John Force Racing News

John Force Racing
Robert Hight Pre-Race Package
Event: 22nd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals, 14th of 24 events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Site: Pacific Raceway, Kent, WA
Dates: July, 17-19 2009

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HIGHT SEES PROGRESS, EXCITED ABOUT SEATTLE

“Right now (points) is all this Auto Club Ford is thinking. We dug ourselves a hole and we have to get back into this top end. To beat that Matt Hagan guy (in second round of Denver) was big. They are a great team over there. They are one of the teams that are ahead of us.”– Robert Hight

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Team info at www.johnforceracing.com

Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing

Follow John Force RaceStation store at www.twitter.com/JFRaceStation

Follow Courtney Force at www.twitter.com/courtneyforce

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The Driver

Robert Hight, 39, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang, is entering 2009 following his fourth consecutive Full Throttle Top Five finish. He is the only Funny Car driver to have led the points each of the last four seasons. The 2005 winner of the Auto Club’s Road to the Future award that identifies the Rookie of the Year, he owns the two quickest 1000 foot times in Funny Car history (4.056 and 4.005 seconds) and well as the quickest quarter mile times in Funny Car history (4.646 and 4.636 seconds).

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Robert Hight By the Numbers:

1 – Number of times Hight has been No. 1 qualifier in 2009 (Pomona1)

3 – Number of times Hight has been No. 1 qualifier at NHRA Northwest Nationals

3 – Number of semi-finals Hight has reached in 2009

6 – Number of semi-finals Hight had reached by this point in 2008

2 – Hight’s position in the Full Throttle points standings entering Seattle in 2008

12 – Hight’s current position in the Full Throttle point standings

36 – Number of points Hight is behind No. 10 placeholder Cruz Pedregon

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Full Throttle Point Standings (After thirteen of 24 Full Throttle events)

FUNNY CAR - 1. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 965; 1. Ron Capps, 965; 3. Tony Pedregon, 911; 4. Jack Beckman, 804; 5. Del Worsham, 759; 6. Bob Tasca III, 732; 7. Tim Wilkerson, 691; 8. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 665; 9. Matt Hagan, 633; 10. Cruz Pedregon, 630; Also 11. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Mustang, 626; 12. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 594.

TOP FUEL - 1. Antron Brown, 1056; 2. Larry Dixon, 940; 3. Tony Schumacher, 938; 4. Brandon Bernstein, 881; 5. Cory McClenathan, 779; 6. Spencer Massey, 743; 7. Shawn Langdon, 719; 8. Morgan Lucas, 716; 9. Doug Kalitta, 634; 10. Clay Millican, 534.

PRO STOCK - 1. Jeg Coughlin, 1145; 2. Mike Edwards, 1062; 3. Jason Line, 991; 4. Greg Anderson, 915; 5. Allen Johnson, 855; 6. Greg Stanfield, 691; 7. Ron Krisher, 630; 8. Kurt Johnson, 617; 9. Rickie Jones, 556; 10. Warren Johnson, 543.

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Track Records:

Top Fuel* - 4.490 seconds by Larry Dixon, July ’05; 333.25 mph Tony Schumacher, July ’07

Funny Car* - 4.735 seconds by Eric Medlen, July ’05; 325.85 mph by Gary Scelzi, July ’05

Pro Stock - 6.649 seconds by Dave Connolly, July ’07; 207.50 mph by Greg Anderson, July ’07
(*performance records will not be officially recorded in Top Fuel and Funny Car at this event)

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Race Schedule:

Friday –
Nitro Qualifying: 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Saturday –
Nitro Qualifying: noon and 2:30 p.m.

Sunday –
Pre-race: 10:00 a.m.
Final eliminations: 11:00 a.m.

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Television:

Saturday, July 18, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 7 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day at 11a.m. (ET)
Sunday, July 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 9 p.m. (ET).

ROBERT HIGHT

HIGHT SEES PROGRESS, EXCITED ABOUT SEATTLE

SEATTLE, WA (July 14, 2009) --- There are five races left before the cut-off for the NHRA Countdown to One Championship. Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang have been taking baby steps towards qualifying since Chicago but this weekend at the 22nd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals the No. 12 positioned Funny Car driver wants to start making big strides up the points list.

On the first stop of the Western Swing in Denver Hight made some progress on the mountaintop at Bandimere Speedway advancing to the semi-finals and defeating one of the drivers he is chasing closely rookie Matt Hagan in the process.

After his second round victory over Hagan Hight knew he still had some work cut out for himself.

“Right now (points) is all this Auto Club Ford is thinking. We dug ourselves a hole and we have to get back into this top end. To beat that Matt Hagan guy (in the second round) was big. They are a great team over there. They are one of the teams that are ahead of us,” said Hight.

He was motivated by the driver he beat in the first round, father-in-law and teammate John Force, who issued a challenge to the veteran driver.

“John Force said when I beat him first round that I better not beat him and then go out and lose the next round. He said I better get this Ford Mustang into the semis,” said Hight.

Unfortunately for Hight a trip to the finals was delayed when he ran into one of the hottest drivers and funny cars on the tour sister-in-law Ashley Force Hood. In the semis Hight made a solid pass but Force Hood and her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang were a little better.

The past three seasons Hight has been the No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Northwest Nationals and that kind of qualifying effort would be a big help this weekend where every point has huge meaning. Hight and teammate Mike Neff are battling to get into the Top Ten and they know that the combination of high qualifying and multiple round wins on Sunday will be the key to their collective success.

The 2005 NHRA Rookie of the Year is excited for the first time in while this season. He never lost confidence with crew chief Jimmy Prock or his team but they struggled to start the season trying to make a tricky new clutch set-up work. Finally, the team decided to reverse course prior to the Chicago national event and since that time Hight has seen steady improvement in his Auto Club Mustangs performance.

“The biggest plus is this Mustang is tuneable for (crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) now. We have been running better in qualifying on Friday which lets us run later in the session on Saturday. It has been tough to have to race your teammates but we need to start racing some of these other guys to make up some points. I like to be able to look at the track and clear my head before we run and lately I have been able to do that. That is a big plus for us,” said Hight.

“Seattle has been a track where we have run well in qualifying. I went to the finals my rookie year. I want to go some rounds on Sunday and build some momentum before the Countdown to One starts,” concluded Hight.

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Did you know…

- Robert Hight will be featured on the cover of Drag Racer magazine has been on newsstands since the first week of July.

- Hight and sister-in-law Ashley Force Hood are featured in an Auto Club of Southern California television commercial that is getting rave reviews on the Full Throttle Drag racing Series.

- Hight and his three teammates will be cruising to Cabo San Lucas for New Year’s Eve as part of the John Force Racing Fan Cruise III sponsored by AAA. Fans can get more information by calling 1-888-874-7222.

Get team info here: www.johnforceracing.com

Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing