Jason Line needed a change. His Summit Racing Pontiac GXP wasn't getting the job done, so he borrowed teammate Greg's Anderson's ride from last year. It was a marriage made in heaven as Line led wire to wire to defeat Mike Edwards in the final of the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

The win couldn't have come at a better time. Line's sponsor, Summit Equipment is also the sponsor of the drag strip and the event.

“This is absolute the biggest win for me and this is a great time to do it,” admitted Line.  “We are tired of watching that yellow car win races and we need to get our share, too.”

Jason Line needed a change. His Summit Racing Pontiac GXP wasn't getting the job done,

so he borrowed teammate Greg's Anderson's ride from last year. It was a marriage made in heaven as Line led wire to wire to defeat Mike Edwards in the final of the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

The win couldn't have come at a better time. Line's sponsor, Summit Equipment is also the sponsor of the drag strip and the event.

“This is absolute the biggest win for me and this is a great time to do it,” admitted Line.  “We are tired of watching that yellow car win races and we need to get our share, too.”

The impetus for parking the car that just couldn't quite get the job done to a car that was a year old might have come from the team's truck driver.

“My truck driver, Sonny McCurdy He told me a couple weeks ago, he said 'keep doing what your doing and you'll keep getting what your getting'. And, so we said we gotta change something up here because we've just been terrible.”

Line has no intention of making another switch.

“I think we'd be pretty foolish to get off this winning horse. They would have to pry my hands off of it. We're going to just keep racing this car.”

In addition to changing cars, the team also spent time in Martin, Mi., testing during the week off between the Englishtown and Norwalk events. It was an important test.

“We tested up in Martin and those guys did a great job for us. We learned a lot. It was conditions similar to this in a lot of ways, so it was good for us. I would say it was probably one of the most productive test sessions we have had and it's not going to just help us now, but in two months it is going to help us more.”

Qualified third, Line got past Johnny Gray in the first round, Warren Johnson in the second and Ron Krisher in the semi's before going head to head with Edwards.

In the final round, Line's plan was no different than if he was facing any other driver.

“My plan was to snap the clutch as fast as possible,” said Line. “I felt if we could get a couple hundredths on him we had a shot to beat him. Unfortunately for him, he had some issues in the final and we made a pretty could run.”

EDWARDS IN THE WAY? Jason Line admits that Mike Edwards is making it difficult for him to spend time with his family.

“He's causing my wife and kids not to see me as much as they want to,” said Line, who said he was anxious to meet Edwards in the semi's before his teammate, Greg Stanfield had even run against Edwards in the semi.

“I didn't mean any disrespect to (Stanfield) because he's as good a driver as anybody out here. He might be the best driver out here. It's just Edwards is so tough that for anybody to beat him is a big feat.”

Despite the win, Line also admits it's not going to be any easier to spend time with his family.

“It's not going to be any easier, but they are going to come with me on the western swing.” 

 

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