The NHRA’s latest track preparation method is geared to slow down the nitro-powered cars. But once in awhile, weather conditions and surface conditions combine to give racers that thrill of swinging for the fences again. It happened Saturday at Madison, Ill., with cooler temperatures during the last day of qualifying for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, and Funny Car’s Robert Hight called it “Candyland.”

He and crew chiefs Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham indulged in the sweet opportunity and enjoyed the taste of success Saturday.

Hight, who led the lineup in Friday’s first session but conceded it to John Force Racing colleague Courtney Force, blasted back to the top Saturday night. He used a 3.844-second elapsed time at 326.16 mph on the 1,000-foot course at Gateway Motorsports Park, near St. Louis, to claim his 59th No. 1 qualifying position of his career and third this season.

The driver of the AAA Missouri Chevy Camaro said Prock and Cunningham recognized the rarity and took full advantage.

“We were pushing,” Hight said. “We don’t get to run a lot of big numbers like that. The tracks just haven’t been there. This one here has been. You could see the numbers dropping every pair that went down. We had nothing to lose.”

However, he said he probably was more excited about the 3.908-second run in the third overall session earlier Saturday that had him jazzed, although it didn’t yield the No. 1 spot.

“To be honest with you, the most impressive run of the day was that 3.90 we made in the heat. That was what impressed me the most,” Hight said. “Those are the conditions we’re going to be racing in tomorrow. We’re not going to have Candyland like this anymore. That’s what we need. We’ve got to have a great race set-up. I think that 3.90 proved that we do.”

He said it was satisfying to see Prock relish the chance to show what he does best.

“Jimmy is always pushing. Jimmy loves conditions like this. This is where he excels. My car went down the track all four runs in qualifying. That gives you confidence on race day. He’s happy. You can just tell. When he’s searching and trying to find a set up you can just see his demeanor.”

But Hight was cautious, indicating he has a few steps until he can say he’s hitting on all cylinders, figuratively speaking.

“We’re not there right now, OK? [Prock’s] got confidence. He doesn’t go to the box a lot. You hear him and Chris [co-crew chief Cunningham] on the radio, and they have a set-up and a game plan. And it’s working. If I wouldn’t have screwed it up last week [in the Countdown opener at Reading, Pa.], we had a great shot at winning that race.”

He knows his assignment: “What I’ve got to focus on tomorrow is driving and doing my best, because I have a great race car.”

Hight will face Dale Creasy in the first round of eliminations.

“Everybody is bunched up. This championship is going to be a fight right down to Pomona - just hope I’m in it,” Hight said.

Behind Hight by eight-thousandths of a second was No. 2 qualifier Ron Capps in the NAPA Dodge for Don Schumacher Racing, which landed three racers in the top half of the ladder. (Tommy Johnson is No. 4, following No. 3 Courtney Force, and Jack Beckman is eighth.)  Bob Tasca III and Tim Wilkerson are fifth and sixth, respectively, with their Mustangs, and JR Todd - perhaps the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series’ hottest driver – is seventh in his Camry from Kalitta Motorsports.

Courtney Force, trying to regain the points lead she lost at Reading because of a first-round defeat, said, “I think we are finding the consistency we have been lacking. Even though we aren’t going into race day in the No. 1 spot, we still managed to pick up some bonus points. I feel really confident with this Advance Auto Parts Camaro going into race day. We will be starting from the No. 3 spot, and we have a really consistent race car. We are going to have to push hard tomorrow and go some rounds. We are in a great position to get back to the top of the point standings.”

Her first test will be Jim Campbell, of Jim Dunn Racing. She is 10-3 against him overall in first-round action, and she has defeated Campbell each of the four times they have met this year.

Missing the field were Terry Haddock and Jack Wyatt.