READING, Pa. (Sept. 15, 2019) – Jason Line’s silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro has been a mean hot rod for the past few races, and on raceday at the 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals, the power of his KB Racing Pro Stocker was again rewarded with victory.

Brainerd winner Line scored the first win of the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship with a final-round defeat of KB Racing teammate Fernando Cuadra and vaulted into the points lead on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway.

It was the 50th Pro Stock win of Line’s career and 52nd overall, including his two Stock Eliminator victories.

“This is probably the best Summit Racing Chevy Camaro I’ve ever had, and all I have to do is not mess it up,” said Line, following the 46th all-KB Racing final round and 158th win for Ken Black’s Mooresville, N.C., based team.

“It was a lot of fun to have Fernando in the other lane. I have to say congratulations to him; it was his first final round, and they did a heck of a job. He’s going to get a win – it just wasn’t going to be today.”

In the final, Cuadra was first to launch by a bunch, but Line made up ground efficiently with the most powerful Chevy Camaro on the property and laid down a 6.553-second pass at 210.60 mph to his challenger’s 6.594, 208.78. The margin of victory for the silver Summit Racing Chevy was just .009-second.

“I did not do good in the final by any means – other than not hitting anything – but I had a great hot rod, and I was pretty fortunate today,” admitted Line.

“If you would have asked me at Seattle if we had a chance to win the championship, I would have told you no. But right now, we arguably have the best car. I’m not trading with anybody, that’s for sure. We have a good chance, all we have to do is do a good job driving, and it will happen. That’s easier said than done, but that’s what makes Mello Yello drag racing great.”

No. 3 qualifier Line disposed of Wally Stroupe in the first round with low elapsed time of raceday, 6.540, 210.44 mph to a tire-rattling 17.922, 45.55, then sliced into KB Racing teammate Bo Butner with a .008-second reaction time and 6.549, 210.41 to his opponent’s 6.575, 210.41.

“Bo Butner should stay away from Jason Line,” said Butner, following the round that took him out of the top spot in the Pro Stock points for the first time all year. “You want to win the first race of the Countdown, but you really want to win the first round, and we did that. But Jason has the car of the class right now, and he did what he needed to.

“If I liked him a lot more, I’d probably put a picture of me on his dash. When he’s thinking of me, he’s never worse than .015 on the tree. He does not want to lose to me; it’s like I’m his little brother. But I’m going to start being a mean little brother.”

Following his defeat of Butner, Line seized the opportunity to take down Matt Hartford, who had knocked Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson out in the opening act. Line was 6.572, 210.57 to 6.604, 210.73 to get the win light over Hartford and reach his third Reading final round.

Line has won all three times he’s reached the money round at Maple Grove Raceway, and he’s had to defeat a KB Racing teammate in each of those three meetings: in 2004 he bested Team Summit counterpart Anderson, in 2011 it was KB Racing-powered Ronnie Humphrey, and this year Cuadra was on the receiving end of Line’s powerful Pennsylvania punch.

“This track has been very good to me,” said Line. “Over the years, I’ve traditionally had fast cars here. I’m not sure why it’s trended that way, but I like this place.”

Anderson had high hopes for the red Summit Racing Chevy Camaro entering the event. He holds the track record for speed at 214.59 mph, which he set in 2015, and reached the Reading final in three of the past four years. This time around, he battled in qualifying and started from the No. 10 position, setting up the first-round meeting with Hartford.

“We just have a mystery with my car right now. It’s a good car, it just has a very small tuning window, and you have to be perfect. That’s tough to do every time,” said Anderson, who is now No. 8 in the championship points. “We’re going to see if we can figure this out. We know we have to do something, and quick. We’re going to go and test before St. Louis, and with all of the resources that we have, and all of the support, we know we can get this sorted out.

“It was a disappointing day for us in terms of the red Summit Racing Chevy Camaro, but we were very happy to see another all KB Racing final round. Fernando Cuadra had a great day today, his best ever in Pro Stock, and Jason’s day was even better. So, a good day for the team overall, we just have some work to do with the red car.”

The next event on the 2019 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour is race two of six in the Countdown to the Championship, the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis, September 27-29.

Jason Line
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Points position following event: No. 1
Race results:
R1: Jason Line defeated Wally Stroupe, 6.540-second at 210.44 mph to 17.922, 45.55
R2: Line def. Bo Butner, 6.549, 210.41 to 6.575, 210.41
R3: Line def. Matt Hartford, 6.572, 210.57 to 6.604, 210.73
R4: Line def. Fernando Cuadra, 6.553, 210.60 to 6.594, 208.78

Greg Anderson
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Points position following event: No. 8
Race results:
R1: Matt Hartford defeated Greg Anderson, 6.578-second at 209.75 mph to 6.622, 211.06

Bo Butner
KB Racing, Jim Butner Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro
Points position following event: No. 2
Race results:
R1: Bo Butner defeated Aaron Stanfield, 6.549-second at 210.21 mph to 6.557, 210.54
R2: Jason Line def. Butner, 6.549, 210.41 to 6.575, 210.41

2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Standings
(after Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals, NHRA Countdown to the Championship race 1 of 6)

1. Jason Line (2), 2194
2. Bo Butner (4), 2155
3. Alex Laughlin (1), 2139
4. Erica Enders, 2116
5. Matt Hartford (1), 2103
6. Jeg Coughlin (1), 2099
7. Deric Kramer (1), 2095
8. Greg Anderson (2), 2092
9. Chris McGaha (1), 2041
10. Val Smeland, 2031

Race Info
35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals
Maple Grove Raceway
Reading, Pennsylvania
September 12-15, 2019

#ReadingNats #NHRACountdown
**Full results at DragRaceCentral.com**

READING, Pa. (Sept. 14, 2019) – Team Summit’s stable of quick Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stockers showed up for qualifying at Maple Grove Raceway with heated intent at the first race of the 2019 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.

