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Chevy Racing–nhra–dallas preview

CHEVROLET AT DALLAS
What: NHRA Texas FallNationalsWhen: Friday, Oct. 14-Sunday, Oct. 16Where: Texas Motorplex in Ennis, TexasTV: FS1 will telecast eliminations at 10:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 16
Chevrolet not slowing down in Countdown driveTeam Chevy drivers seek to maintain and regain points lead at Dallas event
DETROIT (Oct. 13, 2022) – Three-time National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car champion Robert Hight has amassed a career-best eight victories in 19 races, which “makes me very, very proud.” But while the driver of the AAA Texas Chevrolet Camaro SS acknowledges the accomplishment, he knows with only a 46-point lead and three races left in the Countdown to the Championship there’s work left to realize his third title in six seasons. 
Staying the course will be the team’s best strategy entering the NHRA Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.
“The truth is we really don’t need to change anything that we’ve done all year,” said Hight, who won the most recent event at St. Louis for his 61st career victory, 300th for John Force Racing and 155th for Chevrolet in Funny Car competition. “Do what got you here. And what we did, what we’ve done all year, has worked. So, we can’t change any of that. We can’t overthink it; we can’t overstress. We just got to keep steady doing what we did all year.”
Hight, who has recorded four wins at the track in Ennis, Texas, has been steady since the opening race of the season in mid-February at Pomona — holding the top spot in the standings since Norwalk in June, posting a 52-11 round record and advancing to 11 finals.
“You definitely can’t be racing defensively,” Hight said of the remaining playoff stretch that also includes Las Vegas and Pomona.
“You’ve got to be on offense out here. Even if you’re the points leader, you’ve got to be pushing and pushing it right to the edge every single round. It’s not like we don’t have any competition. It gets tougher every weekend, and it seems like every round it’s tougher, every round you go. So, we just keep digging and getting it done.”		Hight’s heightsHighlights of Robert Hight’s NHRA Funny Car Countdown to the Championship:
Countdown career: 14 wins, 5 runner-up finishes, 16 semifinals, 13 No. 1 qualifiers … 124-72 round recordSo far in 2022: 2 wins, 2 No. 1 qualifiers … 9-1 round record
Championship seasonsCountdown numbers in his title-winning years:
2019: 1 win, 1 runner-up, 2 semifinals … 13-5 round record2017: 2 wins, 1 runner-up, 2 semifinals, 3 No. 1 qualifiers …16-4 round record2009: 3 wins, 2 No. 1 qualifiers … 15-3 round record
Likewise, Pro Stock points leader Erica Enders will continue digging until she unearths her fifth world championship. And like Hight, she has also notched eight wins this season, including her sixth career win and fourth in a row Oct. 2 at St. Louis that propelled her to a 120-point lead over teammate Aaron Stanfield. “I’ll definitely speak with confidence about the remaining three races,” the driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS said. “We haven’t had the success that we would want in Dallas, but we’ve won there before (2015). We can certainly do it again. But then, heading to Vegas, we’ve won nine national events there. In ’15, we locked up the championship there, so it obviously has a lot of fond memories. And then, going back to 2014 for our first world championship, final round winner-take-all in Pomona. So that memory always is at the forefront of my mind. 
“So yeah, the next three tracks are definitely our tracks, and I’m excited. I definitely feel confident in what we’re capable of.”
Reigning Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson won the 2021 event in the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS. Anderson, who has qualified fifth or better in the past seven races – including three consecutive No. 1 qualifiers – has six wins at the track. He recently was named a Texas Motorplex Legend.
Brittany Force, the No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier last year at Texas Motorplex when she set the track records for ET (3.637 seconds) and speed (335.32 mph), is only 30 points from regaining the lead in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster. She set the national speed record of 338.43 mph at St. Louis.
The event also features the last of eight rounds of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. David Barton, driving the Sawmill Auto Chevrolet COPO Camaro, will wrap up his second series title by qualifying for race day.
“I’m trying not to change a whole lot and only worry about one pass at a time. I’ll be honest, though, I’ve never been so nervous to stage for the first round of qualifying,” said Barton, who has won the past two races and three overall this season. “We’re just going to do our normal deal, what else can I do? I don’t want to psych myself out. We’re definitely ready to celebrate, but I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch. I’m proud of my team, their effort, our customers, all our friends and family, it takes a lot to assemble this dream that we’re going to be living this weekend.”
