NORWALK, Ohio – Jason Line will lead the K&N Horsepower Challenge field as the No. 1 seed for the second consecutive season as the lucrative special event takes center stage July 7 during the sixth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.
A purse of $76,000 is available for the eight drivers competing in the K&N Horsepower Challenge. The winner of the 28th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge will earn $50,000. The runner-up will earn $10,000, the two semifinalists $3,000 each, and the four first-round finishers $2,500 apiece.
Line, from Mooresville, N.C., qualified No. 1 at 10 of the 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events where drivers could earn K&N Horsepower Challenge points. It will be Line’s eighth appearance in the bonus event.
The $148,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge showcases eight Pro Stock teams in a race-within-a-race bonus event. Seven of the teams qualified during a 24-race span from the 2011 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk through the 2012 O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Joliet, Ill. The eighth-place team was selected via a special fan vote on the K&N website. Besides the $76,000 available in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, bonuses of $72,000 were paid to the top Pro Stock qualifiers throughout the 24-race K&N Horsepower Challenge series, including $3,000 to the No. 1 qualifier at each race.
This year’s K&N Horsepower Challenge field features three past winners and five drivers who are looking for their first victory in the special event. The past winners are four-time and defending champ Greg Anderson, third seed and 2008 winner Allen Johnson, and the Fan Vote winner, Jeg Coughlin, who is a three-time K&N Horsepower Challenge winner. Among the five drivers who have never won, two are multi-time runners-up in the race: Mike Edwards (four) and Line (two).
In the opening round, top-seeded Line will face fan vote winner Coughlin, who is making his 10th appearance in the event. Second-seeded Edwards will meet first-time qualifier Ronnie Humphrey; third-seeded Johnson will face Vincent Nobile, who is also making his first start; and four-time and defending winner Anderson will meet Erica Enders, who is racing in the Challenge for the third time.
Other past winners of the K&N Horsepower Challenge include Larry Morgan, Bruce Allen, Bob Glidden, Darrell Alderman, Kurt Johnson, Warren Johnson, Jim Yates and Dave Connolly.
K&N Horsepower Challenge rounds are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. on July 7.
2012 K&N HORSEPOWER CHALLENGE FINAL STANDINGS:
1. Jason Line, Mooresville, N.C., Summit Racing Chevy Camaro 3,935
2. Mike Edwards, Coweta, Okla., Penhall/Interstate Batteries Pontiac GXP 3,675
3. Allen Johnson, Greeneville, Tenn., J&J Racing/Team Mopar Dodge Avenger 3,620
4. Greg Anderson, Mooresville, N.C., Summit Racing Chevy Camaro 3,575
5. Erica Enders, New Orleans, GK Motorsports Chevy Cobalt 3,205
6. Vincent Nobile, Dix Hills, N.Y., Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger 3,145
7. Ronnie Humphrey, Jacksonville, N.C., Genuine Hot Rod Hardware Pontiac 3,100
8. Jeg Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger Fan Vote
2012 K&N HORSEPOWER CHALLENGE ROUND PAIRINGS:
FIRST ROUND (11:30 a.m.):
Line vs. Coughlin
Edwards vs. Humphrey
Johnson v. Nobile
Anderson vs. Enders
SEMIFINALS (1:30 p.m.):
Line vs. Coughlin winner vs. Anderson vs. Enders winner
Edwards vs. Humphrey winner vs. Johnson vs. Nobile winner
FINAL (2:50 p.m.)
SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA NATIONALS FACT SHEET
WHAT: Sixth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, the 12th of 23 events in the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Drivers in four categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle - earn points leading to 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships.
WHERE: Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio. The track is located at 1300 State Route 18, half way between Cleveland and Toledo; just an hour and a half north of Columbus. The Ohio Turnpike is less than 10 minutes away. www.summitemotorsportspark.com
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, July 5-8.
SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, July 5 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying at 9 a.m.
FRIDAY, July 6 - LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, July 7 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations continue at 8 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:40 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
K&N HORSEPOWER CHALLENGE at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m.
SUNDAY, July 8 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, July 7, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 8, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage starting at 8 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):
Friday, July 6, 9:30 - 10 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 14C
Saturday, July 7, 6:30 - 7 a.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 14C
Sunday, July 8, 7- 7:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 14C
(3980 MHz, vertical; Data Rate: 40.461470554 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.
2011 WINNERS: Del Worsham, Top Fuel; Mike Neff, Funny Car; Vincent Nobile, Pro Stock; Eddie Krawiec, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
MOST VICTORIES: Larry Dixon, 2, TF; Greg Anderson, 2, PS; Andrew Hines, 2, PSM.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel – 3.780 seconds by Larry Dixon, June ’10; 320.43 mph by Dixon, June ’10.
Funny Car – 4.032 seconds by Ashley Force Hood, June ’10; 313.15 mph by Del Worsham, June ’10.
Pro Stock – 6.583 seconds by Ron Krisher, June ’11; 209.36 mph by Krisher, June ’11.
PS Motorcycle – 6.887 seconds by Hector Arana Jr., June ’11; 194.49 mph by Andrew Hines, June ’10.
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.735 sec. by Del Worsham, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.
Funny Car - 3.995 sec. by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11, Charlotte, N.C.; 318.99 mph by Jack Beckman, Sept. ’11, Charlotte, N.C.
Pro Stock - 6.477 sec. by Jason Line, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 213.91 mph by Jason Line, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.
PS Motorcycle - 6.750 sec. by Eddie Krawiec, March ’12, Gainesville, Fla.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.
TICKETS: For tickets, call (419) 668-5555 or purchase online at www.summitmotorsportspark.tix.com.
NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
GLENDORA, Calif. -- Point standings (top 10) following the 11th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel: 1. Tony Schumacher, 879; 2. Antron Brown, 876; 3. Spencer Massey, 868; 4. Steve Torrence, 775; 5. Morgan Lucas, 698; 6. Doug Kalitta, 656; 7. Shawn Langdon, 616; 8. Brandon Bernstein, 536; 9. David Grubnic, 521; 10. Clay Millican, 490.
Funny Car: 1. Robert Hight, 950; 2. Ron Capps, 854; 3. Jack Beckman, 701; 4. Johnny Gray, 687; 5. Mike Neff, 686; 6. Jeff Arend, 556; 7. Courtney Force, 554; 8. Bob Tasca III, 549; 9. Cruz Pedregon, 545; 10. John Force, 536.
Pro Stock: 1. Greg Anderson, 995; 2. Jason Line, 893; 3. Allen Johnson, 888; 4. Mike Edwards, 783; 5. Erica Enders, 695; 6. Vincent Nobile, 694; 7. Ronnie Humphrey, 519; 8. Rodger Brogdon, 461; 9. Shane Gray, 427; 10. Larry Morgan, 403.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 522; 2. Andrew Hines, 447; 3. Hector Arana, 383; 4. Hector Arana Jr, 381; 5. LE Tonglet, 292; 6. Michael Ray, 270; 7. Karen Stoffer, 267; 8. Matt Smith, 243; 9. Scotty Pollacheck, 225; 10. Shawn Gann, 222.
