FUNNY CAR DRIVER ROBERT HIGHT HAS BIG WESTERN SWING GOALS HEADING TO NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS

SONOMA, Calif. — After an impressive win streak early in the season, Robert Hight wanted to make sure he avoided repeating history. A win last weekend in Denver assured the Funny Car standout that would not be the case, leaving Hight now focused on unleashing another hot streak.

Hight’s dominant four-race winning streak in early 2012 on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series was followed by a 35-race winless streak, something the current Funny Car points leader wanted to avoid after another hot stretch opened his 2014 campaign and included three straight wins in a run of six consecutive final round appearances.

A spectacular performance in Denver erased those thoughts, giving Hight every reason to believe he can turn in another strong showing in his 10,000-horsepower Auto Club Ford Mustang during the second race of the three-week NHRA Western Swing at this weekend’s 27th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

“We were doing well and we just had some bad luck here and there,” Hight said. “It’s good to be back. I know back in 2012 we won four races in a row at the beginning of the season and it took another year to get a win. Trust me that was crossing my mind. If you look around it’s not that easy to win in this Funny Car class. There are a lot of good cars out there.”

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2. It is the 15th of 24 races during the 2014 season and always serves as an important race for Hight, who grew up racing at the track.

He earned his lone Sonoma Funny Car win in 2008 but will be among the handful of favorites at this weekend’s event. Hight was seemingly dominant on nearly every run in Denver, paving the way for his own high hopes on the Western Swing.

Only Hight’s teammate and reigning world champion John Force has swept the Western Swing in Funny Car, but Hight is fully confident at what his talented team, led by crew chief Mike Neff, can do in Sonoma.

“We work well as a team and we work well together,” Hight said. “I just hope both of our teams get on a roll here. We have some unfinished business and we want to win this Western Swing.”

But in the next breath Hight talks about heeding the approach Neff has brought to the team since he became Hight’s crew chief a year ago.

“Mike Neff just races one round at a time and that’s how we look at it,” Hight said. “Usually that pays off with a lot of round wins. Nothing would mean more to me than to go to Sonoma and get a win. That’s my home track and it’s where I grew up.”

The Hight-Neff combination has been thoroughly impressive over the past year, winning six times, including the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in 2013, which snapped that 35-race winless drought. Four of those wins have come this season and Hight has opened up a commanding points lead, becoming the first Funny Car driver to qualify for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Winning the Sonoma Nationals will be no easy feat against a talented Funny Car class that includes Capps, seven-time Sonoma winner Force, Cruz Pedregon, who has two wins at the Northern California track, two-time Sonoma winner Tim Wilkerson, Courtney Force, Del Worsham, Alexis DeJoria, Matt Hagan and Tommy Johnson Jr.

Hight, though, quickly found his groove in a new car his John Force Racing team debuted last weekend in Denver and plans to dial it in even more at Sonoma Raceway.

“We want to make sure it’s ready for the Countdown,” Hight said. “If they wouldn’t have told me it was a new car I wouldn’t have known. Usually new cars drive me crazy because there is different stuff in them. These guys on this team are so good they put it together perfectly. This car and this whole team is about perfection and we want to show it.”

Reigning Top Fuel world champion Langdon took home the win last season in Sonoma and took home his first victory of 2014 in Bristol. Points leader Doug Kalitta, who has seven final round appearances in 2014, has five career wins at Sonoma but will be challenged by the likes of Antron Brown, who has three Sonoma wins, Tony Schumacher, Spencer Massey, reigning Auto Club of Southern California Road the Future Award winner Brittany Force, Richie Crampton, recent Denver winner J.R. Todd, and Steve Torrence.

In Pro Stock, Vincent Nobile won for the first time in Sonoma a year ago, but will face stiff challenges in his bid to repeat. That will come from the likes of Jeg Coughlin Jr., Allen Johnson, who won last weekend in Denver, Jason Line, Dave Connolly, Shane Gray, Chris McGaha, Jonathan Gray and Greg Anderson, who missed the first five races of the season following off-season and is making a charge to qualify for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana Jr. is the defending champion and is coming off a recent win in Chicago. Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec have both won in Wine Country before and currently lead the Pro Stock Motorcycle point standings. Angie Smith claimed the first Wally of her career after defeating her husband and reigning world champion Matt Smith in New England and the Smith pair will be among several riders to watch in the two-wheel category.

