ROBERT HIGHT HEADS TO MOUNTAIN WITH NEW TEAM, SAME ATTITUDE
DENVER, CO – Robert Hight and his Auto Club Ford Mustang will head to one of his favorite tracks this weekend. The 2009 NHRA 
Funny Car champion will return to the track where as a rookie he won the race and took the points lead. At that time the Hight was sitting on top of the world leading the points over eventual Funny Car champion Gary Scelzi and John Force. Five years later Hight was back in the winner’s circle having defeated Force in a great side by side battle. Force would go on to win his 15th NHRA Funny Car championship at the end of the season.
Hight has dominated qualifying at Bandimere Speedway only qualifying in the bottom half one time since 2005 and going into race day as the No. 1 or No. 2 qualifier four times. Hight’s confidence has been high on the mountain top especially when you consider teams only get one shot a year racing in the rarified air outside of Denver.
“I have enjoyed a lot of success at the Mopar NHRA Mile-High Nationals. That win my rookie year was awesome because I took the points lead over Scelzi. I have led the points every year I have raced. I am looking to keep that streak alive but I know we will have to dig deep to get the job done,” said Hight, who has reached one final in 2013 (Las Vegas1).
Before the Western Swing kicked off team owner John Force announced on WindTunnel with Dave Despain that he and Hight would be switching crew chiefs and teams for the remainder of the season. Force has a history of shaking up his teams with successful results going back to 2009 when Force switched to the Jimmy Prock led team in an effort to energize Hight’s chances of making the Countdown. It worked as Hight made the Countdown and eventually went on to win his first NHRA Funny Car championship.
Starting this weekend Hight will be working with Mike Neff who tuned Scelzi to the championship in 2005 and then Force to the championship in 2010. It is a partnership of two of the brightest young stars of John Force Racing and one that could prove to be devastating combination.
“I loved racing with Jimmy Prock and this was a decision that John wanted to make and I support that decision. We are all on the same team no matter which pit you are standing in at John Force Racing. I am on Jimmy’s team forever and I know that his how the entire organization looks at this move,” said Hight. “I think getting put with Neff will be exciting but honestly I think putting John with Jimmy is a great combination. It will be interesting and the bottom line is nothing has changed in how I am going to approach the Mile High Nationals.”
“No matter who your crew chief is as a driver you have to be consistent and cut good lights. You want to give your team the best chance to win every round on Sunday and during qualifying you want to make sure you give them as many good runs as possible so they can put together a good tune-up,” added Hight.
