NHRA
Robert Hight looks for a win at Reading
John Force Racing press release
Edited: Jun 1, 2018, 1:23 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hight tries to turn slump into streak at Reading
Robert Hight
Photo by: Glenn F. Katauskas
READING, Pa. – No one is more familiar with what is possible in the NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs than Robert “Top Gun” Hight, the former world class marksman who, over the last seven seasons, has driven the Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang to a category-best 22 tour victories.
In 2007, when the Countdown format first was introduced, Hight lost a Funny Car championship that, under the old rules, he would have won. Two years later, he turned the tables, winning a 2009 championship he surely would have lost, becoming the first and only pro driver to go from worst to first, No. 10 to No. 1, in just six races.
That’s why, even though he and crew chief Jimmy Prock have been struggling lately with a quick-but-erratic race car, no one is counting them out of the Countdown and no one is counting them out of this week’s 27th annual Auto-Plus Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
“It’s all about timing,” Hight admitted. “In 2009, we got hot (in the playoffs). We won three of six races and the Full Throttle championship. That was awesome. If we can get hot again, I still think we have a shot (at the 2011 title). I have a lot of faith in Jimmy and this team. We’ve been through a lot together.”
Over the course of his career, Hight has won – and lost – in streaks. Last year, he went to four straight final rounds before losing the regular season title to boss, teammate and father-in-law John Force by a single point. Once the Countdown began, however, he didn’t win a single round.
This season, he won four of the first nine races to extend to seven the number of consecutive seasons in which he has been the Funny Car points leader. That said, he hasn’t advanced out of the first round in his last four starts. It’s been an exasperating turn of events for the 42-year-old who’s never driven anything but an 8,000 horsepower Ford Funny Car.
Despite recent problems, Hight is encouraged by this week’s return to an event that two years ago was the catalyst for the most remarkable turnaround in the sport’s history. Coming off a DNQ at Brainerd, Minn., Hight rolled into Maple Grove facing the very real possibility of being excluded from the Countdown for the first time ever.
In stepped team owner Force, whose response to Hight’s woes, while unorthodox, proved to be therapeutic. Force mandated a car swap with Hight moving into the cockpit of the 15-time champion’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford and Force buckling the harnesses in the Auto Club Mustang.
On the surface, the Maple Grove results were anything but spectacular. Both lost to Bob Tasca III – Hight in the second round and Force in the semifinals. Nevertheless, “for some reason, that jus worked,” Hight said. “It shook things up and I guess that’s what we needed.”
Two weeks later, when the tour moved to Indianapolis for the MAC Tools U.S. Nationals, Hight’s race car had been transformed. He not only qualified No. 1, he reached the finals for the first time in 18 races before losing to teammate Ashley Force Hood. The runner-up finish earned him the final transfer position in the Countdown. The rest is straight-line history.
“That’s what we need,” Hight said. “We need to get on a roll like the one we were on in ‘09 or like the one we were on in the spring. That’s what we’re going to try to do, starting this week.”
Hight, who celebrated seven championships as the clutch specialist on Force’s all-conquering Castrol GTX hybrids of the 1990s and early 2000s, is currently sixth in points, 107 behind teammate and points leader Mike Neff.
“It’s still anybody’s championship,” Hight said, “but we really need to gain some ground this week to have a real shot.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Greg Anderson set for Maple Grove weekend
Next article Mike Neff confident heading to Maple Grove
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Robert Hight
John Force Racing confirms its return to action
NHRA
NHRA
John Force Racing confirms its return to action
John Force Racing pauses racing activities until 2021
NHRA
NHRA
John Force Racing pauses racing activities until 2021
Hight, Torrence are champions, Kalitta, Beckman take Pomona wins
NHRA
NHRA
Pomona II
Hight, Torrence are champions, Kalitta, Beckman take Pomona wins
Latest news
Max Verstappen found guilty of FP1 clash at Portimao GTWC finale
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 22 min
Max Verstappen found guilty of FP1 clash at Portimao GTWC finale
“Wow, okay” – How Max Verstappen’s team-mate Ben Barnicoat reacted to his early GTWC driving
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 39 min
“Wow, okay” – How Max Verstappen’s team-mate Ben Barnicoat reacted to his early GTWC driving
WRC’s new champion Elfyn Evans celebrates title with Wales show run
WRC
WRC WRC 1 h
WRC’s new champion Elfyn Evans celebrates title with Wales show run
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe