Force Racing on ‘Hight’ Alert after Stellar Four Wide Performance
HIGHT LOOKING TO KEEP AUTO CLUB MUSTANG MOMENTUM ROLLING
HOUSTON, TX – With a streak of four final round appearances in a row heading into the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals this weekend at Royal Purple Raceway Robert Hight and his Auto Club team are not taking anything for granted. The current Mello Yello points leader and two-time winner this season is looking to the site of his first professional win as another chance to just go rounds.
“This team is not looking at streaks or final round appearances. We want to get the most out of every run because we know Mello Yello championships aren’t won or lost at the beginning of the season. The regular season is very important and having a spot in the Traxxas Shootout locked-up and having the points lead are important goals for the Auto Club team,” said Hight.
“The most important thing for our team is to stay focused and work on getting the maximum benefit from every run. (Crew chief) Mike (Neff) needs the data so we can put a plan together for the Countdown and for the warmer weather races coming up. We are always working on these Funny Cars and you can’t sit still on a tune-up. I have so much confidence in this entire team and in the whole John Force Racing operation. We are definitely enjoying some success now but our goal is to win a championship for John Force Racing and for all our sponsors like the Auto Club, Ford, Castrol, Mac Tools, PEAK, BrandSource and Traxxas.”
Hight reached his fourth final round in a row at the Four-Wide Nationals taking the win over John Force (runner-up), Alexis DeJoria and Tim Wilkerson. It was a big win for Hight when you consider his Auto Club Mustang only had lane choice in the opening session on race day. The other two rounds Hight and his Auto Club Mustang were relegated to “table scraps” according to crew chief Mike Neff.
“I never felt pressure going into the second or final round of racing because Neff was so calm. He kept saying we were going to win with the table scraps as far as lane choice and we did. He has such a good feel for the race car and what the track will hold. I also have to thank Lanny Miglizzi our track specialist. The Four-Wide is tough on him and he gave us great information all weekend,” said Hight, who secured his 31st career Funny Car win in Charlotte.
Hight has won twice so far this season and has continued a streak of winning multiple races every year of his professional career. He has also become the winningest driver at zMAX Dragway with two wins in the Fall national event and two wins at the Four-Wide, the only Funny Car driver with multiple wins in the unique format. His first career win came at the Houston national event in 2005 in just his fourth professional start. Hight outran Cruz Pedregon for that first win and he never looked back when you consider no Funny Car driver has won more national events since that day than Hight.
“It is hard to believe I have won 31 Funny Car national events. I just wanted to work on a race car when I got hired by Bernie Fedderly in the 90s. I thought getting to work on the clutch on John Force’s Funny Car was a dream job. I thank John all the time for this opportunity and I try and represent all our sponsors to the best of my ability. I was doing a couple shows between Charlotte and Houston and it just got me more excited to get back to the track,” said Hight.
After the Charlotte race Hight flew to Alabama for the AAA Alabama Ford/AAA Auto Skills banquet. At the end of the week he was in Las Vegas celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang. The fan and sponsor events help remind Hight that while his success on the track is important so is the time with the fans away from his pit area.
“The bottom line is we are looking for sponsors but we still have to keep doing our job which is to win races and make sure the fans have a positive experience. When I get to Houston I will head out to the track and check in with my team. On Friday we will be ready to go to start working our way towards another win,” said Hight.
JOHN FORCE EAGER TO GET BACK INTO WINNER’S CIRCLE IN HOUSTON
HOUSTON, TX (April 22, 2014) — With a strong showing at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals just over a week ago, John Force is ready to once again drive his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang to another final round appearance this season at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals. The 64 year-old is showing no signs of slowing down as he’s not only in search of another win, but another NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car World Championship.
“I want to win every race. I just lost the final to my son-in-law Robert Hight in Charlotte and I am happy for him but I am sick. I want to win. I want to get to 140 and then win after that. I have 16 championships but I am not going to stop there. There are more championships to win,” said John Force.
John Force suffered a second round loss to seasoned veteran Tim Wilkerson during last year’s NHRA Spring Nationals when his 8000 horsepower Funny Car hazed the massive Goodyear slicks. The last time John Force has won this event was in 2002 and it also happened to be John’s historic 100th Funny Car title. However this weekend, John Force is looking to pad his points lead by going some rounds as his Jimmy Prock tuned race car will be ready to take on any driver in the next lane.
Heading into this weekend’s NHRA Spring Nationals, John Force is in second place in the NHRA Mello Yello points standings with 453. He’s only 35 points behind current leader and teammate Robert Hight who has 488 points. Even though Robert, who just happened to be his son-in-law and president of John Force Racing, won’t get any slack if John happens to line up next to him or even daughter Courtney during eliminations come race day. The bottom line is, the 16-time NHRA champion wants to win races.
