A fruitful end of line for Line

Growing up in Wright, professional drag racer Jason Line wasn't much involved in sports. Perhaps that is what makes it interesting that he went on to a professional sports career that is nearly unmatched at the pro-stock level of racing.

"I liked sports, but wasn't very good so I moved onto something else that I had interest in which was cars," Line said. "My dad had a repair shop and he raced until he had us kids. When we got old enough to have an interest in it, my brother started the ball rolling again."

Line finished an amazing career this season with a runner-up finish in his final race. This past season was promoted as "The Finish Line Tour."

Most of Line's family members race or have raced, including his parents, Lawrence and Maxine, his siblings, and their offspring.

Things got interesting for Line in 1998 when a simple phone call ignited his career.

"I was working at the paper mill in Duluth and trying to get my engine business going at the same time and I got a call from a guy at Joe Gibbs racing," Line said. "They were looking for someone with experience who had run a specific kind of engine dyno, which I had, so that spurred my move to the south."

Line made his professional debut in 2003. Over the next 17 years, he and KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson of Duluth won seven Pro Stock Championships, with Line winning three and Anderson four.

When asked if he ever thought for a moment while growing up in western Carlton County that he would become a professional drag racer, Line was quick to respond.

"Not a chance."

One of the important things in drag racing is being able to get a quick reaction time off the starting line.

"We test a lot and it's not the same," Line said of the state of his game today. "But it's better than no seat time at all. We do have a simulator but I would be lying if I told you that I used it as much as I should."

As with any professional athlete, Line faced the pressures of trying to stay on top of his game and doing so in the public eye.

"There is a certain amount of pressure to do your job better than everyone else," he said. "And you are graded instantly and it's open to scrutiny from everyone."

Line was able to use that pressure to make himself better. He was at the top, or near the top, his entire career.

Line decided he would retire from driving after the 2020 season so he could spend more time with his family at his home in North Carolina.

"My kids are getting old and need some influence from their father so it was just time," Line said. "To do this competitively you have to be a bit selfish and it's not about me anymore, it needs to be about them now."

He will still be working with KB Racing to "produce and finesse high-performance engines" in the team's Mooresville race shop, supporting its Pro Stock endeavors as well as Sportsman racing.

Line and Anderson formed a formidable duo that may never be duplicated in drag racing. Northeastern Minnesota isn't relatively a hotbed for racing, but the pair have shown that with the right skill and talent set, the right breaks and the right effort, there is a chance for anyone to make the leap into the big leagues.

"I think there's a strong work ethic and a passion that go a long ways to being successful," Line said. "And there's a lot of hard working folks from the northern climates."

"It's been a great way to make a living and, more importantly, a great way for our family to do something together for many years," he said. "I can't imagine my life without it. The friends and associations I've made over the years are irreplaceable."

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Staying on top

Jason Line has an impressive resumé:

• Three-time NHRA Pro Stock series champion (2006, 2011, 2016)

• NHRA Rookie of the Year in 2004

• 2003 NHRA Stock Eliminator champion

• 383 Pro Stock races

• 51 Pro Stock wins

• 53 overall wins

• 54 runner-up finishes

• 58 Pro Stock top qualifier awards

• 639 career round wins