Jason Line, driver of the silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, blasted to a 6.489-second pass at 212.49 mph to claim the No. 3 qualifying spot and top speed at the 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals. He claimed eight bonus qualifying points, equal to those picked up by the No. 1 qualifier.

“We got some of the bonus points, but we left some out there,” said Line. “My Summit Racing Chevy Camaro is fantastic right now. I’m super happy with it.”

Friday’s qualifying pushed well into the evening, and under the lights at Maple Grove Raceway the Pro Stockers either came alive or fell flat. For Line, the driver who holds the national record for elapsed time (6.455-second) and holds the honor of making the quickest pass in the new era of electronic fuel injection at the Gainesville race in 2017 (6.476), blasted to a 6.489 in the quick session for the No. 3 spot.

Three other drivers reached the 6.4’s: Erica Enders went 6.480 for the pole, Alex Laughlin clocked a 6.486, and KB Racing engine campaigner Deric Kramer powered to a 6.491.

“I was a little surprised [by the 6.489] on Friday, and I didn’t think we would see three other 6.4’s, either,” said Line, who has had either low elapsed time or top speed at each of the most recent three events. “It was enough to give us a good starting spot for tomorrow. That’s all you can ask for.”

Line will race KB Racing-powered Wally Stroupe in the first round.

Teammate Greg Anderson, driver of the red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, has had a steadily improving racecar over the course of the weekend, and he intends to follow through with a powerful performance on Sunday.

Anderson will start from the No. 10 position as his Chevy veered out of the groove in the quick session on Friday night. His best time so far at the event is a 6.535, 211.30. He will race Matt Hartford, the driver who snatched the broom from his hands in the final round in Seattle and dashed his hopes of a second sweep of the three-race Western Swing.

“It doesn’t matter who’s in the other lane. You just have to race your own race just like it’s a single,” said Anderson, a veteran Pro Stock driver and four-time world champ with 93 national event wins on his scorecard. “You have to be loose, you have to be free, and you can’t think about anything except concentrating on cutting a light. The simple truth is that it doesn’t matter who’s in the other lane – they’re all tough.

“My red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro was better today than it was on Friday, and it was better than it was last week at Indy. We’re going to have a weather change tomorrow, so things are going to be a little different. Maybe that will come more to the red car’s liking. I’m looking forward to it.”

Bo Butner, the Pro Stock points leader, enters raceday as the No. 6 seed. He will square off with second-generation drag racer Aaron Stanfield.

“I always say that in the last qualifying session, I want to be one of the top three or four cars – and we were that run,” said Butner, who clocked his best time on Friday evening with a 6.511, 212.06 and then closed out qualifying with a third-best of the round 6.553, 209.33.

“I hit the tree really good earlier today, so I was happy. It’s going to be a day for really good driving tomorrow, and I can’t wait for that. You cannot go up there and be relaxed. Nobody is messing around.”

Eliminations for the 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals will begin on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway at 11 am ET.

Jason Line
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Results:
Q1: 6.505-second at 212.19 mph (No. 1, +3 bonus points)
Q2: 6.489, 212.49 (No. 3, +1)
Q3: 6.540, 211.00 (No. 3, +2)
Q4: 6.542, 211.00 (No. 3, +2)

Final qualifying position: No. 3
First-round opponent: Wally Stroupe

Greg Anderson
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Results:
Q1: 6.535-second at 211.30 mph (No. 8)
Q2: 8.461, 113.28 (No. 10)
Q3: 6.580, 209.01 (No. 10)
Q4: 6.562, 210.60 (No. 10)

Final qualifying position: No. 10
First-round opponent: Matt Hartford

Bo Butner
KB Racing, Jim Butner Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro
Results:

Q1: 6.522-second at 211.63 mph (No. 6)
Q2: 6.511, 212.06 (No. 6)
Q3: 6.565, 209.46 (No. 6)
Q4: 6.533, 209.33 (No. 6, +1 bonus qualifying point)

Final qualifying position: No. 6
First-round opponent: Aaron Stanfield

2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Standings
(after Reading qualifying, NHRA Countdown to the Championship race 1 of 6)

1. Bo Butner (4), 2135
2. Alex Laughlin (1), 2119
3. Jason Line (1), 2114
4. Erica Enders, 2096
5. Greg Anderson (2), 2092
6. Deric Kramer (1), 2075
7. Matt Hartford (1), 2063
8. Jeg Coughlin (1), 2059
9. Chris McGaha (1), 2041
10. Val Smeland, 2031

RACE INFO
35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals
Maple Grove Raceway
Reading, Pennsylvania
September 12-15, 2019

Run Schedule (all times ET)
Sunday, September 15
11am – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series eliminations begin,
eliminations for all other categories continue

