Robert Hight has became just the 20th pro driver to win 500 racing rounds in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. He did so in style, driving his Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS to a Funny Car victory at rain-delayed 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Hight is the seventh driver to reach 500 wins in the Funny Car class, joining teammate and mentor John Force whose 1,348 career round wins is 474 more than anyone else in the sport. Hight is the second driver to join the exclusive club this year along with PSM standout Andrew Hines.

With a final round victory over No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman, Hight extended his Mello Yello lead to 44 points in advance of the coming 34th annual AAA Texas FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex. The win was a personal best sixth of the year for the two-time champion and his sixth overall at zMAX.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but right here (in the points lead). We can control our own destiny. When you’re chasing somebody, you can’t control what they do so I want to be here and I want to be here a month from now,” said Hight who has led the points all but one race this season. “That’s the goal. This was a good weekend for us. We got the points lead back last weekend in St. Louis but to come out here and extend it, that’s what we have to keep doing every race. I’ve never won six races in my life. This is the most I’ve ever won but right now I feel like I’m going to have to win eight to be the champ, so we’re up for it.”

Hight, who entered the day as the No. 2 qualifier, first raced past Mike McIntire Jr. with a 3.908-second pass at 324.44 mph to McIntire’s 3.977-second pass at 309.49 mph.

(With his win at zMAX – Robert Hight sits #1 in points at the half-way mark for NHRA’s Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship)

In the second round, Hight and the Auto Club team were matched up with veteran racer, Tim Wilkerson. The race was won on the starting line with Hight’s .077-second reaction time coupled with his 3.929-second pass at 324.67 mph that gave him the holeshot win over Wilkerson’s 3.923 at 324.28 with his .102 reaction time.

The quarterfinal victory set Hight against Don Schumacher Racing rival, Matt Hagan in the semifinals. Hagan would have the starting line advantage but Hight pulled away at the 330-foot mark to take the victory with a pass of 3.912 seconds and 328.78 mph. Hagan ran a 3.947 at 327.35.

“Man, what a line up, Wilkerson and Hagan, and Beckman, boy it was a long day and it was hard work,” Hight said. “The Auto Club Chevy team really pulled together and did a good job. We’ve changed some things over the last few races and we’ve kind of been struggling but we went down the track every run here this weekend so hats off. Great job to Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham, and all the Auto Club guys.”

In his eighth final round of the season, Hight would face No. 2 in the points, Beckman. Like his quarterfinal race against Wilkerson, the final would be won on the starting line. Beckman would leave early by .080-seconds to trigger the red light and give Hight the win. The Auto Club Camaro would cross the finish line at 3.917-seconds and 329.02 mph after a solid, clean final pass down zMAX Dragway.

“Beckman left early and it plays tricks with your brain. You’re out there focused and waiting to see that tree, and all of sudden you hear him leave and think ‘am I late?’ and then you drive by that tree and you see that red light on his side and it’s just like a sigh of relief,” Hight explained. “It plays tricks with your brain but if you’re really focused, you know when somebody leaves early and that was pretty early. A guy like Beckman doesn’t make that mistake very often but I’ll take them however I can get them.”

(Jack Beckman had a strong event effort – qualifying #1 and setting both low ET and top speed.)

Event Essentials:   NHRA NTK Carolina Nationals (Oct. 11-13th, 2019) 

Posted by Sara Slaughter
Photos by Bruce Biegler – Gary Nastase – Auto Imagery