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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Keeping Pace

Jason Line shopping for perfect Father’s Day gift

Jason Line will be a contender for a final round victory as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series invades Bristol, Tenn. (Photo courtesy of NHRA)
Jason Line will be a contender for a final round victory as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series invades Bristol, Tenn. (Photo courtesy of NHRA)

Jason Line takes pleasure in celebrating the holiday at Bristol, Tennessee's quarter-mile, where his fondness for the facility comes from more than his on-track success, a ledger he looks to add to this weekend.

Bristol, TN- As a second-generation racer, reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion Jason Line has spent his share of Father’s Days at tracks across the country. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that this year’s edition will find him at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn. for this weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

However, with his father Lawrence watching from the family homestead in Wright, Minn. the Summit Racing driver will be marking the occasion with his family, including his wife Cindy, daughter Emma and son Jack, who has already shown an interest in following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. With his personal cheering section in attendance, Line will have added motivation for scoring his second win of the 2012 Full Throttle Drag Racing season.

“My first few Father’s Days racing in Pro Stock I did really well, which is something I’d certainly like to get back to this weekend,” said Line. “The most important thing, however, is that I will have my family in Bristol with me. My kids, and in particular my son Jack, have gotten to the age where they really enjoy coming out to watch me race, making for a fun weekend no matter how we do on the racetrack.

“However, Jack is old enough now that he understands the concept of winning and losing, so he’s not too thrilled that I haven’t won since Phoenix. Who knows, this could be the perfect weekend to rectify that situation. After all, it would be nice if we could bring out my new Summit Racing Camaro in the same fashion that Greg (teammate Anderson) did in Englishtown (where he won in its competitive debut.)”

As noted, this weekend’s race will be Line’s first in his new Chevrolet Camaro. In many ways it will be a new look for the 28-time Pro Stock national event winner with its stunning blue paint scheme replacing his familiar orange livery from the previous few seasons. One item that he certainly hopes will remain constant during the changeover is the high level of performance the team has shown all season with one win in three final round appearances and a class-leading five No. 1 qualifying performances, placing him second in the championship standings heading into Bristol.

“It’s exciting to have a new car, especially one that has so much history in Pro Stock,” said Line. “The Camaro is a really cool muscle car powered by an American V-8 making a lot of horsepower which is the way it should be. In fact, I wish I had one to drive on the street.

“Having said that, we’ll definitely have our work cut out for us this weekend learning what this particular car needs to run. You realistically can’t expect it to be at the same level as our old Pontiac right out of the box, but if anybody can pull it off, it would be the guys on this Summit Racing team, who do a heck of a job every time out. After a single day of testing we haven’t exactly bonded, but let’s say we’re coming to an understanding. However, we can already tell it’s going to be a great car.”

Line will also take pleasure in celebrating the holiday at the Tennessee quarter-mile, where his fondness for the facility comes from more than his on-track success, a ledger he looks to add to this weekend.

“It’s always fun racing in Bristol,” said Line. “It’s a tremendous facility with great drag racing history and the people working there are great folks, making it one my top ten places to go to throughout the year. I also enjoy that it’s a few hours’ drive from my house in North Carolina, making it an easy trip for myself and my family.

“Bristol Dragway is a bit of an altitude track so we won’t run as fast as we did a couple weeks ago, but all that matters is that we’re better than our competitors, so we’re looking forward to the challenge. We have quite a few fathers on this team, and I can’t think of a better way to help them celebrate than in the winner’s circle on Sunday night.”



Keeping Pace

Motorsports correspondent Doug Pace keeps up with motorsports news and notes from around the region.