{"id":24843,"date":"2019-04-02T18:05:58","date_gmt":"2019-04-02T23:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=24843"},"modified":"2019-04-05T21:09:25","modified_gmt":"2019-04-06T02:09:25","slug":"after-hot-start-funny-cars-robert-hight-not-resting-on-success-heading-to-denso-spark-plugs-nhra-four-wide-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2019\/04\/02\/after-hot-start-funny-cars-robert-hight-not-resting-on-success-heading-to-denso-spark-plugs-nhra-four-wide-nationals\/","title":{"rendered":"After hot start Funny Car\u2019s Robert Hight not resting on success heading to DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Courtesy of the NHRA<\/em><\/p>\n

LAS VEGAS \u2013 Robert Hight<\/strong> has enjoyed a number of hot streaks throughout his impressive NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series<\/a> career en route to 47 career Funny Car wins and a pair of world titles. But the incredible stretch he is on to open 2019 certainly ranks near the top, especially when it comes to starting the year.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Robert Hight. NHRA photo<\/p><\/div>\n

Hight became the first driver since Kenny Bernstein in 1987 to begin the year with three straight No. 1 qualifiers, and he has followed with two victories in his 10,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS to take a commanding points lead early in the season. Hight has clear motivation after falling just short of a third world title a year ago, and that will continue to be evident at this weekend\u2019s 20th annual DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been some times when we\u2019ve been on a good run and won some races and you look back and say we\u2019ve had some breaks, but we haven\u2019t had this year because we haven\u2019t needed it,\u201d Hight said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been really steady. It goes back to last year going down to the last day of the season with a chance to win a title and not getting it. That\u2019s motivated us to work hard and that\u2019s shown this year. We\u2019re on a mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car) and Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) were last year\u2019s winners of the event that will be televised on FOX Sports 1, including finals coverage starting at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, April 7. It is the fourth of 24 races during the 2019 NHRA season and is the second year for the four-wide race in Vegas, giving fans on the West Coast an opportunity to take in the biggest spectacle in drag racing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Robert Hight. NHRA photo<\/p><\/div>\n

Hight has thrived in the unique style of the race, winning twice at the four-wide event in Charlotte, and the veteran and his team, led by star crew chief Jimmy Prock, have been locked in from the outset in 2019. Nine his 10 round wins have been with runs in the 3.80s, while his three No.1 qualifying have all been runs in the 3.80s, with one of those coming at a speed of more than 330 mph. It\u2019s pushed Hight, who is third all-time in Funny Car wins, to new levels and he has no plans of slowing down.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like it wasn\u2019t that long ago I was just getting in a race car,\u201d Hight said. \u201cTo have my name mentioned with some of these guys like Kenny and Don Prudhomme, it\u2019s pretty amazing. I have to pinch myself sometimes. But there\u2019s still a lot more I want to accomplish. But it really isn\u2019t just about what I\u2019ve accomplished. You can\u2019t do it without a good team and I have that with Jimmy and (co-crew chief) Chris (Cunningham).\u201d<\/p>\n

Hight, though, isn\u2019t resting on his laurels with a marquee Funny Car field greeting him in Las Vegas. With 21 races remaining in 2019, Hight knows he\u2019ll have to continue to work hard against the likes of defending world champion J.R. Todd, Ron Capps, John Force Racing teammate John Force, Tommy Johnson Jr., Phoenix winner Matt Hagan and Bob Tasca, but staying motivated won\u2019t be a problem. The team had a productive off-season and has come out swinging, and Hight hopes it leads to his sixth Vegas win.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not like we\u2019re that much ahead of everyone else,\u201d Hight said. \u201cRunning this well, you\u2019re going to make these other guys better, so we have to stay focused and work hard, and try to maintain what we\u2019ve been doing. Having a four-wide race last year in Vegas was big. It gave this event a shot in the arm and we hope it continues to grow. We\u2019ve had two weekends off and I\u2019m ready to get back to racing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Top Fuel defending world champ Steve Torrence will look for a repeat win and grab his first 2019 victory against points leader Doug Kalitta, Leah Pritchett and Brittany Force.  <\/p>\n

Pro Stock\u2019s Greg Anderson has dominated in Las Vegas over the years, but he is after his first win of 2019 facing off with points leader Bo Butner and Jeg Coughlin Jr.<\/p>\n

The riders in Pro Stock Motorcycle will compete in Vegas after starting their season in Gainesville. Andrew Hines won there against the likes of Matt Smith and Eddie Krawiec.<\/p>\n

The event also features competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, showcasing the future stars of the sport.<\/p>\n

As always, fans can interact with their favorite drivers as they\u2019re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.<\/p>\n

Fans also will want to visit NHRA\u2019s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.<\/p>\n

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 6, at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. on Sunday, April 7.<\/p>\n

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call (800) 644-4444 or visit www.LVMS.com<\/a>. Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas with a paid adult. To honor the Salute to First Responders, military and first responders can save 20 percent on general admission tickets online atNHRA.com\/GOVX<\/a> or at the gate with presentation of valid military or professional ID. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Courtesy of the NHRA LAS VEGAS \u2013 Robert Hight has enjoyed a number of hot streaks throughout his impressive NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series career en route to 47 career Funny Car wins and a pair of world titles. But the incredible stretch he is on to open 2019 certainly ranks near the top, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":24846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[570,6,121,334],"class_list":["post-24843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhra","tag-denso-spark-plugs-nhra-four-wide-nationals","tag-nhra","tag-robert-hight","tag-the-strip-at-las-vegas-motor-speedway"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/2019_Robert_Hight_Action.jpg?fit=2250%2C1500","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-6sH","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24843"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24847,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24843\/revisions\/24847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}