Jason Line wins NHRA Pro Stock championship

Who would have thought at the beginning of the 2011 NHRA season that Jason Line would be crowned Pro Stock champion? I would not have, for when I chatted with him at Pomona he was still a bit uncomfortable, even though he did his best to hide it. My father has had back problems for longer than I can remember, and when I saw Jason walking I knew he was not yet fully recovered from back surgery to correct a hereditary problem.

Nonsense! Not only did he win the Winternationals, but repeated two weeks later in Gainesville as well, winning the Gatornations now three times in a row. It has been a memorable year, with a total of six wins this season with still a race to go (Auto Club Finals).

"At this point in my life, I'll appreciate this one more," Line said. "I understand better now how hard it is to achieve that. Five years ago when I won the first [championship], I was naive and didn't realize how hard it is."

How awesome would it have been had Jason won the event in Las Vegas as well, where his team owner Ken Black hails from. However, he drew a red-light and was disqualified in the semis.

"It feels unbelievable," Line said. "It's a great say. It's unfortunate that we couldn't have finished it in true championship style but it is what it is and I'm not giving back the [championship] jacket or the trophy."

Line, a 42-year-old Minnesota native, worked as an engine tuner for Joe Gibbs Racing in Nascar. He excelled on the dyno, where Greg Anderson (Line's teammate) once saw him do his magic and convinced Ken Black to bring him over to drag racing. They'd have to throw him a bone though. Offer him a 200 mph ride!
"My dad said I was crazy when I told him I was leaving Gibbs," Line said. "It was the best job I ever had. Now it is the second best job I ever had."

Source: The Associated Press, and dragcentral.com.
Pictures courtesy of: Mark J. Rebilas, NHRA.