Racing on a Sonoma Raceway track that as a youngster nurtured his passion for drag racing, Robert Hight became just the 13th driver to win 50 times on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series pro tour.

Hight repeated as the event Funny Car Champion by driving his Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS past Matt Hagan in the final round at the 31st annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

“It’s a milestone. I mean, if you look at the guys that have raced Funny Car there are a lot of big names, Kenny Bernstein, Don Prudhomme, the guys that when I was a kid, I watched on T.V. and they don’t have 50 wins in a Funny Car. That’s amazing. It’s hard to believe.”

Entering race day as the No. 1 qualifier for the eighth time this season and 68th time in his career, Hight earned a first-round bye. The Auto Club Chevy tuned by championship crew chiefs Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham took full advantage of the uncontested run crossing the finish line at 3.925-seconds at 327.35 mph, the second quickest run of the round setting him up for lane choice against Blake Alexander in the second round.

Driving for John Force Racing and sponsor AAA Auto Club – Robert Hight — has achieved the 1/2 century mark for NHRA national event wins!

Hight improved to 3-0 against Alexander when he powered his Chevy to a 4.007-second pass at 323.35 mph bettering Alexander’s 4.055 at 303.98. Maintaining lane choice in the semifinals, Hight would be positioned in a classic John Force Racing vs. Don Schumacher Racing semifinal against veteran racer Tommy Johnson Jr. It was a clean drag race as Hight and the Auto Club team pulled away for the win with a 4.011-second pass at 323.19 mph to Johnson Jr.’s 4.046 at 318.54.

The seventh final round of Hight’s 2019 season would match him up with yet another DSR Funny Car, this time it would be two-time world champion Matt Hagan. It would be another close side-by-side drag race with Hight steadily pulling ahead after taking the starting line advantage. Hight would earn his 50th career victory, third at the facility and fifth in 2019 after handling the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro to a stout 3.973-second pass at 325.45 mph to take out Hagan’s 4.030 at 316.60.

A 49-year-old native of Alturus, Calif., located in the far northeast corner of the state, Hight was a spectator at Sonoma Raceway as a teenager before being hired as a clutch technician at John Force Racing, Inc., where he ultimately won eight championships as a crewman on Force-driven Funny Cars before being promoted to Facilities Manager and, finally, President of JFR.

“I remember coming out here whenever they opened the gates and not leaving until zero dark thirty because I just wanted to see everything. I wanted to take it all in,” Hight said. “Watch the teams work on the cars, watch every bit of racing. I love alcohol cars and sportsman cars, and this is where it all started for me,”

With Sunday’s win, Hight equaled his single season career best numbers for final rounds (7) and victories (5) and extended his current lead over second place Johnson Jr. to a whopping 199 points, roughly the equivalent of 10 rounds of racing. His four round wins Sunday moved him to within 10 of 500, one of the sport’s benchmarks.

John Force went to the “final four” on Sunday in Fuel FC racing.

Event Essentials:   NHRA Sonoma Nationals (July 26-28, 2019) 

Last weeks winner at NHRA Denver – Tommy Johnson Jr., advanced to the semi-final round.

Matt Hagan advanced to his 4th final round of 2019 — this time in the new Dodge “wide body” Charger-bodied car.

Shawn Langdon was the second quickest qualifier at Sonoma – running a stout 3.872 secs

Posted with files by Sara Slaughter & Bruce Biegler
Photos by David Dave Ostaszewski & Gary Nastase