JASON LINE FIRES FIRST SHOT IN SOX & MARTIN HEMI CHALLENGE AT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS

Jason Line has unfinished business at Indianapolis. One year after winning the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge only to lose the victory on a disqualification, the former NHRA Pro Stock world champion came out swinging in opening qualifying at the NHRA U.S. Nationals. Line drove his 1968 Plymouth Barracuda to an 8.451-second pass at 159.99 mph to claim the provisional No. 1 position in the 17-car SS/AH field at Indianapolis Raceway Park. But there isn’t much breathing room. Steve Comella sits just .017 seconds behind Line with an 8.468, while Eric Bell is only .027 back after running 8.478. Anthony Rhodes and Stephen Smyth complete a Barracuda sweep of the top five. Then there’s Charlie Westcott. He may be eighth on the sheet, but his 160.10-mph blast was the fastest speed of Q1 and the only run over 160 mph. The Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge celebrates its 25th anniversary at the U.S. Nationals in 2026, with $10,000 waiting for the winner. CompetitionPlus.com — Drag Racing’s Internet Magazine Since 1999. #DragRacing #NHRA #USNationals #HEMIChallenge #JasonLine #SoxAndMartin #SuperStock #Mopar #PlymouthBarracuda #DodgeDart #NHRAIndy #DragRacingNews #PEAKSquad #RaceStrange #GoodridgeHoses