Robert Hight becomes only 13th NHRA driver
to record 50 No. 1 qualifiers
EPPING, N.H. (June 4) – Robert Hight’s pass of 3.822 seconds at 334.65 mph in the third round of qualifying Saturday at New England Dragway put him in elite company, as only the 13th driver to record at least 50 No. 1 qualifiers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
Hight had been in a tie for 13th overall with Angelle Sampey, having most recently setting the quickest qualifying time last year at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. Now, nearly eight months later, Hight reached the half-century mark.
His first No. 1 came March 19, 2005, in only his third career NHRA race, at Gainesville Raceway. He advanced that day to the second round before dropping a matchup against Whit Bazemore.
He recorded another milestone – his 25th No. 1 – on June 28, 2008, at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. He advanced to the finals before falling to Tony Pedregon.
Overall, Hight has qualified No. 1 at 21 tracks, including 19 of the 21 active tracks (Bristol and Brainerd the exceptions), spread out over 13 years of racing. The most No. 1s he earned in a single season came in 2006, when he earned nine. The track in which he has earned the most No. 1s was The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he has recorded seven.
The guys ahead of him read as a Who’s Who in NHRA history, with teammate and car owner John Force at the top with 155 No. 1s; followed by Warren Johnson (138); Bob Glidden (102); Greg Anderson (87); and Tony Schumacher (83) rounding out the top five.
And, if you look solely at the nitro categories (Top Fuel and Funny Car), Hight would rank eighth in No. 1s, behind Force, Schumacher, Kenny Bernstein, Cruz Pedregon, Joe Amato, Larry Dixon, and Don Prudhomme, whom also has 50 Funny Car No. 1s. Just in Funny Car, Hight would rank tied with Prudhomme for third, behind Force and Pedregon.
“That’s pretty cool,” Hight said. “Fifteen years ago, I never would’ve thought my name would’ve even come in the same sentence as Don Prudhomme’s. He’s one of the greatest of all time. He dominated in his day. Fifty No. 1s – that’s pretty awesome. To have my name in the record books with Don Prudhomme is pretty surreal. It’s harder and harder to get these No. 1 qualifiers.”
The next target – Jason Line, the current Pro Stock driver who holds 52 No. 1s in his respected category, then Larry Dixon, who earned all 53 of his No. 1s in Top Fuel.
Now, Hight has his sights set on Sunday’s New England Nationals, where he holds two No. 1s (including a career-best and track record elapsed time as well as track record speed set Saturday). In his career at No. 1, he has a record of 41-8 in the first round, 82 total elimination round wins in 124 rounds (.661 winning percentage), and seven victories in 13 finals.