ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB CONTINUING FIGHT FOR CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

CONCORD, NC – Robert Hight and his Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team are sitting fifth in the points standings heading into the DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. Just the second race of seven in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Hight, who is only 50 points back from the lead, knows a standout performance in North Carolina will put the Auto Club team in prime position for championship contention.

With two victories in the 2021 NHRA Camping World Series, the SpringNationals in Houston and Sonoma Raceway’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals, two runner-up finishes at the season opening Gatornationals and the New England Nationals, and a No. 1 qualifier at the Las Vegas Four-Wide event, Hight and the Auto Club team left the most recent event at Maple Grove Raceway having shifted from sixth to fifth after a No. 2 qualifying position and semifinal finish.

“We know what we need to do to get this thing done. This Auto Club team can do it. I have all the confidence in Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham and my entire team,” Hight said. “We’re getting some consistency, which is what we need. Now we just need to keep it going, pick up points where we can, be aggressive and go after wins.”

Hight has won more races at zMAX Dragway than any other Funny Car driver (6). Four of his wins have come at the Carolina Nationals (2009, 2013, 2017 and 2019). His 2019 win marked the 50th win of his career. He is the track record holder for speed at 333.91 mph set in April 2017. This weekend, Hight will be trying to extend to four the number of consecutive seasons in which he has won a Countdown race, the longest active streak in Funny Car. Hight also leads the Funny Car category in Countdown wins with 12.

“There’s no time to try and figure things out anymore, it’s time to get after it. This Auto Club team knows that,” Hight said. “We’ve had a lot of luck in Charlotte, hopefully that continues. We need to make good runs, clean runs, but we can’t be safe either. Jimmy and Chris, they’ll have this Chevy just right. I just need to do my job too.”

Qualifying at the DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals begins Friday with the first session at 7:15 p.m. and continues Saturday with sessions at 2:30 and 6:15 p.m. Eliminations are slated for Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage begins with a qualifying show Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will be on FOX Broadcasting Network beginning at 4 p.m. ET.