Record-setting run powers Auto Club Chevy
driver Robert Hight to third No. 1 in a row
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 19) – A day after making history with the first sub-3.8-second pass in Funny Car history, Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight secured his third consecutive No. 1 qualifier by taking the top spot in the NHRA Nationals on Saturday at Brainerd International Raceway.
But Hight was still all smiles over his record-setting run of 3.793 seconds at 338.00 mph -even if there was a bit of disbelief.
“I woke up in the middle of the night and wondered if that was really a dream,” Hight said. “Did it really happen? It was a pretty exciting day. Everybody was so jazzed with our team. It’s a milestone. Two years ago, the first 3.80 Funny Car run was right here. I promise you it’s going to take a lot longer than two years to go to the 3.60s. 3.70 is a big deal. Luckily, we could get it done here.”
Hight made that scintillating pass on Friday night, and no one came close to matching it Saturday. That gave him his third No. 1 in a row, matching John Force Racing teammate Courtney Force’s streak of three straight No. 1s earlier this year (Houston, Charlotte and Atlanta).
It’s Hight’s fifth No. 1 this season, the 54th of his career (which moves him to No. 11 in NHRA history) and first at Brainerd.
“It’s the first time I’ve been No. 1 here?” Hight said. “Oh, wow, I didn’t know that. We’ve won here, but it did take a long time. When I started my career, Brainerd was not my favorite race. We just did not do well here. But then we got a win with Mike Neff two years ago, so I like Brainerd now. And especially after last night, with a 3.79, I love Brainerd.”
Hight has qualified third or better in 10 consecutive races and has earned a No. 1 qualifier at 20 of the 21 tracks on the current NHRA schedule (Bristol Dragway is the outlier).
Hight overpowered the track in Q3 before making a solid pass in the final session, setting him up with a first-round match with No. 16 qualifier Dale Creasy.
“We smoked the tires in Q3 for the first time in 11 runs, so that’s pretty impressive,” Hight said. “I think sometimes it’s a good thing to push a little on Saturday so you know your limitations for Sunday. We need to make four good runs here tomorrow and get back to the winner’s circle.
“First round is going to be killer, the track will still be cool and you’ll see 3.80s in Funny Car. We’re racing Dale Creasy, and if we make any mistake at all, they’ll be right there. It’s time to get some rest and get ready for race day.”
Should Hight get around Creasy, it would mark another milestone in his brilliant career: His 400th round win.
Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. Central on Sunday. Television coverage begins at 1 p.m. Central on Fox Sports 1.
4-Second Reads:
Qualifying Round 1 (Right Lane): 3.844 seconds/335.07 mph; quickest time through his run for one of the quickest passes in the history of the track and his quickest at the track to date (No. 2 of session and No. 2 overall; two bonus points in session)
Qualifying Round 2 (Left Lane): 3.793 seconds/338.00 mph; first-ever 3.7-second run in NHRA history, with perfect pass and another NHRA record (No. 1 of session and No. 1 overall; three bonus points in session and five bonus points overall)
Qualifying Round 3 (Left Lane): 5.252 seconds/138.17 mph; smoked tires early on and coasted to finish (No. 14 of session and No. 1 overall; no bonus points in session and five bonus points overall)
Qualifying Round 4 (Right Lane): 3.929 seconds/327.59 mph; strong run to finish out qualifying, going straight down the track (No. 5 of session and No. 1 overall; no bonus points in session and five bonus points overall)
This marks the fifth time this season and 54th time in his career Hight has qualified No. 1. It is also the third consecutive race Hight has qualified No. 1; he set the Funny Car ET record with his pass of 3.793 seconds.
Hight is looking for his ninth victory from the No. 1 spot. He holds an 87-45 record in 132 elimination rounds from No. 1.
This is Hight’s first career No. 1 at Brainerd International Raceway. He has now qualified No. 1 at 20 of the 21 tracks on the current schedule (exception being Bristol Dragway), and 22 races overall.
Hight’s first-round matchup against Dale Creasy Jr. marks the fifth time the two will compete against each other and second time this season. Hight holds the advantage at 4-0, with all matchups coming in the first round. This will mark their first meeting at Brainerd.