Sonoma Raceway will also host the MiraMonte Records Pro Bike Battle, a specialty bonus event in Pro Stock Motorcycle. The event will take place on Saturday, July 26 and feature eight riders vying for the top prize.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy some cherished face time and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s 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.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, July 25, with sessions at 4:15 and 6:15 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, July 26, at 12:55 and 3:20 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 27. The MiraMonte Records Pro Bike Battle will occur on Saturday, July 26 with rounds at 12:45, 3:15 and 4:40 p.m.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call Sonoma Raceway at (800) 870-RACE (7223) or visit www.racesonoma.com/tickets. Kids 12 and under are free on the final day of qualifying, Saturday, July 26. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.

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NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: 27th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals, the 15th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Drivers in four categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – earn points leading to 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif. The track is located at the intersection of Highways 37 and 121

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, July 25-27.

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, July 25 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 4:15 and 6:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, July 26 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

MIRAMONTE RECORDS PRO BIKE BATTLE at 12:45, 3:15 and 4:40 p.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 12:55 and 3:20 p.m.

SUNDAY, July 27 – Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:

Saturday, July 26, ESPN will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 7 p.m. (ET).

Sunday, July 27, ESPN2 will televise three hours of elimination coverage starting at 9 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE(Digital HD feed):

Saturday, July 26, Midnight – 12:30 a.m. (ET), AMC 2 / Transponder 18C

Saturday, July 26, 8:30 – 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 2 / Transponder 18C

Sunday, July 27, 9:30 – 10 p.m. (ET), AMC 2 / Transponder 18C

(4060 MHz, vertical; Data Rate: 40.46147055 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)

Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.

2013 EVENT WINNERS: Shawn Langdon, Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Funny Car; Vincent Nobile, Pro Stock; Hector Arana Jr, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MOST VICTORIES: John Force, 7, FC; Doug Kalitta, 5, TF; Ron Capps, 4, FC; Greg Anderson, 4, PS; Antron Brown, 3, TF; Darrell Alderman, 3, PS; Warren Johnson, 3, PS; Jim Yates, 3, PS.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.743 seconds by Shawn Langdon, July ‘13; 328.62 mph by Massey, July ‘12

Funny Car – 3.986 seconds by Matt Hagan, July ‘13; 320.51 mph by Hagan, July ‘13.

Pro Stock – 6.512 seconds by Erica Enders-Stevens, July ’12; 212.56 mph by Mike Edwards, July ‘13.

PS Motorcycle – 6.785 seconds by Eddie Krawiec, July ’12; 198.44 mph by Hector Arana, July ’13.

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ‘12, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.

Funny Car – 3.965 sec. and 324.12 mph by John Force, Feb. ’14, Pomona, Calif.

Pro Stock – 6.464 sec. and 215.55 mph by Erica Enders-Stevens, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.

PS Motorcycle – 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.

TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 870-RACE (7223). Tickets may also be purchased online at http://www.racesonoma.com/tickets

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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. — Point standings (top 10) following the 14th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel: 1. Doug Kalitta, 1,162 *; 2. Antron Brown, 1,137 *; 3. Shawn Langdon, 973; 4. Tony Schumacher, 830; 5. Steve Torrence, 814; 6. Spencer Massey, 811; 7. Brittany Force, 783; 8. J.R. Todd, 705; 9. Khalid alBalooshi, 685; 10. Richie Crampton, 678.

Funny Car: 1. Robert Hight, 1,179 *; 2. John Force, 998; 3. Ron Capps, 921; 4. Tommy Johnson Jr., 882; 5. Courtney Force, 817; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 811; 7. Matt Hagan, 794; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 781; 9. Del Worsham, 780; 10. Tim Wilkerson, 711.

Pro Stock: 1. Erica Enders-Stevens, 1,229 *; 2. Allen Johnson, 1,045; 3. Jeg Coughlin, 998; 4. Jason Line, 951; 5. Dave Connolly, 948; 6. Vincent Nobile, 893; 7. Shane Gray, 865; 8. Chris McGaha, 653; 9. V. Gaines, 596; 10. Jonathan Gray, 516.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Andrew Hines, 775 *; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 640 *; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 582 *; 4. Hector Arana, 488; 5. John Hall, 438; 6. Michael Ray, 428; 7. Matt Smith, 427; 8. Scotty Pollacheck, 426; 9. Steve Johnson, 396; 10. Angie Smith, 383.

* Driver clinched berth into NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs