For the 3rd year in a row – Robert Hight wins NHRA Sonoma Nationals!

Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team dominated the NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway to take home their second win of the season.

The victory is the 53rd of Robert Hight’s career, putting him ahead of Joe Amato on the all-time wins list. It was Hight’s fourth total but third consecutive victory at Sonoma Raceway, his home track. Hight has been to every national event at the facility, first as a fan, then a crew member and now a driver.

“It was 1988, the first national event ever here, that’s when I fell in love with this sport,” Hight said. “It’s hard to believe it’s been this long and that I actually get to stand here and do this. When I first saw these cars run, it’s all I wanted to do. Amazing. A lot of good fans up here and let’s make it four in a row next year.” 

Heading into eliminations in the No. 4 spot, Robert Hight and the Auto Club team kept up their consistency from qualifying with a 3.938-second pass at 320.28 mph that gave Steven Densham and his 5.079 at 148.23 the loss. Hight would then have to make his way through a gauntlet of former Funny Car champions for the victory.

First up was J.R. Todd in the second round. The Auto Club Chevy would run another 3.938-second pass this time at 326.95 mph to defeat Todd’s 4.060 at 296.70. The semifinal match up would be a familiar one with Ron Capps in the other lane. The Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham tuned Camaro SS wouldn’t miss a beat laying down a solid 3.943-second run at 323.35 mph to send Capps and his 3.979 at 322.73 packing.

Another Don Schumacher backed Funny Car would be waiting for Hight in his third final round of the season. Matt Hagan and Hight had a close side-by-side drag race in the finals. Crossing the line at 3.971-seconds and 322.50 mph, Hight would earn the Wally over Hagan’s 3.991 at 324.44.
 
“You look at the top eight in Funny Car, any one of these guys can win a championship and most of them are champions. It’s a tough class, even Steven Densham, his dad, Gary Densham, is a cagy old veteran and you’ve go to be on your game,” Hight said. “It’s a lot of fun when you can get here and stand on the stage at the end of the day. This is three in a row here at my home racetrack.”

“Just the way this Auto Club Chevy has been running all day long. Jimmy (Prock) and Chris (Cunningham) have this thing running on a string. We’ve got good luck here,” Hight said. “We had lane choice every round, so I just have a lot of confidence in my team. I have to have confidence in myself. Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham, they really brought their A-game. I think we learned some things this weekend, and maybe this Auto Club Chevy is back. It’s been an unbelievable weekend and we’re headed to Auto Club Raceway now.”

Event Essentials: Sonoma Nationals  (July 23-25th 2021) 

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season continues with the final of three races on the famed Western Swing – next weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, (with the pandemic deferred from February) Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, July 30th to August 1st.

Posted by Sarah Slaughter
Photos Courtesy of NHRA – Auto Imagery – Ron Lewis