(Photo Credit: Gary Nastase, Auto Imagery)
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 30, 2023) – Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS team have momentum on their side as they head into this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Hight currently is third in Camping World points standings and owes his positioning in part to early season success picking up wins at the Arizona Nationals and Charlotte Four-Wide events. He also has three No.1. qualifiers from the Route 66 Nationals, Thunder Valley Nationals, and Heartland Nationals, the latter was his 80th career No. 1 starting spot. After a runner-up finish at the most recent event at Brainerd International Raceway and a match race victory at Night Under Fire, Hight and the Cornwell Tools team have had a recent surge in performance thanks to the tunings of crew chief Jimmy Prock and co-assistant crew chiefs Thomas Prock and Nate Hildahl.
“When you have a crew chief like Jimmy Prock and a team that has won championships, you just believe in them. And I do, I believe in this whole Cornwell Tools team and I’m doing my part, so I know it’s coming. We’re chasing more wins. I know they’re coming, and they’ll be coming at just the right time. We know it’s going to be a fight, but we have the opportunity this weekend to make up some ground and give ourselves the best position possible going into the Countdown,” Hight said. “We tested Monday in Brainerd to get this Cornwell Tools Chevy where it needs to be for the biggest race of the year and into the Countdown. I’m confident, this team is confident. We’re just ready to get out there.”
Hight has gone to the final round at the US Nationals seven times in 17 starts, most recently a year ago when he finished runner-up to Ron Capps. He has won drag racing’s biggest single race three times (2006, 2008 and 2013) with runner-up finishes in 2007, 2009, 2015 and 2022. His only No. 1 start came in 2009 but he’s been a top three starter eight times. His No. 1 start in 2009 ended with a final-round loss to teammate Ashley Force Hood. The performance, however, got Hight into the Countdown in the 10th and final position, from which he won the first of his three series titles.
Hight will have an exceptionally busy weekend on the racetrack as he competes on Saturday in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge where he’ll get a rematch of his semifinal matchup against team owner John Force from the event in Brainerd, Minnesota and on Sunday when he’ll participate in the Pep Boys NRHA Funny Car Callout event featuring the top eight qualifiers. Hight will have the luxury of being the first to callout his first-round opponent having acquired the most qualifying points in the Funny Car field over the past year.
Competition at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park kicks off with five rounds of qualifying Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 3:30 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin on Memorial Day Monday at 10 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations coverage will have two shows on Monday, the first at noon ET on FS1 and the second at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Broadcasting Network.
Media Contact:
Sara Slaughter
Public Relations
Phone: 951-212-9818
Email: sara@johnforceracing.com
