It’s go time for Robert Hight and he knows it.

Hight used his final available test day on Monday and made the most of it in a marathon session at O’Reilly Raceway Park outside Indianapolis.

Hight currently resides 26 points out of sole possession of tenth place in the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car point standings. Three races remain before the drop-dead cut-off time to determine the ten championship contenders.

In years past, it was a foregone conclusion that John Force Racing’s Hight would be in the hunt for the title. This year has been anything but predictable for Hight.
No More Testing, He’s Got To Make The Remaining Races Count …

It’s go time for Robert Hight and he knows it.

Hight used his final available test day on Monday and made the most of it in a marathon session at O’Reilly Raceway Park outside Indianapolis.

Hight currently resides 26 points out of sole possession of tenth place in the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car point standings. Three races remain before the drop-dead cut-off time to determine the ten championship contenders.

In years past, it was a foregone conclusion that John Force Racing’s Hight would be in the hunt for the title. This year has been anything but predictable for Hight.

That’s why Monday’s test was so important.

“We made five runs and I think (Monday) was definitely the most successful test session we have had in a long time,” said Hight. “I am excited. To my way of thinking it could not have come at a better time for a turnaround for my Mustang. These next three races are like a championship countdown in itself. Instead of three guys trying to win a championship it is three guys trying to get into the Countdown,” said a confident Hight. “They are all good cars. I know in my heart my team has what it takes if we do everything right to get ourselves in that position. Once the Countdown starts all bets are off. Anyone can win then as long as you are in the Top Ten but you have to be in there.”

Hight will miss the traditional pre-Indy test session in the days before the NHRA U.S. Nationals in early September. He’s used two test sessions in the last three weeks with the recently completed Night Under Fire match race in Norwalk, Ohio, serving as one of the test sessions.

“Waiting to use my last test session before the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals wasn’t an option for us because what if we messed up in Brainerd or Reading well then what good is that test session other than trying to win the U.S. Nationals and defend our championship there,” said the two-time winner and three time finalist. “We want to definitely (win the U.S. Nationals again) but our main focus right now is to get our AAA Ford Mustang in the Countdown. The track was in good shape and the conditions worked decent for us. We used our last testing day to go out there and try and get this Mustang to where it can win in the next three races and put ourselves into position to contend for the Full Throttle championship.”

History doesn’t exactly bode well for Hight and his team headed into Brainerd. For the past four years the Auto Club team has made it beyond the first round at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals only once.

“Sometime people have luck at races for whatever reason. (Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) has won in Brainerd before with Gary Densham. It all boils down to doing everything right no matter what race track you are at. If you do that you put yourself in position to win. We definitely need to go rounds. Winning would be nice and that is what we are going for,” said Hight. “What we need is round wins and my prediction is between myself, (Matt) Hagan or Cruz (Pedregon) if you have semi-final finishes in the next three races whichever one does that will be in the Countdown.”

Hight believes as elusive as consistent success has been this season, a run of good fortunes could salvage what has been one of the toughest races he’s experienced since winning the rookie of the year award in 2005.

“I feel that if I can get on a roll and win a couple of these races I can get this Auto Club Ford Mustang as high and 7th place going into the Countdown. We want all our John Force Racing Mustangs to have a shot so we will all be focused on going as many rounds as possible. Once I get into the Countdown I know I have just as good a shot as anybody else of winning the Full Throttle championship,” concluded Hight.

Advertisement