#NHRAonFOX Schedule (all times ET)
Finals / Sunday – 2-5 PM ET / FS1

DRIVER STATS
Greg Anderson
Event-Specific Notes:
• Greg Anderson, driver of the red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, begins the 2019 NHRA Countdown to the Championship as the No. 4 seed. He is seeking a fifth Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Championship
• Anderson holds the Maple Grove Raceway Pro Stock track record for speed at 214.59 mph, set in October 2015
• The Team Summit driver reached the final round in Reading three of the last four seasons

Driver Notes:
• 2019 is Anderson’s 21st season as a Pro Stock driver. He began his career as a crew member and then was crew chief for multi-time champion Warren Johnson before taking the reins of his own Pro Stock car in Columbus in 1998.
• Las Vegas-based Ken Black brought Anderson on board as a tuner, then a driver for KB Racing. They won their first race together in 2001. They have been racing together for nearly two decades and have, along with crew chief Rob Downing, built a team that now owns 157 national event wins and eight championships.
• Anderson is a four-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion (2003-05, 2010)
• Anderson is the most decorated Pro Stock driver on the current tour. He has 93 national event wins and is the second-most winning driver of all time in the category (W. Johnson has 97).
• Anderson’s 103 starts from the No. 1 position is the third-most of any Pro driver ever

Anderson at the NHRA Nationals in Reading
2 wins in 7 final rounds
Runner-up 2017 (Bo Butner)
Runner-up 2016 (Vincent Nobile)
Runner-up 2015 (Chris McGaha)
Runner-up 2010 (Dave Connolly)
Won 2006 (defeated Greg Stanfield)
Won 2005 (defeated Jim Yates)
Runner-up 2004 (Jason Line)
No. 1 in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008

Last year: Qualified No. 7; semifinals

Anderson’s career stats through 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis
(most recent event)
4-time NHRA Pro Stock series champion (2003-05, 2010)
464 Pro Stock races
93 wins
63 runner-up finishes
156 overall final rounds
103 No. 1 qualifier awards
Career best e.t.: 6.457
Career best speed: 215.48

Jason Line
Event-Specific Notes:
• Wright, Minnesota-native Jason Line, driver of the silver Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro, enters the 2019 Countdown to the Championship as the No. 3 seed.
• Three-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Line had the quickest racecar over the past two events. He closed out the regular season with the quickest car in all but two rounds of qualifying and all but three rounds of eliminations over the course of the last two races.
• Over the course of the regular season, Line has claimed low elapsed time twice (nine times overall for KB Racing) and top speed of the event three times (10 times overall for KB Racing)

Driver Notes:
• Jason Line debuted a new Jerry Haas-built Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at the 2019 Mello Yello Series season-opener in Pomona and wheeled it to the final round
• The driver of the silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro accumulated 600 Pro Stock round wins with his first-round victory in Richmond this season. It is the third most of any active driver in the category.
• The Mooresville, N.C.-based drag racer has 51 national event wins on his scorecard: 49 in Pro Stock and two in Stock Eliminator, one of NHRA’s premier Sportsman categories.
• In addition to driving for KB Racing, Line is the dyno operator at KB Racing and is part of the tuning team for the cars in the KB Racing stable
• Line has three NHRA Pro Stock world titles with KB Racing (2006, 2011, 2016), as well as one NHRA Sportsman championship earned in Stock Eliminator behind the wheel of his 1970 Buick Gran Sport (1993)
• His Pro Stock debut was in 2003 in Columbus

Line at the NHRA Nationals in Reading
2 wins in 2 final rounds
Win 2011 (defeated Ronnie Humphrey)
Win 2004 (defeated Greg Anderson)
No. 1 in 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013

Last year: Qualified No. 8; second round

Line’s career stats through 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis
(most recent event)
3-time NHRA Pro Stock series champion (2006, 2011, 2016)
1993 NHRA Stock Eliminator champion
368 Pro Stock races
49 Pro Stock wins
51 overall wins, including NHRA Sportsman and Professional categories
(2 Stock Eliminator, 49 Pro Stock)
52 runner-up finishes
101 Pro Stock final rounds
103 overall final rounds, including NHRA Sportsman and Professional competition
(2 Stock Eliminator, 101 Pro Stock)
55 Pro Stock No. 1 qualifier awards
Career best e.t.: 6.455
Career best speed: 215.17

Bo Butner
Event-Specific Notes:
• Bo Butner, the 2017 NHRA Pro Stock world champion, led the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series points throughout the entire regular season. He enters the 2019 NHRA Countdown to the Championship as the No. 1 seed.
• The Floyds Knobs, Indiana, native has four wins in four final rounds so far this year. Overall, he has 11 wins in a total of 101 career Pro Stock races.
• Thus far, 2019 has been a season of recovery for Butner, who won twice in 2018 but suffered 10 first-round losses.
• In addition to his success in Pro Stock in 2019, Butner has won in Super Gas and twice been runner-up in the Factory Stock Showdown to create a scenario in which he has the potential to claim three season championships in one year.
• Butner has three wins in Reading – but they’re all in different classes: Stock Eliminator (2010), Comp (2011), and Pro Stock (2017)

Driver Notes:
• Butner won the first race of the 2019 season and then again in Gainesville, Las Vegas, and Richmond. He is the incoming points leader.
• Last October, Butner decided to hang up his Pro driving gloves and return to his Sportsman racing roots to focus on the Jim Butner Auto Group family business and his growing family (his first grandchild was born just after Gainesville). When the schedule was shortened to 18 races, though, he was encouraged by his mom, Dottie, to reconsider.
• An accomplished NHRA Sportsman racer, Butner earned the Comp Eliminator championship in 2006 and has four Division 3 season titles
• Butner won Super Gas in Sonoma this season in his very first race in the category and was runner-up in the class at Brainerd. He was also runner-up in Super Gas at the divisional event in Bowling Green, Ky. Butner currently has national event wins in six different categories (Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Stre4et, and Super Gas).
• Butner has 11 Pro Stock wins on his scorecard

