Auto Club Chevrolet driver Robert Hight has a plan to bounce back from defeat in Phoenix

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 26) – Robert Hight said his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team has a game plan to combat a rough start to the two-race-old Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, which included Sunday’s NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Scoring John Force Racing’s lone Funny Car victory of the weekend, Hight advanced to the quarterfinals despite peddling the car both rounds. He bested Del Worsham in the opening-round of eliminations, smoking the tires. But Worsham also lit up his tires, and Hight crossed the line first, timing in at 4.699 seconds. Hight’s car shook in the second round, while a solid run by No. 1 qualifier Tommy Johnson Jr., ended Hight’s day.

“Definitely not the weekend we wanted, but we have a game plan,” Hight said. “We have two weekends off before Gainesville, so we can test to get this car going down the track quick. We’re just chasing a lot of things right now and under the pressure to qualify well and win rounds, and it’s hard to do that when you’re making as many changes as we are.”

Hight said the team expects to make more adjustments to the car’s clutch package in an effort to right the proverbial ship and move up from 10th place in the points standings. That starts Monday, when he and the team return to the track for a test.

“It will be nice to get out there tomorrow under no pressure and start working the bugs out of this thing and learn some things,” Hight said. “Hard work is the only way we’re going to get back on track. We don’t want to have any more weekends like this. It’s all with the clutch. We have to make runs and figure it out. We have plenty of power, but it’s all with the clutch.”

Teammates John Force, in the PEAK Motor Oil & Coolant/Republic Services Chevrolet Camaro SS, and Courtney Force, in the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, each dropped out in the opening round. Brittany Force was a finalist in the Top Fuel category, driving the Monster Energy dragster.

Hight returns to action for the NHRA Gatornationals on March 17-19 at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla.