CHEVROLET AT NEW HAMPSHIRE What: TascarParts.com NHRA New England NationalsWhen: Friday, June 11-Sunday, June 13Where: New England Dragway in Epping, New HampshireTV: FOX will telecast eliminations live at 1:30 p.m. ET June 13 Chevrolet drivers seek to continue hot pace early in season
John Force Racing Funny Car drivers have won the past two events
DETROIT (June 9, 2021) – Robert Hight and the AAA New England Chevrolet Camaro SS team see the Funny Car victory three weeks ago at Houston as jump-starting their National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) championship campaign.
Hight, who tied Joe Amato for 12th on the all-time NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series win list at 52, jumped four positions in the Funny Car standings and carries confidence in his race car and race craft into this weekend’s TascaParts.com NHRA New England Nationals presented by Bandero Premium Tequila.
“A lot of hard work goes into these cars and these wins. Right now, this time of year is where you’re learning. We’ve learned a lot so far. We’re going to take that knowledge with us to New England Dragway and try to capitalize,” said Hight, who reset both ends of the Funny Car track records in 2017 and was the No. 1 qualifier in 2014 and ‘17.
Hight’s victory in Houston was the 143rd for Chevrolet in NHRA Funny Car competition and the 63rd with the Camaro body. Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Andrew Hines is currently 11th on the victory list with 56.
“This AAA team wants to get back to the winner’s circle. We want to see those win lights come on. There’s not a feeling like it. It’s amazing. We can’t wait for the next one now,” said Hight, who kicked off the season with a runner-up finish at Gainesville.
Teammate John Force, who claimed his 152nd career Funny Car victory and 162nd top qualifier honor in May at zMAX Dragway, is also looking to return to the winner’s circle with the fast and powerful PEAK/BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro SS. Force is third in driver points as he seeks his 17th championship.
“A win motivates everybody and to be out for a year (because of the COVID-10 pandemic) you don’t know how far behind it’s going to put you,” Force said. “Go get a win, that makes everything right.”
Top Fuel driver Brittany Force has been the No. 1 qualifier at both four-wide events – Las Vegas and Charlotte – in the Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster. Force, who won at the track in Epping, New Hampshire, in 2017, was runner-up at Charlotte and is seeking her first win of the season.
It will be the first appearance at New England Dragway since 2018 for Pro Stock. Chris McGaha won that event and will look to pick up another to jumpstart his 2021 campaign. Other previous winners include points leader Greg Anderson, who won in in 2015 and 2016, and reigning world champion Erica Enders.
FOX will telecast eliminations live at 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday, June 13.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL:
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier in Las Vegas and Charlotte four-wide events; runner-up in Charlotte): “Six races into our season and our Flav-R-Pac team is still on the hunt for our first win of the season. We head East to Epping this weekend, a track we’ve been successful at with a win in 2017. David Grubnic, Mac Savage and this entire team have made some progress over the last few races and are looking to get the job done on race day.”
FUNNY CAR:
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner and runner-up this season; No. 1 qualifier in Charlotte four-wide; third in points): “We had momentum coming off a win in Charlotte but couldn’t get the win in the PEAK Chevrolet in Houston. Charlotte was a great weekend, all the hard work was paying off, but it was not so good for us in Houston. Luckily John Force Racing still left with a win thanks to Robert Hight and AAA. Just some bad luck, one bad weekend, but it doesn’t define how hard this team has worked, how hard I’m working to keep up with these guys and take this great PEAK/BlueDEF car some rounds.”
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AAA OF NEW ENGLAND CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in season opener, winner at Houston; No. 1 qualifier in Las Vegas four-wide): “That win was hard fought, the AAA team earned it, but it was a real team effort with John (Force)’s PEAK team helping us test in Charlotte. We were trying some things that worked at Gainesville and Las Vegas, but they did not work at Atlanta and Charlotte. So, we kind of had to regroup with the help of the PEAK team because they were the top class of the field and they won Charlotte. We were going into race day in Houston a little on the green side with only one qualifying run on a new combination, but with a team effort and everybody working together it paid off. It was a little slow first round, but (crew chiefs) Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham they kept picking it up a little every run. We finally got to where we needed to be and had a really great race car.”
PRO STOCK:
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner of two of the five races; No. 1 qualifier in four; points leader; two-time winner at the track): “I had a great car (at Houston) and it’s really cool to know that you can go to the race and your have a great chance to close the deal. The entire team is operating at a high song. It’s my baby to try to win these races. I feel very confident going into Epping. I’ll have just as strong a car and another chance to redeem myself. I have the utmost confidence in my car that when I roll up there it’s going to run great and give me the best chance to win.”
TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITEMOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in season opener; transferred to final quad at Charlotte): “I need to stick to the process and make the best lap possible every time I pull up to the starting line. I know we’ve got the horsepower, the best crew chiefs and crewmen, and an awesome race car — the ingredients for sustained success are right here. We just need to keep after it. I’ve learned from my uncles and grandfather to be more process-oriented than performance-oriented. And it’s important to enjoy the process and never forget what a privilege it is to drive one of these cars at this level.”
KYLE KORETZKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier and semifinalist at Houston): “We’ll take the semifinal. Still working on my driving, on my Tree and the guys are catching up on the tune-up. I’m not a fan of three weeks off, but we’ll head to Epping with a lot of confidence.”
DERIC KRAMER, KRAMER RACING, GET BIOFUEL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up at Houston; second in points; making first appearance at track): “It’s very exciting. It’s always fun to go to a new place. Having people there and excited, it’s going to be a blast. We go to every race with the intention of winning. We don’t show up thinking there’s only an outside shot. We show up with the mentality of we rent some of the best power out there (KB Racing engines), so let’s go rounds and win races. If we don’t, then the onus is on us. All I can say is we’re hungry for a win.”
MATT HARTFORD, HARTFORD RACING, TOTAL SEAL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner at Houston): “When you win a race, it’s something you’re never going to forget. The fact that we won at Houston (which) was our first win in 2018 and came back to win in 2021, Houston has been good to us. Over the last couple of races, I’ve been trying to get in the car and concentrate and drive well because all these cars are so close. All of these drivers have incredible horsepower and a great left foot.”