Butner at the NHRA Nationals in Reading
3 wins in 3 final rounds
2010 Won Stock Eliminator (defeated Michael Iacono)
2011 Won Comp Eliminator (defeated Sal Biondo)
2017 Won Pro Stock (defeated Greg Anderson)

Last year: Qualified No. 5; second round

Butner’s career stats through 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis
(most recent event)
2017 NHRA Pro Stock champion
2006 Competition Eliminator champion
101 races
11 Pro Stock wins
13 Pro Stock runner-up finishes
24 overall Pro Stock final rounds
10 Pro Stock No. 1 qualifier awards
27 overall wins, including NHRA Sportsman competition
(11 Pro stock, 6 Comp Eliminator, 3 Super Stock, 5 Stock Eliminator, 1 Super Street, 1 Super Gas)
55 overall final rounds, including NHRA Sportsman and Professional competition
(24 Pro Stock, 13 Comp Eliminator, 6 Super Stock, 7 Stock Eliminator, 1 Super Street, 2 SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown, 2 Super Gas)
Career best e.t.: 6.475
Career best speed: 214.28

#ReadingNats #NHRACountdown
**Full results at DragRaceCentral.com**

Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Pro Stock race 13 of 18, Countdown to the Championship race 1 of 6

Greg Anderson
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Car No.: PS7
Current points position: No. 4

Event-Specific Notes:
• Greg Anderson, driver of the red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, begins the 2019 NHRA Countdown to the Championship as the No. 4 seed. He is seeking a fifth Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Championship
• Anderson holds the Maple Grove Raceway Pro Stock track record for speed at 214.59 mph, set in October 2015
• The Team Summit driver reached the final round in Reading three of the last four seasons

Driver Notes:
• 2019 is Anderson’s 21st season as a Pro Stock driver. He began his career as a crew member and then was crew chief for multi-time champion Warren Johnson before taking the reins of his own Pro Stock car in Columbus in 1998.
• Las Vegas-based Ken Black brought Anderson on board as a tuner, then a driver for KB Racing. They won their first race together in 2001. They have been racing together for nearly two decades and have, along with crew chief Rob Downing, built a team that now owns 157 national event wins and eight championships.
• Anderson is a four-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion (2003-05, 2010)
• Anderson is the most decorated Pro Stock driver on the current tour. He has 93 national event wins and is the second-most winning driver of all time in the category (W. Johnson has 97).
• Anderson’s 103 starts from the No. 1 position is the third-most of any Pro driver ever

Anderson at the NHRA Nationals in Reading
2 wins in 7 final rounds
Runner-up 2017 (Bo Butner)
Runner-up 2016 (Vincent Nobile)
Runner-up 2015 (Chris McGaha)
Runner-up 2010 (Dave Connolly)
Won 2006 (defeated Greg Stanfield)
Won 2005 (defeated Jim Yates)
Runner-up 2004 (Jason Line)
No. 1 in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008

Last year: Qualified No. 7; semifinals

Anderson’s career stats through 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis
(most recent event)
4-time NHRA Pro Stock series champion (2003-05, 2010)
464 Pro Stock races
93 wins
63 runner-up finishes
156 overall final rounds
103 No. 1 qualifier awards
Career best e.t.: 6.457
Career best speed: 215.48

Quote:
“My number one goal going into this race is to be better as a driver. I was off the last several races, I wasn’t cutting the lights I needed to win in this class, and that isn’t going to win any races – let alone a championship. The second thing is that we have to get the red Summit Racing Chevy Camaro a little bit better, too. We had a week off and took full advantage of it, and we feel like we’re ready to start this Countdown off on a positive note. It’s going to be a dogfight for these next six races, and you’re going to have to be on top of your gae in every aspect: the race car, the engine, and the driver. Everything is going to have to be on perfect song, or you’re not going to win. The competition is as stiff as it’s ever been.”

Jason Line
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Car No.: PS5
Current points position: No. 3

Event-Specific Notes:
• Wright, Minnesota-native Jason Line, driver of the silver Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro, enters the 2019 Countdown to the Championship as the No. 3 seed.
• Three-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Line had the quickest racecar over the past two events. He closed out the regular season with the quickest car in all but two rounds of qualifying and all but three rounds of eliminations over the course of the last two races.
• Over the course of the regular season, Line has claimed low elapsed time twice (nine times overall for KB Racing) and top speed of the event three times (10 times overall for KB Racing)

Driver Notes:
• Jason Line debuted a new Jerry Haas-built Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at the 2019 Mello Yello Series season-opener in Pomona and wheeled it to the final round
• The driver of the silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro accumulated 600 Pro Stock round wins with his first-round victory in Richmond this season. It is the third most of any active driver in the category.
• The Mooresville, N.C.-based drag racer has 51 national event wins on his scorecard: 49 in Pro Stock and two in Stock Eliminator, one of NHRA’s premier Sportsman categories.
• In addition to driving for KB Racing, Line is the dyno operator at KB Racing and is part of the tuning team for the cars in the KB Racing stable
• Line has three NHRA Pro Stock world titles with KB Racing (2006, 2011, 2016), as well as one NHRA Sportsman championship earned in Stock Eliminator behind the wheel of his 1970 Buick Gran Sport (1993)
• His Pro Stock debut was in 2003 in Columbus

