CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
ZMAX DRAGWAY IN CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
SUNDAY, SEPT. 17, 2017
Chevrolet Scores Funny Car, Pro Stock Wins in Countdown Opener
· Robert Hight claims third Funny Car win, jumps to No. 1 in points
· Courtney Force is Funny Car runner-up in all-Chevrolet final
· Rookie Tanner Gray posts fifth win, moves to No. 1 in Pro Stock points
· Brittany Force gains two positions in standings with semifinal appearance
CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 17, 2017) – Robert Hight and Tanner Gray are No. 1 in points heading into the second round of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship following all-Chevrolet finals in their respective professional classes.
Hight, driving the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, defeated John Force Racing teammate Courtney Force (Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS) in the Funny Car finale of the 10th NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, for this 40th career victory.
Gray, 18, the leading candidate for rookie of the year who advanced to his sixth Pro Stock final round, beat four-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson, who was making his 147th final-round appearance.
Brittany Force, the No. 6 qualifier in the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, fell in the Top Fuel semifinals but moved from sixth to fourth in the standings. Force, who won at Epping, New Hampshire, in the regular season and has won at least one round in 11 of the past 12 races, was competing in her 115th career event.
The six-race Countdown to the Championship rolls on this week with the Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. FS1 will telecast first-round qualifications live at 2:30 p.m. ET Sept. 22 and will telecast eliminations and finals live at 2 p.m. ET Sept. 24.
Last year, No. 1 qualifier Vincent Nobile defeated Anderson in the Pro Stock final to lead Team Chevy. Brittany Force was the Top Fuel runner-up.
Hight, who was second in Funny Car points following the 18-race regular season, claimed his third victory of the season. He moved to 2-0 against Force in Funny Car finals with his pass of 3.943 seconds at 328.86 mph. Force, the No. 1 qualifier for the seventh time this season, had a pass of 3.980 seconds.
“It was a good light and a good run,” said Hight, the No. 6 qualifier. “That was a big run for us. What’s awesome is the lineup of drivers today that we beat. Every round we had a Countdown competitor. We’ve had a great race car over the last 15 or so races, and that was the case today. We didn’t have our best qualifying, but we had a great day when it counted.
“These Chevrolets are back. This is an unbelievable way to start the Countdown.”
Courtney Force, who moved to third in points, ousted her father in the quarterfinals to pick up her 151st career elimination round victory. John Force, the No. 9 qualifier in the PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS, was competing in his 730th career Funny Car race. The 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion won his first-round matchup against Cruz Pedregon in the 103rd time they have faced off on race day.
Chevrolet, which has won all 19 NHRA Pro Stock events, won every elimination matchup in the second race this season at zMAX Dragway. Gray, a resident of suburban Charlotte, defeated reigning Pro Stock champion Jason Line (Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro on a holeshot, while Anderson (Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS) beat KB Racing teammate and Countdown No. 1 seed Bo Butner (Jim Butner Auto Chevrolet Camaro SS) on a holeshot in the semifinals.
Gray defeated drivers (Line, Erica Enders, and Anderson) who have a collective nine Pro Stock championships on his way to the victory with a 6.597-second pass to Anderson’s 6.616. Gray Motorsports drivers (Gray and Drew Skillman) have won the past seven races.
“I’m just pumped to be here and take over the points lead,” he said. “I never thought if you would have told me at the start of the year that we would take over the points lead at the start of the Countdown. The whole key is to go to Reading and stay consistent and try to keep it going.”
First-round winners included Enders (Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS), Kenny Delco (JCM Racing Chevrolet Camaro SS), and Skillman (Ray Skillman Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro SS).
Coughlin, a five-time Pro Stock champion, became the third Pro Stock driver to compete in 400 races. Skillman, who had won three of the previous five races, fell to Anderson in a rematch of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals finals two weeks earlier.
Jeff Strickland, the 2016 Stock Eliminator champion from Red Bay, Alabama, drove his Chevrolet COPO Camaro to the semifinals. He was the No. 18 qualifier among 49 entries. Darren Poole-Adams was the No. 1 qualifier in his COPO Camaro.
In Super Stock, Jeff Myers of Decatur, Indiana, was the No. 3 qualifier of 55 entries in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro.
ROGER ALLEN, CHEVROLET RACING NHRA PROGAM MANAGER: “Congratulations to all Chevrolet teams and drivers for an exciting weekend of racing at zMAX Dragway in the opening round of the Countdown to the Championship. With Courtney Force earning her seventh No. 1 qualifier honor and facing John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight in the Funny Car final in an all-Chevrolet final, and an all-Chevy Pro Stock final-round matchup between rookie of the year leading candidate Tanner Gray and future Hall of Famer Greg Anderson, it was an impressive performance. Congratulations to Robert Hight and Tanner Gray for their wins. Also, Brittany Force reached the semifinals in Top Fuel and moved to fourth in the standings. The second round of the six-race Countdown is quickly upon us, so we’ll look forward to the event this week in Pennsylvania and more Chevrolet victories.”
