For the third time total, and second consecutive, Robert Hight gained the NHRA Arizona Nationals Humorous Automobile championship. Driving the Flav-R-Pac / Cornwell Instruments / AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS, Hight earned his 62nd profession victory Sunday on the closing NHRA nationwide occasion to be hosted at Wild Horse Go Motorsports Park. Austin Prock with Montana Model / Rocky Mountain Twist and Brittany Drive with the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Vitality Chevrolet Prime Gas dragsters had quarterfinal finishes whereas John Drive within the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy had a first-round exit.
It was the primary win for Robert Hight’s newly configured crew which is now headed by Jimmy Prock and co-assistant crew chiefs Thomas Prock, Jimmy’s son, and Nate Hildahl, a long-time crew member of the three-time championship crew. It was additionally Hight’s first win not dawning AAA / Auto Membership of Southern California as his main sponsor. Although he’ll be again in acquainted colours at subsequent weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California.
En path to his 97th closing spherical look, Robert Hight knocked out crew proprietor, 16-time champion John Drive in his BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy within the first spherical. Drive would have tire smoke for less than a 4.286-second go at 219.27 mph whereas Hight would have a stable 3.911-second go at 325.37 mph.
“Clearly by no means need to meet a teammate in a primary spherical. Closing spherical can be good, however not less than we have been assured that certainly one of us can be shifting on,” Drive stated. “It was good for Robert, for Flav-R-Pac, Cornwell Instruments, AAA, and to see the household dynamic of the Prock’s, that was particular. Fortunately this BlueDEF / PEAK Chevy can simply regroup and get again after it subsequent weekend in Pomona.”
Persevering with the protection of his occasion championship, Hight would match-up with No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III within the quarterfinals. It could be a solid-side-by-side drag race for the long-time rivals. Hight would get the job finished with a 3.936-second go at 330.07 mph over Tasca’s 3.966 at 321.88.
Hight would choose up the semifinal victory over Chad Inexperienced with a 3.900-second go at 329.34 mph to ship Inexperienced’s 3.955 at 322.96 residence. Together with his first semifinal look of the 12 months, Hight additionally earned a spot within the Mission Meals #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Problem to be contested at In-N-Out Raceway at Pomona subsequent weekend on the NHRA Winternatioanls.
The finals can be a battle between reigning world champion Ron Capps, the competitor Hight narrowly conceded the championship to in 2022 by three factors. With lane selection, Hight and the Jimmy Prock, Thomas Prock and Nate Hildahl tuned Flav-R-Pac Humorous Automobile laid down one other spectacular go at 3.930-seconds at 328.62 mph that will be no match for Capps’ 5.534 at 136.80 after he smoked the tires.
“This complete humorous ca subject is stacked from prime to backside and to win certainly one of these races you’re going to must undergo 4 heavy hitters. You simply by no means hand over and when you might have Jimmy Prock as your crew chief you simply know that you just’re one run away from fixing this factor and getting again to the place it is advisable be. He races aggressive, I don’t must let you know that. He needs low E.T. each spherical and we had that right now; we had 4 rounds the place we have been low ET. That’s Jimmy Prock-style racing and it makes my job straightforward. I simply gotta go up there, keep within the gasoline, and maintain it in my lane. Happy with these guys, they maintain selecting at it and getting it the place they need it. You’ll be able to inform when Jimmy is on to one thing. He has the boldness and that provides me confidence.,” Hight stated. “It was sort of totally different with out Auto Membership of Southern California, I don’t even acknowledge myself. Flav-R-Pac, Frank Tiegs stepped up and acquired us. It’s superb to get the win with them right here. I’ve tried to offer Frank the trophy prior to now after I’ve when he was right here and he at all times says ‘no.’ So this time this trophy goes to his spouse. She’ll take it.”
Getting into the day from the No. 3 qualifying spot, Austin Prock and the Montana Model / Rocky Mountain dragster had an unplanned solo run within the first spherical of eliminations. Jim Maroney broke on the beginning line and wasn’t capable of take the tree, permitting Prock to get the primary spherical with a 6.455-second go at 96.71 mph after smoking the tires mid-track. In a stable side-by-side drag race, Prock would come up brief within the second spherical with a 3.768 go at 327.59 to Steve Torrence’s 3.737 at 331.85.
“Not precisely the day we wished for our crew, however we did make a stable go within the second spherical. We simply got here up a style brief at .008-seconds on the end line. I didn’t do my typical job on the beginning line and I let my crew know they will put this one on me. I’ll proceed to work on my craft to verify we are able to win these shut races,” Prock stated. “Alternatively, it was superb to look at that Flav-R-Pac Humorous Automobile get their first win of the season with my brother Thomas and good Good friend Nate Hildahl getting their first wins as assistant crew chiefs. I’ve had the pleasure of working with each and I do know they’re the way forward for this sport.”
Brittany Drive and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Vitality Chevy dragster picked up the first-round win in opposition to Josh Hart after Hart had tire smoke virtually instantly. Drive would go 3.682 seconds at 336.23 mph with Hart coasting to 10.780 at 59.32. Within the quarterfinals, it will be Drive who skilled tire smoke on the hit. The Flav-R-Pac dragster would cross the end line at 9.864 and 73.42 whereas Leah Pruett had a clear run of three.725 at 333.74.
“Closing race right here in Phoenix and our teammate Robert Hight within the Flav-R-Pac Humorous Automobile bought the win which was thrilling. Sadly, our crew bought beat within the second spherical, however we had day,” Drive stated. “The primary spherical with a 3.68 so we actually stepped it up from the low .70’s earlier within the weekend throughout qualifying. It was an enormous enchancment. We simply bought misplaced within the second spherical. We are going to regroup and transfer to Pomona subsequent.”
The John Drive Racing crew will proceed on the NHRA Tenting World Drag Racing Collection circuit with the following cease at certainly one of their residence race tracks March 31-April 2 for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on the newly named In-N-Out Raceway at Pomona.
