NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

For all the success two-time Pro Stock world champion Jason Line has enjoyed throughout his standout career, there is one noticeable thing missing from an otherwise stellar résumé.

Line has never been able to solve the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, advancing to the final round of the world’s biggest drag race just once. But if what has transpired already during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season is any indication, Line may be ready to break through for the first time in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro.

Line, the current Pro Stock points leader, has posted an impressive seven victories thus far in 2016, which he hopes is a preview for this weekend’s 62nd annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

“There’s certainly been times where I felt like I should have won, but it just hasn’t happened yet,” said Line, who has 44 career victories. “This time of year and this race, whatever the reason, I just haven’t done that well. Maybe this year will be different. I would obviously like to win, and I certainly feel like this is as good as a chance as I’ve ever had. We’ll see what we can do to make it happen.”

Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock), and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners. For the first time, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals will be aired live on FOX and FOX Sports 1 (FS1). The final from the postponed event in Seattle between Aaron Strong and Vincent Nobile will also be completed during the race in Indy.

The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals serves as the last race of the 18-race regular season before the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship begins, and Line is sitting in an ideal position. He has advanced to 12 final rounds during a banner 2016 season, and teammate Greg Anderson, who also has seven wins this year, is the only driver who can unseat him from the top spot before the Countdown to the Championship begins. Line certainly wants to do his best to keep that points lead heading into the NHRA’s six-race playoffs, and it also means a strong performance in Indy, a place where Anderson has won six times, might be necessary to ensure that top spot.

“We just have to continue to dig deeper to find that next performance level,” Line said. “This week is a huge race and a big deal, and you want to make sure you’re on top of your game when the Countdown starts in Charlotte. You want that 30-point lead. Will it come down to that? Probably not, but it’s come down to that before, so you never know. We just have to go out and do our thing.”

Line’s weekend at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals will be plenty busy as well. Line and Anderson are serving as grand marshals of the event, and Line will also be competing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sportsman ranks in the Stock class, adding another measure of excitement to the weekend.

Of course, it’s also added work during an already busy weekend, but racing in the Sportsman classes is one of the major draws of the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals for Line.

“As a Sportsman racer, I always thought Indy was a huge deal,” Line said. “It’s where East meets West, and you find out who is the man with everyone who has been working on their stuff all year. You’re seeing cars that you would never see on the same track paired up, so it’s really cool. Sportsman racing is a huge part of our sport, and as a car guy, it’s a lot of fun. I’ve never been a grand marshal before, so that’s a big honor as well, and I’m proud to represent the sport of drag racing and, of course, Chevrolet and Summit.”

Line will deal with a talented Pro Stock class that has gained ground in recent races. Allen Johnson won in Denver, and Drew Skillman took the victory at the most recent race in Brainerd. Defending event winner Enders has struggled in 2016 but moved to ninth in points with a semifinal finish in Brainerd. She has a 49-point lead over 11th-place Alex Laughlin, who trails Jeg Coughlin by 36 points for the 10th spot, while others to watch include Bo Butner, Chris McGaha, and Shane Gray.

“Everyone wants to win the U.S. Nationals, so you have to have your act together,” Line said. “But with the extra qualifying session and racing on Monday, you need to have some patience, which is not my strong suit at all. It’s all part of learning how to cope and figuring out how to work it to your advantage.”

The first of five Mello Yello Series qualifying sessions is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2. Two more sessions will take to the track on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 2:45 and 6:45 p.m., and the final two qualifying sessions will take place on Sunday, Sept. 4, at 11:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 5. The Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel will be contested Saturday, Sept. 3, with rounds at 4, 5:15, and 8 p.m. The Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car takes place on Sunday, Sept. 4, for the eight qualified drivers, with rounds at 12:30, 3, and 4:45 p.m.
 
FOX national broadcast and FS1 will televise coverage of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals for the first time in event history. FS1 will air highlights from the event on Sunday, Sept. 4, at noon and 5 p.m. EST. The broadcasts will continue on FS1 with two hours of live coverage on Monday, Sept. 5, starting at 11 a.m. EST. The extensive coverage will then continue live on the FOX national broadcast channel at 1 p.m. EST.
 
Tickets for the world’s most prestigious drag race can be purchased by calling the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-NHRA (6472) or online at www.NHRA.com/tickets.