Line at the NHRA Nationals in Reading
2 wins in 2 final rounds
Win 2011 (defeated Ronnie Humphrey)
Win 2004 (defeated Greg Anderson)
No. 1 in 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013

Last year: Qualified No. 8; second round

Line’s career stats through 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis
(most recent event)
3-time NHRA Pro Stock series champion (2006, 2011, 2016)
1993 NHRA Stock Eliminator champion
368 Pro Stock races
49 Pro Stock wins
51 overall wins, including NHRA Sportsman and Professional categories
(2 Stock Eliminator, 49 Pro Stock)
52 runner-up finishes
101 Pro Stock final rounds
103 overall final rounds, including NHRA Sportsman and Professional competition
(2 Stock Eliminator, 101 Pro Stock)
55 Pro Stock No. 1 qualifier awards
Career best e.t.: 6.455
Career best speed: 215.17

Quote:
“Right now, I have the best Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro I’ve had in years. That’s a good feeling going into the Countdown, but you never know. You have to stay on top of things, and you have to be your best if you’re going to make it happen. We didn’t bring the championship home to Ken Black last year, but I like our chances right now. These next six races are going to be tough, and you’re really going to have to earn it. We have a little bit of momentum, though, and hopefully, we can build on that. I’d like to start next year with a big No. 1 on the window.”

Bo Butner
KB Racing, Jim Butner Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro
Car No.: PS8
Current points position: No. 1

Event-Specific Notes:
• Bo Butner, the 2017 NHRA Pro Stock world champion, led the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series points throughout the entire regular season. He enters the 2019 NHRA Countdown to the Championship as the No. 1 seed.
• The Floyds Knobs, Indiana, native has four wins in four final rounds so far this year. Overall, he has 11 wins in a total of 101 career Pro Stock races.
• Thus far, 2019 has been a season of recovery for Butner, who won twice in 2018 but suffered 10 first-round losses.
• In addition to his success in Pro Stock in 2019, Butner has won in Super Gas and twice been runner-up in the Factory Stock Showdown to create a scenario in which he has the potential to claim three season championships in one year.
• Butner has three wins in Reading – but they’re all in different classes: Stock Eliminator (2010), Comp (2011), and Pro Stock (2017)

Driver Notes:
• Butner won the first race of the 2019 season and then again in Gainesville, Las Vegas, and Richmond. He is the incoming points leader.
• Last October, Butner decided to hang up his Pro driving gloves and return to his Sportsman racing roots to focus on the Jim Butner Auto Group family business and his growing family (his first grandchild was born just after Gainesville). When the schedule was shortened to 18 races, though, he was encouraged by his mom, Dottie, to reconsider.
• An accomplished NHRA Sportsman racer, Butner earned the Comp Eliminator championship in 2006 and has four Division 3 season titles
• Butner won Super Gas in Sonoma this season in his very first race in the category and was runner-up in the class at Brainerd. He was also runner-up in Super Gas at the divisional event in Bowling Green, Ky. Butner currently has national event wins in six different categories (Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Stre4et, and Super Gas).
• Butner has 11 Pro Stock wins on his scorecard

Butner at the NHRA Nationals in Reading
3 wins in 3 final rounds
2010 Won Stock Eliminator (defeated Michael Iacono)
2011 Won Comp Eliminator (defeated Sal Biondo)
2017 Won Pro Stock (defeated Greg Anderson)

Last year: Qualified No. 5; second round

Butner’s career stats through 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis
(most recent event)
2017 NHRA Pro Stock champion
2006 Competition Eliminator champion
101 races
11 Pro Stock wins
13 Pro Stock runner-up finishes
24 overall Pro Stock final rounds
10 Pro Stock No. 1 qualifier awards
27 overall wins, including NHRA Sportsman competition
(11 Pro stock, 6 Comp Eliminator, 3 Super Stock, 5 Stock Eliminator, 1 Super Street, 1 Super Gas)
55 overall final rounds, including NHRA Sportsman and Professional competition
(24 Pro Stock, 13 Comp Eliminator, 6 Super Stock, 7 Stock Eliminator, 1 Super Street, 2 SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown, 2 Super Gas)
Career best e.t.: 6.475
Career best speed: 214.28

Quote:
“We have a good car right now. My Jim Butner Auto Group Chevy Camaro is starting to show some signs of greatness again, and this is the right time for that. We enter the Countdown as the No. 1 seed, and hopefully, that’s where we end up. Of course you want to win, especially once you know what it feels like – but if it’s a KB Racing car at the end, we’ll be happy. We’ve been saying all year that we want to be 1-2-3 at the end, and we’re starting this deal off pretty close to that. Now we just have to keep it going and keep everybody else from separating us.”

“This weekend has become really special because the last few years we’ve been able to have the Goldstar moms with us. Their kids made the ultimate sacrifice, and it’s heartbreaking to hear their stories – but it’s such an honor to have these moms at this race. It gives us a little more incentive because you really want to do well for them and put a smile on their faces. It really puts things into perspective.”

