DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Story by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — John Force Racing photo —
For NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series star Robert Hight, he had to think that the cars he was watching at speed on Saturday afternoon were … well, “slow”.
Keep in mind, this is a former (2009) nitro Funny Car champion that is used to going roughly 320 miles per hour and going 1,000 feet in roughly four seconds.
But on Saturday, Hight was in attendance for both a Team Chevy press appearance and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice at the Daytona International Speedway, taking in the sights and sounds of the stock car realm prior to Sunday’s 58th running of the Daytona 500 (1 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM).
The cars on track topped out at only 197 miles per hour (led by Dale Earnhardt Jr, see more here), but Hight still smiled when walking the garage area and discussing the afternoon.
“I always hit a NASCAR race and take everything in whenever I have the opportunity,” the California driver and son-in-law of 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force explained. “It’s so cool that with the Auto Club (of Southern California) and Chevy that they can get me out here and behind the scenes. I love the fans, too — all these fans want to come up and talk NHRA drag racing — it’s a great time.”
“I’m here to see some NASCAR racing this weekend, and I like hanging around the garage areas,” he added. “I’m a former mechanic and getting to learn about the cars and see the technology is pretty cool.”
Hight is coming off a season in which he won two NHRA national events (at Brainerd, Minn. and Las Vegas), parlaying his season-long efforts into a sixth-place points finish in the Funny Car class — best among his John Force Racing teammates.
And despite falling in the semifinals to eventual race winner Ron Capps during last weekend’s season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Hight is optimistic about the season to come — especially the new NHRA television partnership with FOX Sports that will see one of the largest total amounts of season action on the network in the history of the sport.
“It’s nothing but a positive thing for the sport,” he said of FOX’s new involvement with the NHRA. “FOX is bringing a whole new perspective to drag racing, we’re getting some mentions on the NASCAR broadcasts and we’ll be in Phoenix next week (racing ahead of the NASCAR event for the market in March) so the fans can tune into that as well. It’s only going to bring more positives and we (as drivers and ambassadors for the sport) couldn’t be happier with how it’s kicked off so far.”
Oh, by the way? Hight also laughed when reminded that — of course — his team owner is also his father-in-law. The veteran drag racer had a simple answer when asked about how his famous in-law is away from the race track.
“What you see with John Force is what you get, 24-7,” Hight laughed.
Hight, Force and the rest of the stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will return to the strip Feb. 26-28, racing in the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix, Arizona.
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
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