Joliet: Dave Connolly final summary

Connolly Loses to Jason Line in Route 66 Raceway Quarterfinals

JOLIET, Ill. - Dave Connolly's second race against Jason Line in two day didn't have a winning result Sunday in the quarterfinals of the CarQuest Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.

Connolly, who drove the Knoll-Gas Team Torco Gear Chevy Cobalt to a $50,000 victory over Line in Saturday's King Demon Crown special event, opened eliminations with a hole-shot win over V. Gaines, 6.799 seconds at 202.24 mph to 6.777 at 203.83 mph. The deciding margin came at the starting line where the winner left with a .021-second reaction to Gaines' .083.

Line, who fouled away his title chance against Connolly Saturday, left first against Connolly this time without drawing a red light and was never challenged. The winning time was 6.759 at 203.68 mph to 6.794 at 202.61 mph.

"We were down on power today because we hurt our motor Saturday in the King Demon," Connolly explained. "We put in another Jenkins Competition motor in for eliminations and it made a nice run in the first round. But when you face Jason and Greg (Anderson, Line's teammate), you can't afford to give up anything. He stepped up and got the job done."

Line went on to win the race.

Connolly, fourth in POWERade Series points, returns to action in the K&N Filters Super Nationals, June 17-19, at Englishtown, N.J. It's the second of three races in a row.

-jls-