With Barton’s title-clinching outing, drivers of the Chevrolet COPO Camaro will have won the past three Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown championships. Aaron Stanfield won in 2021 and ’20.
FOX Sports 1 will telecast eliminations at 10:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 16.CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITTOP FUELBRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (four-time winner this season; third in points): “Dallas is the halfway point in this Countdown and our team is aiming to step up our game at the Texas Motorplex this weekend. We head back to Texas in Monster Energy colors and to a track where we’ve been successful landing in the winnings circle in 2017. It’s easy to see we’ve gotten lost over the last few races, but we believe we have narrowed in on the issue and are looking to move beyond it Friday in that first qualifying session. This team is only 30 points out from the No. 1 position and can make up some serious ground this weekend. Our focus is a championship to end this season.”
AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (won at Reading): “Looking forward to the Stampede of Speed. We had a great car at the FallNationals in 2019 and I’m hoping we can build from that. I’m ready to be back in the seat, I’ve been dreaming of driving the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist car the last few nights. We’ve hoping for a big weekend for all of John Force Racing in this Countdown.”
FUNNY CARJOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Charlotte four-wide winner in spring; fourth in points): “We keep ourselves in the conversation every weekend and that’s what we need to be doing. We’re picking up some qualifying points, picking up round wins. It all matters, it all counts. The competition out there, it’s amazing. I’m just trying to keep up. Robert up there with AAA, that’s who we’re all chasing really. They got the job done again and I don’t think they’re done. It’s going to be a tough last three races. We’ll see what happens.”
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AAA TEXAS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (four-time winner at track; track Funny Car record-holder for elapsed time and speed set in October 2017; last won the back-to-back races at St. Louis and Texas in 2018; 2021 No. 1 qualifier at track; points leader): “The competition has never been tougher. At the beginning of the Countdown, (the team) decided we’re going to give it all we’ve got and that’s what they’ve done. This AAA Texas team has been working hard and we don’t plan to let up. We need to stay focused and just honestly take it one run at a time. It’s been a battle and I don’t think that is going to change. We’ll need all the points we can get and it all starts in qualifying.”
PRO STOCKERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (won at track in 2015; has eight wins this season and coming off victory at St. Louis; points leader): “We are really excited to start the second half of the Countdown. Especially after securing two wins and a semifinal finish in the first three races. We currently have a sizable lead but, of course, it’s still not enough of a cushion. We are heading into Dallas as prepared as possible and ready to fight for our fifth title. The competition is stout and I’m sure they will do everything they can to throw us off our game, but we are Elite for a reason.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning Pro Stock champion; six-time winner at track, including 2021; fifth in standings): “Winning at Texas Motorplex is always special. When they give you that cowboy hat it is pretty cool and the Texas fans are some of the best in the country. I have been lucky to have a lot of success in Texas and last year’s win was one for the record books.”
KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (third in standings): “We were the No. 1 qualifier at St. Louis in the most recent race but didn’t bring it home, falling in the semifinals to Erica (Enders). The Lucas Oil Chevy is fast and the KB Racing team has given me a great hot rod all season. With a consistent weekend, we’ll see if we can put this Lucas Oil Camaro in the winner’s circle.” 
DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Gainesville winner; runner-up at Indianapolis and St. Louis): “We’ve been to the finals in two of the past four races and could have, should have won both but for mistakes in staging. So we are going to Texas with confidence in the RAD Torque Systems Camaro for another good points weekend. Hopefully, we’ll get to wear that cowboy hat for the first time.”
CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, SAND HAULERS OF AMERICA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first season in Pro Stock; No. 1 qualifier and runner-up at Houston): “We are looking forward to these last three races of the season. Starting the Countdown with back-to-back-to-back races was tough but we made it. I have been working on my driving all season and our Sand Haulers of America Camaro is running quick again. We had a great race the last time we were in Texas and I am hoping to get one more win light.”
TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; fourth in standings): “Our goal as a unit is to make eight awesome runs, one run at a time. The guys have worked hard servicing and cleaning and now it’s time to continue to show how awesome this group is.”