FEAST OR FAMINE FOR HIGHT
Wed, 2009-03-25 23:35
Robert Hight heads into this weekend’s NHRA Springnationals in Houston,
sporting a record at Houston Raceway Park that reeks of feast or famine.
In the three years of racing at the facility, he’s only made five passes on Sunday.
Robert Hight heads into this weekend’s NHRA Springnationals in Houston, sporting a record at Houston Raceway Park that reeks of feast or famine.
In the three years of racing at the facility, he’s only made five passes on Sunday.
His rookie year was the feast, as he won the 2005 event title in convincing fashion in only his fourth career start and even more impressive, he did it from the No. 1 qualifying position.
The famine started with a 2006 first round loss to Bob Gilbertson followed by the voluntary decision by John Force Racing to sit out the event following the tragic death of Eric Medlen. Last year he DNQed.
Hight doesn’t subscribe to the feast or famine theory. One could assume a race car doesn’t know a facility, only a driver does.
“If the race track is good it doesn’t matter where you are at,” Hight admitted. “Honestly it doesn’t matter where you are at anyway. You simply have to be better than the other guys. That is all it amounts to. If the track is underwater and you have to run on it you still have to do it better than the other guy.”
This season Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team have gotten off to a slower than usual start. They qualified number one at the rain impaired Winternationals in Pomona and reached the semis before losing to eventual winner Ron Capps. In Phoenix Hight qualified in the top half of the field (No. 5) but lost in the second round to Del Worsham. Two weeks ago Hight qualified No. 10 and made an early first round exit losing to rookie of the year front-runner Matt Hagan.
Hight’s Gainesville outing was tougher than usual and that event has the former John Force Racing crewman turned driver analyzing the team’s performance.
“We just have to do a better job than we are doing. I honestly feel lucky to have qualified (in Gainesville). We really didn’t fix anything from the first run (when it blew up the supercharger). We still have to fix that problem.”
Hight understands that if the problem is not solved it could stand in the way of tradition for the AAA team.
Hight has never started a season without winning at least one of the first five events. In the previous three years he picked up two wins in the season opening race in Pomona (2006 and 2008) and then in Las Vegas (2007).
“I firmly believe that if you can reach at least the semi-finals at every race you will win the championship,” Hight explained. “I want to win races though. We have a team capable of doing that. We just need to keep working hard and smart, then things will start happening for us. Hopefully, that will happen in Houston.”
In the three years of racing at the facility, he’s only made five passes on Sunday.
Robert Hight heads into this weekend’s NHRA Springnationals in Houston, sporting a record at Houston Raceway Park that reeks of feast or famine.In the three years of racing at the facility, he’s only made five passes on Sunday.
His rookie year was the feast, as he won the 2005 event title in convincing fashion in only his fourth career start and even more impressive, he did it from the No. 1 qualifying position.
The famine started with a 2006 first round loss to Bob Gilbertson followed by the voluntary decision by John Force Racing to sit out the event following the tragic death of Eric Medlen. Last year he DNQed.
Hight doesn’t subscribe to the feast or famine theory. One could assume a race car doesn’t know a facility, only a driver does.
“If the race track is good it doesn’t matter where you are at,” Hight admitted. “Honestly it doesn’t matter where you are at anyway. You simply have to be better than the other guys. That is all it amounts to. If the track is underwater and you have to run on it you still have to do it better than the other guy.”
This season Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team have gotten off to a slower than usual start. They qualified number one at the rain impaired Winternationals in Pomona and reached the semis before losing to eventual winner Ron Capps. In Phoenix Hight qualified in the top half of the field (No. 5) but lost in the second round to Del Worsham. Two weeks ago Hight qualified No. 10 and made an early first round exit losing to rookie of the year front-runner Matt Hagan.
Hight’s Gainesville outing was tougher than usual and that event has the former John Force Racing crewman turned driver analyzing the team’s performance.
“We just have to do a better job than we are doing. I honestly feel lucky to have qualified (in Gainesville). We really didn’t fix anything from the first run (when it blew up the supercharger). We still have to fix that problem.”Hight understands that if the problem is not solved it could stand in the way of tradition for the AAA team.
Hight has never started a season without winning at least one of the first five events. In the previous three years he picked up two wins in the season opening race in Pomona (2006 and 2008) and then in Las Vegas (2007).
“I firmly believe that if you can reach at least the semi-finals at every race you will win the championship,” Hight explained. “I want to win races though. We have a team capable of doing that. We just need to keep working hard and smart, then things will start happening for us. Hopefully, that will happen in Houston.”
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