CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
PACIFIC RACEWAYS AT KENT, WASHINGTON
SUNDAY, AUG. 6, 2017
Chevrolet Secures Two Victories on Final Leg of Western Swing
• Robert Hight earns second win in the past three Funny Car races
• Veteran driver presents John Force Racing its 250th Funny Car victory
• Drew Skillman wins front and back ends of the Pro Stock swing
• Justin Lamb is Stock Eliminator runner-up in Chevrolet COPO Camaro
KENT, Wash. (Aug. 6, 2017) – Chevrolet drivers Robert Hight and Drew Skillman secured victories on the first stop of the National Hot Rod Association’s “western swing,” and closed out the three-race venture with victories in the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.
Hight, the No. 1 qualifier for the second consecutive NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event, stormed to the winner’s circle with a 3.890-second, 328.62 mph pass in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for his second victory of the season. He also defeated Tommy Johnson Jr. to win at Denver.
Hight’s 399th career elimination round win produced his 39th career victory and the 250th in Funny Car competition for John Force Racing. The team’s namesake, a 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion, won the first race in 1987 at Montreal.
“It’s a huge milestone,” said Hight, who recorded the lowest Funny Car elapsed time in seven of the eight sessions in qualifications and eliminations. “It wasn’t that long ago that I got the 200th for John. We were racing Mike Neff in Topeka, so one of us was going to get it. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, but we’ve amassed 50 more. With the way our cars are running, 300 … maybe next year.”
Hight ousted two John Force Racing teammates on the way to his fourth win at Pacific Raceways. He bested Courtney Force, the No. 4 qualifier in the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, in the semifinals. Hight evened his record in head-to-head matchup-ups with John Force, the No. 8 qualifier in the PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS, at 21-21 with his quarterfinals victory.
Skillman gave Chevrolet its 16th consecutive Pro Stock victory this season and his third of the season. He drove the Ray Skillman Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro SS to a 6.604-second pass in the final to edge two-time Pro Stock champion Eric Enders’ 6.609-second run.
“We thought we were going to sweep the swing. We really thought we had the car to do it, but we made up for it here,” said Skillman, who was either the No. 1 or 2 qualifier on the trek. “I’m really happy. Everyone at Gray Motorsports has brought us great power. The teams (Ray Skillman Motorsports and Gray Motorsports) are working really well together. I just can’t complain.”
Skillman and Gray Motorsports teammate Tanner Gray earned the victories and No. 1 qualifier honors on the western swing. The 2016 western swing featured three different Pro Stock winners, while one driver won two of the three events the previous four years (Chris McGaha – Sonoma and Seattle – 2015; Jason Line – Sonoma and Seattle – 2014; Vincent Nobile – Sonoma and Seattle – 2013).
Enders, driving the Melling Performance/Elite Chevrolet Camaro SS, earned her 250th career round win with a semifinal victory over rookie Gray, who was the 20th different No. 1 Pro Stock qualifier in the 30 years of the event, driving the Gray Motorsports Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro SS. Skillman overpowered Pro Stock points leader Bo Butner (Jim Butner Auto Chevrolet Camaro SS) in the other semifinal.
Enders eliminated reigning Pro Stock champion Jason Line (Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS) in the quarterfinals. Enders, who was 0-7 against Line in elimination round match-ups in 2016, is 4-0 against the KB Racing driver this season. Chris McGaha (Harlow Sammons of Odessa Chevrolet Camaro SS), who set both ends of the Pacific Raceways Pro Stock records on the way to winning in 2015, also was a first-round winner.
Brittany Force, the No. 5 Top Fuel qualifier in the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, recorded the best elapsed time (3.724 seconds) in her first-round victory. Force, who reached the semifinals in the previous two stops on the western swing, fell in the quarterfinals.
