YORBA LINDA, CA (March 11, 2013) --- Two weeks off between races gave Robert Hight and the Auto Club team some time to regroup after a sluggish start to the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing season and to focus on the upcoming Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 14-17, 2013.
In the first two races Hight has battled tough qualifying efforts and qualified for both events. They picked up a dramatic first round win in Phoenix over Johnny Gray when Gray’s Pitch Energy Dodge brushed the wall advancing Hight to the second round. For a team of Hight’s caliber and with their own high expectations qualifying isn’t enough. They want to be one of the elite qualifiers and round winners. They currently sit in the 10th spot in the Mello Yello point standings with the goal to move up this weekend in Gainesville.
“We have not started out with the kind of success we were expecting after the off-season we put in. Jimmy Prock and my guys busted their butts all off-season and unfortunately we haven’t seen the results yet. It is only two races but we are not going to get down. We are going to be ready for the Gatornationals,” said Hight.
“We won this race last year. We had some weather show up on Sunday so we had to win it on Monday. I would love to repeat and get the win on Sunday in front of one of those huge Gatornationals crowds.”
Last year rain rolled in after the second round forcing Hight to win two rounds on Sunday and two rounds on Monday. Hight defeated three DSR Funny Cars on his way to victory besting Ron Capps, Jack Beckman and Johnny Gray in the final.
Hight might not be off to the strong start he and crew chief Jimmy Prock had envisioned but this driving tuning combo will not be held back for long. They have won more races together over the past five seasons than any Funny Car tandem. Hight has won at least two Funny Car events every year of his career and last season Hight won four races in a row becoming just the fifth driver in NHRA history to put together such an impressive streak.
“I want to dominate a whole season. There are still twenty-two races left and the most important are the six that are in the Countdown. We moved up into the Top Ten last race but we want to be up in that number one spot. The Gatornationals is one of the races like Indy that you have to have on your resume as a former winner. I got my win last season and I would love to get another win in Gainesville this weekend,” added Hight.
On the off time between races Hight spent time at the famed March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway and also attended the Mac Tools Tool Fair in Dallas.
“I went to Dallas for the Mac Tools Tool Fair and that event is really cool because you see all the new tools and tool boxes Mac Tools is rolling out. We also got to spend time with their distributors and their families. It was a fun time. When I went to the March Meet it was like going back in time. There was some rain but I loved seeing all the old school Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters,” said Hight.
From: Elon Werner
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In the first two races Hight has battled tough qualifying efforts and qualified for both events. They picked up a dramatic first round win in Phoenix over Johnny Gray when Gray’s Pitch Energy Dodge brushed the wall advancing Hight to the second round. For a team of Hight’s caliber and with their own high expectations qualifying isn’t enough. They want to be one of the elite qualifiers and round winners. They currently sit in the 10th spot in the Mello Yello point standings with the goal to move up this weekend in Gainesville.
“We have not started out with the kind of success we were expecting after the off-season we put in. Jimmy Prock and my guys busted their butts all off-season and unfortunately we haven’t seen the results yet. It is only two races but we are not going to get down. We are going to be ready for the Gatornationals,” said Hight.
“We won this race last year. We had some weather show up on Sunday so we had to win it on Monday. I would love to repeat and get the win on Sunday in front of one of those huge Gatornationals crowds.”
Last year rain rolled in after the second round forcing Hight to win two rounds on Sunday and two rounds on Monday. Hight defeated three DSR Funny Cars on his way to victory besting Ron Capps, Jack Beckman and Johnny Gray in the final.
Hight might not be off to the strong start he and crew chief Jimmy Prock had envisioned but this driving tuning combo will not be held back for long. They have won more races together over the past five seasons than any Funny Car tandem. Hight has won at least two Funny Car events every year of his career and last season Hight won four races in a row becoming just the fifth driver in NHRA history to put together such an impressive streak.
“I want to dominate a whole season. There are still twenty-two races left and the most important are the six that are in the Countdown. We moved up into the Top Ten last race but we want to be up in that number one spot. The Gatornationals is one of the races like Indy that you have to have on your resume as a former winner. I got my win last season and I would love to get another win in Gainesville this weekend,” added Hight.
On the off time between races Hight spent time at the famed March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway and also attended the Mac Tools Tool Fair in Dallas.
“I went to Dallas for the Mac Tools Tool Fair and that event is really cool because you see all the new tools and tool boxes Mac Tools is rolling out. We also got to spend time with their distributors and their families. It was a fun time. When I went to the March Meet it was like going back in time. There was some rain but I loved seeing all the old school Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters,” said Hight.
From: Elon Werner
More...