An interview with Funny Car winner ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 6 qualifier; third victory of the season and third in event; 40th career win; takes top spot in Funny Car points):
Q: WHAT’S THE STORY ABOUT THAT FINAL AGAINST COURTNEY (FORCE)?
ROBERT HIGHT: You have nothing to lose it the final; you have to get after it. It was a good light and a good run. We hadn’t been in the left lane all weekend, and I was a little worried about that going into the final. That was a big run for us. What’s awesome is the lineup of drivers today that we beat. Every round we had a Countdown competitor. These Chevrolets are back. This is an unbelievable way to start the Countdown.
Q: YOU’RE NO. 1 IN THE COUNTDOWN. HOW DOES THAT FEEL?
ROBERT HIGHT: This is awesome and this is how you dream about starting the Countdown. This was a big day for us. We lost lane choice to Courtney (Force), but (crew chief) Jimmy Prock said ‘this thing will go’ and it did.
Q: HOW WAS THE CAR TODAY?
ROBERT HIGHT: We didn’t have our best qualifying, but we had a great day when it counted. This is probably one of the toughest race days I’ve had with every round a Countdown competitor. It was cool to get to the final with Courtney. You look at it and say you can’t lose. We definitely earned this one.
Q: THESE AREN’T THE KIND OF CONDITIONS THAT JIMMY PROCK SEEMS TO THRIVE IN, BUT YOU SEEMED TO TODAY.
ROBERT HIGHT: We’ve had a great race car over the last 15 or so races in hot or cold conditions, and that was the case today. A lot of times we’re low ET on race day, and that was the case today in first round. He got it on Sunday when it counts, and those bonus points really help because it’s almost impossible to have six perfect races. If you have one bad one and collect those bonus points, that can make up for a bad race. We came in here and were lucky to get low ET in three of the last (qualifying) sessions.
Q: HOW DOES THE TITLE POINTS LEADER GOING INTO READING SOUND?
ROBERT HIGHT: That’s amazing. We got up to No. 2 in the regular season and when Ron (Capps) went out early we had to capitalize. You know those guys are going to have some wins in this Countdown, but when they go out early we had to take advantage and we did. It was just a perfect day. You can only dream of a day like this and script it.
An interview with Pro Stock winner TANNER GRAY, GRAY MOTORSPORTS, VALVOLINE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier for fourth time this season; fifth victory; takes top spot in Pro Stock standings):
Q: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE NAYSAYERS?
TANNER GRAY: Look at me now. I like it when people doubt me. It makes me work harder and makes the whole group work strive to be better. I wouldn’t be here without all my guys. I’m just pumped to be here and take over the points lead. I never thought if you would have told me at the start of the year that we would take over the points lead at the start of the Countdown. The whole key is to go to Reading and stay consistent and try to keep it going.
Q: YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST VICTORY IN THE COUNTDOWN. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
TANNER GRAY: I can’t thank my guys enough. They bailed me out of two rounds today. We got this car going at the right time going into the Countdown, and I can’t wait to see what we have for Reading.
Q: ARE YOU FEELING ANY PRESSURE?
TANNER GRAY: This weekend was a little different for me. I definitely was feeling a little more pressure, but that’s what we drive off of and what makes us do good. I’m just happy to be up here and hope we can be up here after Pomona with the championship trophy.
Q: YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT CONFIDENCE ALL SEASON, BUT IS THIS THE WAY YOU DREAMED IT UP?
TANNER GRAY: I definitely thought we were going to win a little bit, but this season has gone a lot better than anyone thought. The guys have such a good handle on the car and are making my job so much easier. Like my grandpa just told me, it takes everyone out there and everyone pitched in today and got me the win.
Q: AFTER THE RUN AGAINST ERICA (ENDERS) IN QUARTERFINALS, WHAT’S THE PROCESS TO GET READY FOR THE NEXT ONE, ANOTHER CHAMPION?
TANNER GRAY: Just don’t dwell on what just happened. I knew I had missed (the tree) when I let go and was just hoping to have the power to drive around her. Just regrouped and got ready for the next round against Jason (Line). I’m definitely excited for the rest of the season and I really do think we’re going to come out as champions.
Q: THIS IS HOME. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS WIN FOR YOU?
TANNER GRAY: This is probably up there on my biggest wins. My grandparents came from New Mexico to watch. I’m not an emotional guy, but my grandpa hugged me and it was hard not to tear up. I’m really blessed to be able to win here, and to be able to have all my family and friends here makes it so much better.