Justin Lamb of Hendersonville, Nevada, advanced to the Stock Eliminator final in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro. Lamb, the No. 25 qualifier of 43 entries, has 17 career national Sportsman wins. Lamb also was runner-up in Super Stock in his Chevrolet Cobalt. Dan Fletcher of Churchville, New York, who a week earlier advanced to the Stock Eliminator quarterfinals at Sonoma, California, won his first two rounds in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro before falling.
Up next on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule is the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Internationals Raceway in Minnesota. Brittany Force prevailed in Top Fuel and Drew Skillman won the Pro Stock final to lead Chevrolet drivers. Vincent Nobile was the No. 1 Pro Stock qualifier for the second consecutive event.
FS1 will telecast live eliminations and finals at 2 p.m. ET Aug. 20.
ROGER ALLEN, CHEVROLET RACING NHRA PROGAM MANAGER: “Congratulations to Robert Hight and the entire John Force Racing team for the victory at Seattle and their 250th win in Funny Car competition. That is quite and achievement for a team that continues to set the standard in their Chevrolet Funny Cars. Also, congratulations to Drew Skillman for his second Pro Stock victory on the western swing. That’s also quite the accomplishment in a very competitive Chevrolet field. After a week off, it’s back into action at Brainerd, Minnesota, before the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. It will be an interesting couple of races before the Countdown to the Championship.”
An interview with Funny Car winner ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier; second victory on western swing and of the season; recorded 250th victory for John Force Racing and his 39th):
Q: LAST THREE RACES THIS TESAM HAS REALLY SHOWN ITS TEETH.
ROBERT HIGHT: Timing is everything to get your act together. This is a weekend that you dream about. These cars are hard to run; they are finicky and lots of thigs can happen. But for us to do what we did this weekend, roll in here after smoking the tires in Sonoma, and (crew chief) Jimmy Prock said we’re not going to do that again. We’re going the race smarter and we roll in here and run 4-flat the first run. Good enough for No. 2. Right after that, we were low ET all seven runs, every single session. That gives you so much confidence. It’s just amazing that you can have that dominating performance. When you can run 89 and stand on the gas, you’re going to win these races.
Q: A COOL MILESTONE IS THIS IS JOHN FORCE RACING’S 250th WIN. IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
ROBERT HIGHT: It’s a huge milestone. It wasn’t that long ago that I got the 200th for John. We were racing Mike Neff in Topeka, so one of us was going to get it. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, but we’ve amassed 50 more. With the way our cars are running, 300 … maybe next year.
Q: THIS CAR WAS SPECTACULAR ON A HOT RACETRACK.
ROBERT HIGHT: Without a doubt. That’s what really gives you confidence. Last week in Sonoma, we ran 80-flat and almost 340 mph so that means we have a good combination when it’s cool. You roll in here, it’s hot and you can be the No. 1 qualifier again, be low ET just about every round. That shows my guys have a handle on this thing. A lot of times, that’s not easy to do. You can have a good cold-weather tune-up and not as hot-weather tune-up and vice versa. They have it going on wherever we’re at. I think it could run 330 down a dirt road.
An interview with Pro Stock winner DREW SKILLMAN, RAY SKILLMAN RACING, RAY SKILLMAN AUTO GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier; second victory on western swing and third of the season):
Q: THIS THING IS REALLY FLYING.
DREW SKILLMAN: We thought we were going to sweep the swing. We really thought we had the car to do it, but we made up for it here. I’m really happy. Everyone at Gray Motorsports has brought us great power. The teams (Ray Skillman Motorsports and Gray Motorsports) are working really well together. I just can’t complain.
Q: HOW DOES THAT REALATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR ENGINE SUPPLIER AND YOUR CREW WORK?
DREW SKILLMAN: We’re a team. We have all of their data and we share everything we have. They talk to each other in the mornings, and we flip coins for tires sometimes.
Q: THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN YOU HIT A DRY SPELL, SO WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING THROUGH THOSE PERIODS?
DREW SKILLMAN: We’re just passionate about it; it’s what we love to do. I’m a racer. I’m not a professional racer, I’m just a racer and that’s why I’m here. I don’t do this for a living. But we come here to win.