Clouds aren’t usually a good thing when it comes to racing in Seattle. As long as they’re white and block the heat of the sun, they can be an ally for a nitro racer.

Defending NHRA Funny Car champion Robert Hight was hoping for a little insulation from Mother Nature to knock off a few of the nearly 130 degrees reading on track temperature gauges, so he could step up from his 4.194 from Friday evening.

To run that quick headed into Sunday’s final eliminations at the NHRA Northwest Nationals would have been huge for the driver of the AAA Ford Mustang. Close might only work in horseshoes and hand grenades, but for Hight running within .005 bodes well for his race day chances.

“It was a little hotter and a forecast of clouds, which never came,” said Hight, whose No. 1 qualifier represents his sixth of 2010 and the 37th of his career.

“We came close and you saw Del Worsham step up and run a 4.20. The top ten cars are so bunched up that anyone can win this deal. Being No. 1 is a big deal when it comes to earning points but on race day it means nothing. No matter what position you are in, you have a tough race.”

Clouds aren’t usually a good thing when it comes to racing in Seattle. As long as they’re white and block the heat of the sun, they can be an ally for a nitro racer.

Defending NHRA Funny Car champion Robert Hight was hoping for a little insulation from Mother Nature to knock off a few of the nearly 130 degrees reading on track temperature gauges, so he could step up from his 4.194 from Friday evening.

To run that quick headed into Sunday’s final eliminations at the NHRA Northwest Nationals would have been huge for the driver of the AAA Ford Mustang. Close might only work in horseshoes and hand grenades, but for Hight running within .005 bodes well for his race day chances.

“It was a little hotter and a forecast of clouds, which never came,” said Hight, whose No. 1 qualifier represents his sixth of 2010 and the 37th of his career.

“We came close and you saw Del Worsham step up and run a 4.20. The top ten cars are so bunched up that anyone can win this deal. Being No. 1 is a big deal when it comes to earning points but on race day it means nothing. No matter what position you are in, you have a tough race.”

Of his six poles in 2010, Hight has won only one event from the top spot. Twice he’s lost in the first round of eliminations and the second round after getting a bye to open the event.

Hight races Jeff Diehl, a racer who has suffered his share of carnage this season with blown engines and damaged race cars. Still Hight is on guard for the unexpected.

“We had better take him seriously or we’ll find ourselves on the trailer early,” Hight cautioned. “We have to go up there and race the conditions just like we have been.”

Hight and tuner Jimmy Prock have been proficient in two days of qualifying, racing on track conditions of anywhere from 114 to 127 degrees. Their car had been smokeless up until the final attempt.

“We missed it on that one,” Hight admitted. “Maybe that will provide us with the parameters of what we don’t need to do tomorrow.”

Hight picked up seven bonus points from three rounds of qualifying to gain on boss/father-in-law John Force, who failed to grab any special points. This enabled the second place Hight to narrow Force’s lead to just three rounds of racing.

“It’s fun chasing [John] and it’s been back and forth,” admitted Hight. “He would ask me if I thought I was going to catch him, and then I did. Then he caught me again. It’s fun.”