Line Looks to Defend Winternationals Title with Powerful Launch into 2015

Jason Line

Mooresville, N.C., The 2015 season of NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series has arrived, and at this weekend's 55th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals, Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line hopes to begin a year-long quest to even the score. Last season, he came just one win light shy of finishing the deal for his third championship title, a trophy he longed to bring home for Team Summit and the Ken Black-owned KB Racing organization. Historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is the ideal setting to begin the journey – the 35-time Pro Stock winner scored the victory at Winternationals last year.

Last year's Winternationals win came at the expense of V. Gaines in the final round as Line got the nod with a 6.526 to his opponent's 6.533. Three more wins would follow in 2014 for a total of four event trophies earned in a remarkable nine final rounds. Line held the points lead through the better half of the Countdown to the Championship, and at the decision was only made in the last round of the very last race. Line and his opponent, Erica Enders-Stevens, both reacted too quickly at the tree and logged respective foul starts, but Enders-Stevens was the lesser offender and took the trophy.

"It's supposed to come down to the last race, and it did," said Line, who won the Pro Stock championship in both 2006 and 2011. "It just happened that we came out on the wrong end of it, but it certainly didn't change how I feel about racing. I love racing. We had a very short off-season, but fortunately we have good folks back in the shop and everyone worked very hard. We have a lot of good things in the works, and I think this year is going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be entertaining, for sure."

To his point, Line and Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson will be joined in the field by nine-time FIA Pro Stock champion Jimmy Alund, who will be behind the wheel of the Pontiac GXP that Line drove to the championship in 2011. He will lease power from KB Racing. Last season, the KB Racing team was entertained – and kept well caffeinated – by the Swedish champ as he kept the seat of Anderson's Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro warm for the first five races. Anderson, who was recovering from surgery, was thrilled to be in attendance when Alund won for the team in his final race, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.

"In a way, I wish we had a month left to keep working on everything," said Line. "But we have a lot to look forward to, and these first few races are going to be pretty interesting. The bottom line is that I want to win. We all want to win. It's a long season, but it starts here. We'll continue to work as hard as we can, and we'll hope for the best. We have high expectations for our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros, and we're willing to put in the time and effort to reach our goals."