like I was hoping to,” Kalitta said. “We are still solid in the standings, and will look for improvement in Brainerd in a couple weeks." 

J.R. Todd qualified third (3.706/328.14). He defeated Troy Buff and Shawn Langdon in the first two rounds of eliminations, but lost to Steve Torrence in the semi-finals. Todd is currently sixth in the points standings. 

"I am so proud of my guys,” Todd said. “They did a great job on the Swing and we are really rounding in to form at the right time in the season as we head towards the Countdown."

Team Summit Notes: Funny Car
Del Worsham qualified Number One (3.832/330.88), resetting the NHRA ET National Record. He defeated Tim Gibbons, Robert Hight, and Matt Hagan in the first three rounds of eliminations. He will face Ron Capps in the rain-delayed final at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd. He is fourth in the standings.

"I so wanted to finish here,” Worsham said. “The DHL Camry was on a rail all weekend, and now we have to go to a different track two weeks from now to finish this event. However, I have the most confidence in my guys and our team and we will go to Brainerd and plan on scoring the Seattle trophy there." 

Alexis DeJoria did not race this weekend due to injury.

Next Race
The next race in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota, August 19-21. Visit Drag Race Central for complete results from the Protect The Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals.