Words compiled by Kay Burk from team press releases
Photos by Chris Haverly and Geoff Stunkard

Rain and track bumps didn’t stop John Force Racing Funny Car driver Robert Hight from setting an NHRA national record at Bristol. He also won the event, along with Larry Dixon in Top Fuel and Mike Edwards in Pro Stock.

FUNNY CAR

On the way to the winner’s circle Robert Hight set the national speed record at 316.45 mph and in the final his winning time of 4.092 seconds was enough to defeat a tire smoking Jack Beckman’s 5.615-second pass.

“Today was unbelievable. We finally got Bristol. We were joking around that all the races that start with ‘b’s’ we have trouble at like Brainerd and Bristol. We turned this one around and what better way to do it than with Ford as the title sponsor at Thunder Valley,” said the Ford-backed Hight.

Hight qualified 6th and took out Ron Capps, Mike Neff, Jeff Arend and Beckman to get the win. He improved his 2011 round win record to an impressive 18-5.

Hight moved within 14 points of second place and recorded his 22nd national event win. This is the second season in a row for Hight to win four national events and he accomplished this career-tying feat in the first nine races of the season.

Hight was forced to run his teammate Mike Neff in the second round and the pair of Mustang Funny Cars executed one of the quickest side-by-side races in recent memory. Hight’s 4.062 outdistanced Neff’s 4.082.