LINE
CLINCHES NHRA POWERADE SERIES PRO STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP; Schumacher,
Beckman, Stevens and Hines earn victories at ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA
Nationals
Third-year Pro Stock driver Jason Line captured the first
NHRA POWERade world championship of the season Sunday at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas.
After
collecting the $200,000 series champion's check, Line shared the
spotlight with race winners Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Jack
Beckman(Funny Car), Richie Stevens (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro
StockMotorcycle) at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"I can't believe it," Line said. "This doesn't seem real. It's been
coming but now that it's finally happened I don't even know what to
say."
Line needed to earn 20 more points than teammate and three-time
defending category champ Greg Anderson to clinch the crown and
accomplished that in a head-to-head meeting in the semifinals. The
championship is the fourth in a row for Las Vegas-based team owner Ken
Black.
"It's bittersweet to clinch it against Greg," said Line, who has earned
four victories in eight final rounds this season in his Summit Racing
Pontiac
GTO. "He's the man. He's my champion. I love the guy and to me he'll
always be the man. If not for him giving me the chance to drive inthe
first place, I wouldn't be standing here. To keep the championship
within the team is huge. There is a huge group of people responsible
for what happens on the racetrack and this championship will be shared
byall of us. It's a great group that Ken has put together and I'm proud
tobe a part of it."
