NHRA Pro Stock driver Jason Line has announced that he will retire from driving his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro for Ken Black Racing at the conclusion of the 2020 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Line will remain an integral part of KB Racing and Team Summit as he continues to produce and finesse high-performance engines in the team’s Mooresville, N.C., race shop, supporting their Pro Stock endeavors as well as their commitment to Sportsman racing.
The 50-time Pro Stock winner and 2006, 2011, and 2016 NHRA Pro Stock champion has deemed 2020 his “Finish Line” tour.
“It’s been a good run, and I’ve really enjoyed driving a Pro Stock car for Ken Black and Summit Racing, but you can be kind of good at a lot of things, or you can be really good at a select few things,” said Line. “Time is a limited resource, and although I plan to be around for many more years, I want to dedicate the time I have to what matters most. First and foremost, that’s my family – then comes racing.”
Line has been part of drag racing and high performance all of his life. His entire family races, including his parents, Lawrence and Maxine, his siblings, and their offspring.
Line claimed the 1993 Stock Eliminator championship in both divisional and national NHRA competition in his 1970 Buick Gran Sport. Between racing Stock Eliminator and joining the Pro Stock ranks in 2003, Line was a dyno operator at Joe Gibbs Racing, where he was part of an organization that earned two NASCAR cup series championships.
It took a good many years for Line to reach his greatest personal goal in the world of racing, but it finally came when he was asked by Greg Anderson to come on board at KB Racing and drive a second Pro Stock car for Ken Black. Line made his driving debut in the upper echelon of door slammer racing in Columbus in 2003.
“I love this class, and I believe it’s going to be around for a long time,” said Line. “It’s the toughest class there is, and I’ve been proud to be part of it for so long and be able to do so well. I’m not leaving Pro Stock; I’m just going to be working for wins for KB Racing from a different kind of seat.
“I’m very grateful to Greg Anderson and Ken and Judy Black for giving me the opportunity to drive for so long for the best team in drag racing. It has been a privilege and an honor, and I plan to continue to help this team win as many Wallys and championships as possible.”
Since joining KB Racing and in addition to an extensive list of trophies, Line has found satisfaction as a multi-time national record holder – including the current record for elapsed time, which he set at 6.455-second at the Charlotte spring race in 2015 – and has reset track records all along the circuit. Line’s 55 low qualifier awards are a proud addition to his scorecard, as they represent what he has worked hard at his whole career: producing power and speed.
NHRA celebrates 50 years of Pro Stock in 2020, and 50-year-old Line, with 50 Pro Stock wins to his name, feels that the numbers add up just right for a timely departure from being a wheelman.
“Driving a Pro Stock car was for sure a dream of mine as a kid, and winning a Pro Stock championship was something you always hope you’ll achieve but never really imagine will happen,” said Line. “I’ve been fortunate to win three of them as a driver, and now it’s time for me to shift focus.”
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