2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Standings
(after Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, race 12 of 18)

1. Bo Butner (4), 969*
2. Alex Laughlin (1), 967*
3. Jason Line (1), 906*
4. Greg Anderson (2), 884*
5. Erica Enders, 853*
6. Deric Kramer (1), 818*
7. Matt Hartford (1), 809*
8. Jeg Coughlin (1), 745*
9. Chris McGaha (1), 630*
10. Val Smeland, 429*

*Clinched berth in NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship

Race Info
35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals
Maple Grove Raceway
Reading, Pennsylvania
September 12-15, 2019

Run Schedule (all times ET)
Thursday, September 12
10:00am – Lucas Oil Series Sportsman qualifying begins

Friday, September 13
9:00am – Lucas Oil Series Sportsman eliminations begin
2:00pm – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro qualifying session 1
5:00pm – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro qualifying session 2

Saturday, September 14
12:45pm – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro qualifying session 3
3:00pm – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro qualifying session 4

Sunday, September 15
11am – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series eliminations begin,
eliminations for all other categories continue

#NHRAonFOX Schedule (all times ET)
Qualifying / Friday – 6:30-8:30 PM ET / FS1
Qualifying / Saturday – 9-10 PM ET / FS2
Finals / Sunday – 2-5 PM ET / FS1

#ReadingNats #NHRACountdown

**Full results at DragRaceCentral.com**

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 2, 2019) – The 65th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals didn’t produce a win for Team Summit, but it certainly brought a ton of excitement as the KB Racing Pro Stock team showed a bit of their hand and claimed two of the top three spots in the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.

Bo Butner, driver of the Jim Butner Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro, claimed enough points in qualifying and on raceday to lock in as the No. 1 seed in the Countdown. Jason Line, driver of the silver Summit Racing Chevy Camaro, amassed plentiful points in qualifying and added to the pile with a semifinals finish on Monday to claim the No. 3 spot in the championship lineup. Red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro pilot Greg Anderson, with two wins on the season, is the No. 4 man in the Countdown.

No. 1 qualifier Butner was handed the win in the first round when Kenny Delco red-lighted by -.002, but the 2017 world champ went ahead and sealed the deal with one of the quickest passes of the round and of the day, a 6.598-second blast at 209.20 mph. He went on to clock a 6.617, 208.71 in the second round that just wasn’t enough to match fellow KB Racing-powered competitor Deric Kramer and his best-of-the-round 6.597, 209.17.

“We had a good car today with my Jim Butner Auto Group Chevy Camaro,” said Butner. “It’s the right time, and I like our chances everywhere we go. It’s really cool that we get to be the No. 1 seed in the Countdown to the Championship, and on Sunday in Pomona, somebody is going to be watching the final round and win the championship. Every point matters. We want KB Racing to finish 1-2-3, and we’re going to work hard to make that happen and not let anyone get between us.”

Line had low elapsed time of eliminations and top speed of raceday with his 6.579 at 209.56 to dispatch Shane Tucker in the first round with his Summit Racing steed. Fully dialed in for round two, Line launched with a jaw-dropping .009-second reaction time and capped off a deafening win over Jeg Coughlin, 6.597 at 209.14 to 6.623, 208.04.

The three-time Pro Stock Mello Yello Series champ laid down another solid pass in the semis, a 6.617, 209.30 that was best of the round, but Erica Enders’ .010 light to a respectable but just a tick slower .027 was the decider; Enders won by .007-second on a 6.627, 207.56.

“My silver Summit Racing Chevy is a really good car, and we’re very happy with it,” said Line. “I wasn’t particularly pleased with the outcome today, but you’ll have that. The important thing is that we go into the Countdown with a fast car and a chance to win the first race. We know we have that, so I’m excited and certainly looking forward to what could happen over the next six races. It was a good weekend here – not a great weekend – but we had a lot of fun. I enjoyed racing my Stocker, and I’m definitely looking forward to the opportunity to do it again.”

Anderson, who was No. 2 in the points entering the event, made his best run of the weekend in the opening round to send KB Racing teammate Fernando Cuadra Jr. packing. The red Summit Racing Chevy flew to a 6.593, 209.04 over a 6.677, 208.23. Anderson was 18-15 over Enders heading into the second round and had lane choice for their rendezvous, but his opponent was challenged by the 93-time Pro Stock winner and picked up the pace, clocking a 6.609, 207.94 over a 6.617, 209.07.

“We definitely gained some ground overnight with my Summit Racing Chevy Camaro,” said Anderson. “Our run in the first round was pretty respectable – the only one faster was Jason’s rocket ship. We’re very happy with that, but unfortunately, second round, we didn’t make as good a run. We slipped. The driver slipped, and you can’t do that in Pro Stock. The car has to be perfect, and so does the driver. Neither one was second round, so it was a tough day at the office. We did see a little glimmer of hope that first round, and we’ll take that into the Countdown and build on it.”

The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis marked the conclusion of the regular season. The 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship will begin in Reading, Penn., Sept. 12-15 with the Dodge NHRA Nationals.

