QUIET STAR HIGHT LOOKS TO MAINTAIN HIS SUCCESS AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX
ENNIS, Texas -- Robert Hight, in his Auto Club Ford Mustang, has
been quietly moving through the Funny Car category, but that is the way
he likes it.
For most of the season Hight has been lurking near the top of the Funny
Car points, but he has not been the driver getting the most attention on
his John Force Racing team. He attributes that to his quiet demeanor,
which he thinks is more like his teammate Ashley Force rather than his
boss John Force and late teammate Eric Medlen.
"People have said I am the quiet one, but that is
compared to John (Force) and Eric (Medlen)," said Hight.
"Ashley is a lot like me. That creates a good balance on our
team."
While Hight and Force have been battling it out in the
POWERade Series Countdown to the Championship, Ashley has been deflecting
a lot of the media attention in part due to her rookie season in the
POWERade Series and her recently being voted AOL's Hottest Athlete
by online users.
"Ashley has been getting all the attention while John
and I are in the Countdown," said Hight. "So, she is taking
care of the media, like Jay Leno and the interviews so we can concentrate
on the Countdown."
Coming into the 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented
by Castrol Syntec, Sept. 20-23 at Texas Motorplex, Hight is looking to
defend his win in 2006 and maintain his position atop the Top 4 of the
playoff section of the Countdown to the Championship. The $1.5 million
race, which will be televised in high definition on ESPN2, is the 20th of
23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. It is also the third
of four races in the Countdown to Four of the Countdown to the
Championship.
His approach to the races and the Countdown to the Championship have
changed now that the playoff section has commenced. At the beginning of
the season he kept saying that he needed to go to every race and try to
win. Now things are different.
"Now with two races left (Dallas, and Richmond) we don't need
to be testing," said Hight. "We need to race smart. We
don't need to be the quickest. After that (In the Countdown to
One) we need to pull out all the stops and be the quickest we can."
If the season comes down to a final round between he and Force, and a win
decides who claims the championship, Hight knows what he wants to
happen. After a slight pause he answered very definitively.
"I hope it's me that wins," said Hight. "But,
either way we can't lose because the sponsors have been taken care
of. It is a situation I hope to have. It would be my first championship
or John's 15th."
Texas Motorplex, with its all concrete track surface, has always been a
favorite of John Force Racing and Hight. Last year Hight defeated Mike
Ashley for his first win at the track to make it a combined eight races
that Hight and Force have won at this racer-favorite track. He looks
forward to coming here every year.
"I love that place," said Hight. "John Force Racing
has had a lot of success at the track. It should be what all tracks are
held up to. I wish there were more like it. In fact, John thought of
putting a shop there at one time. Billy (Meyer -- owner) always
puts on a great race. There is always something going on."
Defending race winners include Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel); Hight (Funny
Car); and Richie Stevens Jr. (Pro Stock).
After the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec
concludes, there will be just one race remaining in the Countdown to Four
playoff segment: the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals near Richmond,
Va., Oct. 5-7.
Bernstein will try to defend his Top Fuel event win from last season, but
there will be other drivers looking to gain points in the Countdown to
Four. Tony Schumacher, Larry Dixon and Rod Fuller will be looking to
maintain their points position in the Top Four while other drivers seek
to move up including Bob Vandergriff Jr., J.R. Todd, Doug Herbert and
Whit Bazemore.
Battling Hight in Funny Car will be Ashley, Tony Pedregon, and Ron Capps,
who all have a Top 4 position. Others looking to gain those valuable
Countdown points will be Jack Beckman, John Force, Gary Sclezi and the
season's surprise: Jim Head. The spoilers could include those
outside the Countdown like Kenny Bernstein, Del Worsham or Hight's
fellow teammate Ashley Force.
In Pro Stock, last year's winner, Stevens, may be outside the
Countdown, but he will still be trying for a victory. Those in the Top
Four looking to make it to the next round are Dave Connolly, Greg
Anderson, Allen Johnson and Kurt Johnson.
The Pro Stock Motorcycle riders will be going all out in Texas because
this race is their last one to make it to the Countdown to One. Sitting
somewhat comfortably at the top is Matt Smith, but lurking behind him are
a host of riders including reigning world champion Andrew Hines and three
time world champion Angelle Sampey.
SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3:45 and
6:45 p.m. on Sept. 21, and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sept. 22. Eliminations
start at 11 a.m. on Sept. 23.
TICKETS: For tickets, call Texas Motorplex, at (800) 668-6775. Tickets
also are available at texasmotorplex.com.
ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise one and a half hours of
qualifying at 12:30 a.m.. (ET) on Sept. 23. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air
NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. (ET), followed by
three hours of eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. (ET) on Sept. 23.
-credit: nhra
