Line scored a huge win for Las Vegas-based team owner Ken Black and event sponsor Summit Racing Equipment with his 14th career Pro Stock victory. Line, who also has a Stock Eliminator title to his credit, also pulled into a tie for the POWERade points lead with reigning champ Jeg Coughlin following his final round win against Stanfield. In qualifying, Line’s Pontiac GXP was second quickest car behind Ken Koretsky’s Nitro Fish Pontiac.

Line then waded through a tough field on race day, rolling past Johnny Gray, Coughlin, and former Las Vegas winner Kurt Johnson to reach the final. Against K.J., Line, who has occasionally been criticized for his driving, got off the starting line first by a hundredth of a second, and then extended the advantage for a close 6.79 to 6.80 victory.

“I get beat on for my driving or lack thereof so many times; it’s redeeming to finally win again,” said Line. “I know it was probably deserved. I mean the numbers don’t lie. I have struggled at times, but to win at the Summit race is a huge deal for us.

“Today, I had the best car that I’ve had for a year and a half. It was the car that got it done today. The engine didn’t perform as well as I would have liked it to, but the car worked great, especially in the right lane. Everybody struggled in that lane, but when I ran that [6.79] in the semifinals, it was an impressive run by anybody’s standards.

“This is three finals in five races, and that’s by far best start to a season that I’ve ever had,” said Line. “It also feels really good to be tied for the points lead. I’d like to think this is the start of a lot of good things to come for Greg and myself.”