Jason Line
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Results
R1: Jason Line defeated Shane Tucker, 6.579-second at 209.56 mph to 6.579, 209.56 to 6.653, 203.92
R2: Line def. Jeg Coughlin, 6.597, 209.14 to 6.623, 208.04
R3: Erica Enders def. Line, 6.609, 207.94 to 6.617, 208.71

Greg Anderson
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Results
R1: Greg Anderson defeated Fernando Cuadra Jr., 6.593-second at 209.04 mph to 6.677, 208.23
R2: Erica Enders def. Anderson, 6.609, 207.94 to 6.617, 209.07

Bo Butner
KB Racing, Jim Butner Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro
Results
R1: Bo Butner defeated Kenny Delco, 6.598-second at 209.20 mph to 6.605, 207.85
R2: Deric Kramer def. Butner, 6.597, 209.17 to 6.617, 208.71

2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Standings
(after Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, race 12 of 18)

1. Bo Butner (4), 969*
2. Alex Laughlin (1), 967*
3. Jason Line (1), 906*
4. Greg Anderson (2), 884*
5. Erica Enders, 853*
6. Deric Kramer (1), 818*
7. Matt Hartford (1), 809*
8. Jeg Coughlin (1), 745*
9. Chris McGaha (1), 630*
10. Val Smeland, 429*

*Clinched berth in NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship

**Full results at DragRaceCentral.com**

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 1, 2019) – Pro Stock qualifying for the 65th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals offered five sessions for drivers to bring their best to the table, and the KB Racing team served up the quickest runs of the weekend so far. Bo Butner, the 2017 Pro Stock champion and driver of the KB Racing-powered Jim Butner Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro, earned his third No. 1 qualifier award of the season and 11th of his career.

Brainerd winner Jason Line, powering the silver Summit Racing Chevy Camaro, claimed 18 bonus points as one of the quickest cars in each session to nab the No. 2 spot. Although Greg Anderson, driver of the red Summit Racing Camaro, has yet to hit the nail on the head with the tune-up for his car, the veteran driver and six-time Indy winner is confident that he and the team can get everything lined up for a successful raceday at the biggest, most historic event of the year.

Butner claimed a total of 10 bonus points and clocked a best time of 6.559-second at 210.28 mph. He will race Kenny Delco in the first round.

“Our Jim Butner Auto Group Chevy Camaro is a very good car that can turn on win lights,” said Butner, who was also the No. 1 qualifier at the U.S. Nationals in 2016 but has yet to win the event. “We’ve tried a lot of stuff throughout the year, but now it’s time to be serious. It’s Countdown to the Championship time, and I really want to win Indy. That would top off my career, and that’s my goal. It’s been fun so far this weekend, but it’ll be more fun tomorrow.”

Butner won the battle for the first Race Star Wheels Low E.T. Pro Stock Bonus, a $2,500 cash prize which will be awarded to the No. 1 qualifier at each of the final seven races of the 2019 season.

“It’s awesome; how cool is it that Race Star cares about the racers like that,” said Butner. “We really appreciate them stepping in and giving us all that incentive to run every qualifier as good as you can. Thank you to Race Star Wheels, and I’m looking forward to hopefully getting a few of those big checks this year.”

As it was in Brainerd when he claimed max points, Line’s Summit Racing Chevy was exceptionally quick. In Indy, he claimed a total of 18 bonus points in qualifying, just two shy of the maximum available. Lined was the provisional pole sitter on Friday night, but his 6.561, 210.64 landed second in the batting order when it was all said and done. He’ll race Shane Tucker in round one.

“I absolutely wanted that Race Star Wheels bonus,” said Line, who still has an Indy win on his to-do list. “We’re a Race Star Wheels car, and it would have been super fitting. But you know, in this class you have to do everything perfect to get it, and I didn’t. My silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro is a great hot rod, and I’m super excited about the Chevrolet Performance U.S. nationals tomorrow. I got a lot of bonus qualifying points – almost a full round. That’s pretty good. Since Brainerd, we’ve gotten all but two of the available points. My car is really good right now, it makes it really fun. I’m excited. I just have to drive good, and we have a heck of a good chance to do some damage.”

Anderson’s 6.580, 209.01 was good for the No. 6 position. He will race Fernando Cuadra Jr. in the first round.

“We know this red Summit Racing Chevy Camaro is a good car, but we struggled to make a nice, quality run and get the engine tune-up right in qualifying,” said Anderson. “Unfortunately, we had both those things working against us in qualifying, so we’re disappointed – but tomorrow we have a shot to get it right.

“Not only do I want to go into the Countdown to the Championship as the No. 1 seed, I want to win Indy. I love this race, and winning the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals trophy is what I want to do. I have to make some changes overnight to make that happen, and it’s going to take some work, but we can get it done.”

Eliminations for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals will begin on Monday at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis at 11 am ET.

Jason Line
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Results:
Q1: 6.570-second at 209.62 mph (No. 1, +4 bonus points)
Q2: 6.570, 210.01 (No. 1, +4)
Q3: 6.561, 210.64 (No. 2, +3)
Q4: 6.579, 209.26 (No. 2, +4)
Q5: 6.595, 208.84 (No. 2, +3)

Greg Anderson
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Results:
Q1: 6.611-second at 207.94 mph (No. 8)
Q2: 6.594, 209.36 (No. 9)
Q3: 6.580, 209.01 (No. 6)
Q4: 7.218, 148.53 (No. 6)
Q5: 6.627, 208.10 (No. 6)

Bo Butner
KB Racing, Jim Butner Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro
Results:
Q1: 6.592-second at 209.95 mph (No. 3, +2 bonus points)
Q2: 6.599, 208.71 (No. 7)
Q3: 6.559, 210.28 (No. 1, +4)
Q4: 6.616, 209.82 (No. 1, +2)
Q5: 6.600, 208.33 (No. 1, +2)

2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Standings
(after Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals qualifying, race 12 of 18)