“It’s about winning, that’s what my sponsors pay me to do and it’s my job and the job of my crew guys to deliver but it’s also about the fans. Texas has great race tracks and great fans and they deserve to see the best racing in town,” said John Force.
Force spent some time over the break celebrating Easter with his family in the Virgin Islands. While he was there a chance encounter led him to Caribbean Dragway and an afternoon that re-energized one of the most energetic personalities in sports.
“I had the best time at the greatest little race track in the middle of the ocean. I was invited by Gary Thomas to come watch the races at Caribbean Dragway and Laurie and I had the best time. It took me back 30 years as soon as I saw all the racers there. It was a nice facility and everybody was great. They watch us on ESPN and they love the NHRA. There were so many families out there it was a great afternoon and I could see the international future of drag racing,” said Force.
COURTNEY FORCE RETURNS TO SITE OF SIGNIFICANT HOUSTON MATCH-UP
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 22, 2014) – It has been two years since the big Houston face-off between Traxxas Ford Funny Car driver Courtney Force and fellow female competitor Alexis DeJoria.
In 2012, the 25-year-old qualified No. 7 and took out the only other female in the Funny Car class in the first round of eliminations. However, when the pair matched up again for the opening round in 2013, both drivers had to pedal their cars and DeJoria made it to the finish line first.
“I remember coming here in 2012 and going up for first round. I was a nervous because we knew we had Alexis and all of us were about equal in the Rookie of the Year running. We pulled it together and Ron Douglas gave me a great car,” said Force.
Force will make her third career Houston appearance this week at the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries. The event will be April 25-27 at Royal Purple Raceway.
“I’m excited to go to Houston next. We are all ready to put this year’s Four-Wide experience behind us and move on. I can’t wait to get back into our normal routine. The Four-Wide is exciting for us and for fans, but it will be nice to get back to just two lanes and not have to think so much on the starting line. It is challenging as a driver in that kind of format. We have a little work to do because we slipped a little in the points, but I’m very confident in this Traxxas Ford Mustang team,” said Force.
Now, the former competition cheerleader is ready to get back to Royal Purple Raceway with plans to move up in the Funny Car points. Currently, the youngest daughter of John Force is tied for the No. 8 spot with Tim Wilkerson and just 13 points out of the No. 7 spot, currently occupied by Matt Hagan.
“Last year we qualified well into the top half of the field, we just didn’t get a good start on Sunday. I hope we can go out there and do better than the guy or girl in the other lane. We want to do really well in qualifying, pick up some bonus points and really get some practice in. We need to earn those points back round by round and get a little bit more of a lead during qualifying. Hopefully we work back up to the top in the point standings,” said Force.
BRITTANY FORCE LOOKS FOR LIFT-OFF AT HOUSTON’S SPRING NATIONALS
HOUSTON, TX (April 22, 2014) — With the complexity of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in the rearview mirror, Brittany Force is ready to get back to her routine in her Castrol EDGE Dragster during this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway outside of Houston. The 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year is energized, pumped up and ready to continue to strive for her first win in the ever crucial NHRA Mello Yello championship points chase.
“I’m feeling better and better in the car. My guys have been working hard and I’ve been practicing on my reaction times. We got past round one in Charlotte and it was a real confidence booster for all of us as we had three tough competitors in the other lanes. Now that we’re back to the regular racing format of only two cars going down the track, I can work on my normal routine,” said Brittany Force
During last year’s NHRA Spring Nationals, qualifying was reduced to only the two Friday sessions as Saturday’s qualifying was washout due to sporadic and intense rain showers. That hurt Brittany Force and the Castrol EDGE team as they struggled to get down the track on Friday and were in the 18th position. They were hoping to make some chassis adjustments and get the car set-up during the Saturday runs to make the 16 car field. Unfortunately, it was not to be and Brittany was on the outside looking in on race day last year.
The performance improvement of Brittany’s Castrol EDGE dragster goes back to the Countdown in 2013 where she picked up five round wins and had her best performance at the season ending Auto Club Finals in Pomona. The addition of Todd Smith as crew chief this season has continued to move this team in the right direction. Her early season final round appearance in Phoenix couple with a quarter-final finish in Charlotte has the second year driver looking at future success instead of missed opportunities from the past.
“I remember leaving the track that Saturday (in Houston) without any runs and without being qualified. It was definitely frustrating and was not what I expected. We’re confident that won’t happen this year and if anything, the Castrol EDGE Dragster will be qualified in the top half of the field,” said Brittany Force.
Brittany Force, who is 26 and in her sophomore NHRA Top Fuel season, still remains in the Top Ten in the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel points standings as she’s currently in the eighth position. She’s primed and ready to go rounds, move up in the points standings and even win her first Top Fuel trophy.
