On the day after Halloween Robert Hight gave his boss and father-in-law John Force the ultimate trick and treat during the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas.

After an agonizingly long delay due to an Antron Brown oil down at the conclusion of the final Top Fuel qualifying session the entire Funny Car class started their last session nearly an hour and a half after the estimated start time. Hight, in the next to last pair of Funny Cars racing his sister-in-law Ashley Force, was then forced to wait again after their burnouts when a quick rain shower halted the racing action. Both Ford Mustangs shut off and then had to restart forcing both teams to double and triple check their starting line procedures.

On the day after Halloween Robert Hight gave his boss and father-in-law John Force the ultimate trick and treat during the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas.

After an agonizingly long delay due to an Antron Brown oil down at the conclusion of the final Top Fuel qualifying session the entire Funny Car class started their last session nearly an hour and a half after the estimated start time. Hight, in the next to last pair of Funny Cars racing his sister-in-law Ashley Force, was then forced to wait again after their burnouts when a quick rain shower halted the racing action. Both Ford Mustangs shut off and then had to restart forcing both teams to double and triple check their starting line procedures.

“That last run was probably the craziest run I have ever made. Having to do the burn out and then stop because it was raining. I saw the side windows had water on them and I got back past the tree and Rick Stewart was shutting me off. I have seen lots of guys do that before; shut them off and restart them then stage but you never know. There are so many things that are going on. I was on the radio with my crew guys making sure that we do everything right. This kind of scenario just throws everything off,” said Hight.

When Hight crossed the finish line he knew he had made a good run but thanks to a radio malfunction he did not know how well until he got out of his Los Angeles Dodgers themed Mustang at the top end. The avid baseball fan was excited to have raced to the top spot considering the team needs every point possible to win their first championship even if it means denying his racing hero John Force the number one spot.

“We have to be perfect. My radio didn’t work so I had no idea what it ran. I was pretty sure it ran pretty good. I love baseball and getting to run the Dodgers car the last two races is a dream for me. I am glad I wasn’t good enough to play baseball or I wouldn’t be able to be out here driving this Ford Mustang for John Force. It would be the most perfect way to end the season with winning a championship running a Dodgers car and we are still in this ball game and we can do it.”

“For this Auto Club Ford team we have to make every point count. We could be perfect from here on out and still not win this championship. No. 1 qualifier here that is behind us and we need to win this race, go to Pomona be No.1 and then win. That still might not be enough. We know we have to do everything perfectly,” added the two time championship runner-up.

In the first round Hight will square off against No. 16 qualifier and nemesis Tony Bartone. It was two years ago at the ACDelco Nationals when Hight was the No. 1 qualifier and Bartone was No. 16 and Hight’s Mustang had a mechanical failure on the burn out effectively ending his bid for his first championship. Hight is hoping there is not a repeat in 2008.

“We have been number one here a lot and lost first round too. In fact two years ago I was in the championship hunt against John (Force) and (Ron) Capps. We had a killer car and my car died on the burn out.”