1. Bo Butner (4), 939*
2. Greg Anderson (2), 854*
3. Alex Laughlin, 847*
4. Jason Line (1), 846*
5. Matt Hartford (1), 809*
6. Erica Enders, 763*
7. Deric Kramer (1), 758*
8. Jeg Coughlin (1), 715*
9. Chris McGaha (1), 630*
10. Kenny Delco, 411
11. Fernando Cuadra, 410

*Clinched berth in NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship

Race Info
65th Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianolis
Brownsburg, Indiana
August 28 – September 2, 2019

Run Schedule (all times local)
Monday, September 2
10:00 a.m. – Pre-race ceremonies
11:00 a.m. – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro eliminations begin,
eliminations for all categories continue

#NHRAonFOX Schedule (all times ET)
Finals / Monday – 11 AM-1 PM ET / FS1 /LIVE
Finals / Monday – 1-4 PM ET / FOX / LIVE

Event tags, hashtags: @TeamChevy #USNats and #BigGo
**Full results at DragRaceCentral.com**

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 30, 2019) – Jason Line is an engine guy, so having a quick racecar is directly related to his level of happiness. The faster his silver Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro goes, the bigger the three-time Pro Stock champ smiles. On Friday at the 65th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Line was at optimum joy-level as he flew to the provisional pole in the first of five qualifying rounds.

Although Line has been on the property since Wednesday racing his C/SA Buick GS in the Stock Eliminator category, Friday was the first day of qualifying for the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series pros. Pro Stock took the track well after 7pm as the sun was saying its goodbyes, and quick times were ripe for the picking as the air and track temps dipped. Line took advantage and rocketed to a 6.570-second pass at 209.62 mph. The only driver with a quicker speed was KB Racing teammate Bo Butner, who went 209.95.

“I think we have something good right now, and hopefully we can keep it that way,” said Line. “This is the best Summit Racing Chevy Camaro I’ve had in a couple years, for sure, and that makes it exciting and fun. You know, I’ve never won Indy. Last week in Brainerd I got to cross one off my list, and I’d like to cross another one off this week.”

Line will jump back into qualifying in the Pro Stock Camaro on Saturday afternoon, but early Saturday morning, he’ll slide back into his Buick for round one of Stock eliminations. So far, he’s had one of the quickest entries in the elite Sportsman category.

“Both of my cars are happy here,” said Line. “It was a fun day, today. It was a busy day, but a fun day. I love Indy – there’s so much going on, especially with all of the Sportsman racing. This is a great way to top it off, for sure.”

If Line should secure the No. 1 qualifying position, he will score the first bonus in the special award program put together by Race Star Wheels, the brand which Line proudly sports on both his Buick GS and Pro Stock Chevrolet Camaro.

“Race Star Wheels have been great to us, and we’re really grateful for all of the support that they’ve shown the Pro Stock class,” said Line. “I want to get that award this weekend. It’s one of my goals, for sure.”

Qualifying continues on Saturday at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis with sessions scheduled at 1:15 and 4:15 pm ET.

Jason Line
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Results:
Q1: 6.570-second at 209.62 mph (No. 1, +4 bonus points)

Greg Anderson
KB Racing, Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro
Results:
Q1: 6.611-second at 207.94 mph (No. 8)

Bo Butner
KB Racing, Jim Butner Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro
Results:
Q1: 6.592-second at 209.95 mph (No. 3, +2)

2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Standings
(after Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, race 11 of 18)

1. Bo Butner (4), 874*
2. Greg Anderson (2), 802*
3. Alex Laughlin, 794*
4. Jason Line (1), 774*
5. Matt Hartford (1), 753*
6. Deric Kramer (1), 709*
7. Erica Enders, 697*
8. Jeg Coughlin (1), 663*
9. Chris McGaha (1), 581*
10. Kenny Delco, 363
11. Fernando Cuadra, 360

*Clinched berth in NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship

Race Info
65th Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianolis
Brownsburg, Indiana
August 28 – September 2, 2019

Run Schedule (all times local)
Saturday, August 31
8:00 a.m. – Lucas Oil Series Sportsman eliminations continue
12:00 p.m. – Factory Stock Showdown qualifying session 2
1:15 p.m. – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro qualifying session 2
3:20 p.m. – Factory Stock Showdown qualifying session 3
4:15 p.m. – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro qualifying session 3
6:40 p.m. – Lucas Oil Series Sportsman eliminations continue

Sunday, September 1
8:00 a.m. – Lucas Oil Series Sportsman eliminations continue
12:30 p.m. – Factory Stock Showdown round 1
1:15 p.m. – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Qualifying session 4
3:20 p.m. – Factory Stock Showdown round 2
4:15 p.m. – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Qualifying session 5
6:45 p.m. – Lucas Oil Series Sportsman eliminations continue

Monday, September 2
10:00 a.m. – Pre-race ceremonies
11:00 a.m. – Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro eliminations begin,
eliminations for all categories continue

#NHRAonFOX Schedule (all times ET)
Qualifying / Sunday – 2-4 PM ET / FS1
Qualifying / Sunday – 4-6 PM ET / FS1 / LIVE
Finals / Monday – 11 AM-1 PM ET / FS1 /LIVE
Finals / Monday – 1-4 PM ET / FOX / LIVE

Event tags, hashtags: @TeamChevy #USNats and #BigGo

**Full results at DragRaceCentral.com**