Auto Club driver Robert Hight looks to
wrap up Western Swing with another victory
KENT, Wash. (Aug. 1) – Robert Hight has had two strong showings in the Western Swing and looks to bookend the annual three-race campaign with his second victory out west and the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season in NHRA Northwest Nationals this weekend at Pacific Raceways.
Hight won the Western Swing opener July 23 at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., then backed it up with career-best elapsed time (3.807 seconds) and NHRA-record speed (339.87 mph). Both were just shy of monumental marks – no driver in NHRA history has ever recorded a time in the 3.7-second range, nor reached the 340-mph threshold.
While Hight declared he wants to be the first to reach both milestones, his focus over the next three events is going rounds and winning races. The Northwest Nationals is a key race on the schedule, as drivers are looking to wrap-up the regular season and make a push to earn the highest seeds possible in the upcoming Countdown to the Championship, which is made up of the final six races of the season.
Hight is currently fourth in the standings, within one elimination-round victory of third and within sight of second with only three races remaining in the regular season, which ends with the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Therefore, a strong result in the Northwest Nationals is imperative.
“I’ve won five races before the Countdown, and then didn’t do anything in the Countdown,” Hight said. “Peaking at the right time is pretty critical with a Countdown format. We need to work on our race setup and when we roll into Indy – we are ready to go. We want to win Indy and carry that momentum of winning the biggest race of the year over to the Countdown and not look back.
“If you notice, a lot of the teams that have won, they’ve had some luck,” Hight added. “They haven’t had the great performance, but they’ve had the luck. We’ve got to put all three things together: Performance, consistency – and it wouldn’t hurt to have a little luck.”
Hight is still seeking his first victory at the Seattle-area track, the only facility he has yet to win on during the Western Swing. He’s been close – he made the finals in 2005, only to lose to teammate Eric Medlen. He also has four of his 52 No. 1 qualifiers at the track.
“It will be hot, and will be nice to get back at it since you don’t have a weekend off, get right back to work and redeem yourself,” Hight said. “I want to win Seattle. We can run well there. There’s great air up there, lots of trees around, and it’s a beautiful track. It’d be the perfect place to get back on top.”
As he’s said throughout the season, it’s consistency that he knows he and his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro team needs every race. Hight has earned the fastest speed in nine out of 15 events this season. He believes he has the team to achieve that consistency and transfer his qualifying results over to race day.
“With the people around us and the teams we have, it’s easier to find consistency than it is to find performance,” Hight said. “When you have to find performance and run quick and fast – and you don’t know how to do that – you’re going to be in big trouble. We already know how to do that. We’ve just got to do it a little more consistently – and four times on race day.”
The NHRA Northwest Nationals begins Friday with two nitro qualifying sessions, at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Pacific (one-hour television coverage at 6 p.m. Pacific on Fox Sports 1). Two more qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2 and 4:30 p.m. Pacific on Saturday (one-hour television coverage at 11 p.m. Pacific on FS1). Elimination rounds are scheduled for 11 a.m. Pacific on Sunday (three hours of television coverage beginning at 1 p.m. Pacific on FS1).
4-Second Reads:
Robert Hight has competed in 12 races at Pacific Raceways and qualified for every race since 2005, his rookie season.
Hight has advanced to the finals once at Pacific Raceways, in 2005. He lost to teammate Eric Medlen.
Hight is 11-12 in 23 elimination rounds at Pacific Raceways.
Hight has qualified No. 1 at Pacific Raceways four times – 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010.
Hight has won eight of his 12 first-round elimination matchups at Pacific Raceways.
In his career, Hight has 38 victories, 395 elimination-round wins, and 52 No. 1 qualifying spots.
In 2017, Hight has one victory, a 21-14 record in elimination rounds, and three No. 1 qualifiers.
Hight’s most recent NHRA victory – 2017 Mile-High Nationals in Morrison, Colo.
Hight’s most recent No. 1 qualifying effort – 2017 NHRA Sonoma Nationals in Sonoma, Calif.
Hight’s best time/speed at Seattle – 3.862 seconds (2016 E1); 331.20 mph (2016 E1)
Hight’s best time/speed of career – 3.807 seconds (2017 Sonoma Q2); 339.87 mph (2017 Sonoma Q2)