Backbreaker’ run puts AAA Texas driver Robert Hight in No. 1 spot for 8th time in 2017

Brittany in at #5 in Top Fuel, Courtney at #6 and Dear Ole’ Dad is #10 

ENNIS, TX – Friday the 13th brought horrible luck for AAA Texas driver Robert Hight. But Saturday the 14th was much better.

Hight made a “backbreaker” pass in the final qualifying session, 3.871 seconds at 332.84 mph, to snare the No. 1 qualifier for the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals on Saturday at Texas Motorplex. That’s Hight’s third in a row, his eighth of the season – most in the Funny Car class – and 57th of his career. He now holds sole possession of ninth place all-time for No. 1s.

But it was a bit of a surprise for the John Force Racing driver.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Hight said. “I figured we’d go up there and try to run .92, somewhere in there and be a solid, top-half car. You start thinking, ‘Wow, we’re going to be down in the ladder.’ That’s uncharted territory for us.

“But (crew chief) Jimmy Prock just has a good handle on this car, hot or cold. I saw the scoreboard light up down there, and I couldn’t believe it ran .871. That blew me away. That was a backbreaker.”

And it came after a difficult Friday the 13th, where Hight didn’t make a full pass in either qualifying session as he sat in the No. 14 spot after Q2.

“It was kind of a turning of the tables for the weekend for us,” Hight said. “(Points leader Ron) Capps was going to gain some points on us going into race day, and as it turned out, we gained on him. It all adds up in the end. Great job by these guys.

“I joked that we’re not going to ever race again on Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th did not go well for us. Today was a good day.”

Hight slid into the No. 1 spot ahead of Capps, and because of the added bonus points, Hight chipped two points off Capps’ point lead to 44 heading into the fourth of six Countdown to the Championship races.

But Sunday – when Hight faces No. 16 qualifier Jim Campbell in the first round – will be quite different than Friday and Saturday.

Temperatures reached the 90s on the first two days, with high humidity as well. But Sunday? Temps will barely reach 70 degrees and will be cooler than that when the race is slated to start at 11 a.m. Central.

“Everybody here is going to have to throw our everything they’ve done,” Hight said. “We’re talking serious changes tomorrow. They’re calling for 64 degrees at 11 o’clock, and that is going to be crusher conditions.

“You can’t let up. You’re going to see close to national records, if not national records tomorrow. You could see the first 340 mph run here with the kind of conditions we’re going to have. It is going to be as good as we’ve had all year.”

Fox Sports 1 will televise three hours of live qualifying at 1 p.m. Central on Sunday.

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force battles for Dallas victory from No. 5 spot

– Qualifying for the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex didn’t exactly go as planned for Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster driver Brittany Force.

Yet, here she is sitting in the No. 5 spot heading into race day, ready to fight for her third victory of the season.

“We’ve been struggling a little bit, but we ended up qualifying No. 5, and that’s a pretty solid place to be,” Force said. “We run Terry McMillen tomorrow, and the conditions are going to be completely different than all weekend, so it’d really going to be a throw-down for everyone, and we’re hoping to go all day tomorrow.”

Force’s best pass of the weekend was 3.747 seconds at 282.95 mph, the lower speed indicative of what could’ve been an even better pass. And her run of 3.801 seconds at 324.90 mph in Saturday’s first qualifying session was perhaps Force’s best, as it was run in the Texas heat and was the third-quickest of the session – earning her one bonus point.

But while temperatures were in the 90s for Friday and Saturday, NHRA teams will face much different weather on race day. The forecast high for Sunday is only 70 degrees, meaning elapsed times and speeds could reach national-record levels.

And it could be a benefit for Force.

“We run better in cooler conditions,” Force said. “I think it should be good for us. We do better in the cooler weather.”

Force races No. 12 qualifier Terry McMillen in the first round Sunday. His best pass was 3.813 seconds at 311.85 mph.

Fox Sports 1 will televise three hours of live qualifying at 1 p.m. Central on Sunday.

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force notches No. 6 qualifying position in Dallas

– Courtney Force knows the difference between two days of qualifying and Sunday’s AAA Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex will be about as different as day and night.

After two days of qualifying in ambient temperatures in excess of 90 degrees – with track conditions exceeding 119 degrees – race day conditions are expected to be considerably cooler, with first-round eliminations expected in the mid-60s.

That means there’s no clear favorite to win the 22nd Funny Car race of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and fourth of the annual Countdown to the Championship.

Which may be perfect for Force, driver of the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car. She’s been strong in the heat and good in cooler conditions as well this season, and with her new pink livery, hopes to put the car into winner’s circle for the first time this season.

She’ll try to do it from the No. 6 qualifying position. Her best run came Friday afternoon, when she notched two bonus points with a pass of 3.928 seconds at 331.94 mph. After two subsequent runs in which she slowed once, then smoked the tires on another, Force was on a good final run before the pan pressure shut the car off before she coasting to the top end. Still, she managed the third-quickest run of the session – 3.957 seconds at 308.64 mph.

Force will face off against No. 11 Daniel Wilkerson, whose best run was 3.987 seconds at 311.13 mph.

“We’re excited going into race day,” said Force, the 2014 race winner. “We didn’t have the consistency we were looking for through qualifying, but the conditions are going to change tomorrow; it’s going to be a lot cooler than what we qualified. It’s going to be a whole new game plan, and we’re going to see where the Advance Auto Parts team is going to go.

“We’re in the middle of the Countdown to the Championship, so we’re going to have to give it all we got. We hope for a long race day. I’m also excited to see my teammate (Robert Hight) go to the No. 1 spot in the AAA Texas car,” added Force, referring to Hight’s late-pass that netted him the top position by one thousandth of a second.

Eliminations for the 32nd annual AAA Texas FallNationals begins at 11 a.m. Central. Three hours of live television coverage begins at 1 p.m. Central on Fox Sports 1.

PEAK driver John Force qualifies No. 10 at AAA Texas FallNationals in Dallas

– John Force said the No. 10 position for Sunday’s AAA Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex isn’t where he wanted to qualify, but he remains optimistic in going rounds on race day.

The 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion set the quickest time of Saturday’s early afternoon session – and the third of four qualifying sessions over two days – with a pass of 3.957 seconds at 327.90 mph in his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS. That netted him three bonus points.

Force nearly showed improvement in the final round. He had a strong launch but lost a cylinder by 300 feet. Still, he turned in a time of 3.962 seconds at 316.15 mph.

“We ran that .95 and thought we’d be OK, but dropped a cylinder in the last run and went .96,” said Force, who has seven victories and 71 elimination-round wins at Texas Motorplex. “Not where I want to be, but PEAK pays me to win, so I’m going after it.”

Force’s No. 10 position pits him against fellow Countdown to the Championship contestant Tommy Johnson Jr., the No. 7 qualifier. Johnson – whose pass was 3.930 seconds at 327.59 – is only eight points behind Force, sixth in the points standings.

Force, who made it to the semifinals in the most recent race at Gateway Motorsports Park earlier this month, said he wants to add another semis appearance this weekend – and for good reason.

“One thing I do like is that if I make it to the second round, we’ll likely get (points leader Ron) Capps, and he’s the guy we need to take out,” Force said.

A second-round appearance will would also give him his 100th elimination-round at Texas Motorplex.

Eliminations for the 32nd annual AAA Texas FallNationals begins at 11 a.m. Central. Three hours of live television coverage begins at 1 p.m. Central on Fox Sports 1.