Hight Carries High Hopes Into NHRA Carolina Nationals

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car title contender Robert Hight, a four-time zMAX Dragway winner, will chase his first NHRA Carolina Nationals victory since 2009 this weekend at zMAX. [NHRA photo]

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car title contender Robert Hight, the 2009 series champion, will chase his second crown when the six-race Countdown to the Championship begins Sept. 16-18 with the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway

Fans can buy tickets to the breathtaking NHRA Carolina Nationals by shopping online or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267)

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 15, 2016) – Robert Hight hopes that six will be his lucky number when the NHRA Countdown to the Championship begins Sept. 16-18 with the unforgettable NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, a hotly contested race for the Funny Car title among 10 of the fastest racers in the world.

Hight, the 2009 champion, enters the six-race postseason ranked sixth in points – but if focus counts for anything, the accomplished John Force Racing veteran will be inside the top five once the smoke clears after Sunday’s full-throttle, 10,000-horsepower battle for supremacy.

“I started focusing on Charlotte and the rest of the Countdown as soon as the (Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals) in Indy was over,” said Hight, who has one victory this season. “I got together with my team and we have a plan to get some rest and get everything organized and ready to go for Charlotte. Right now the focus is on getting the last few bugs worked out of this new Auto Club Camaro SS Funny Car. We were just a couple of adjustments away in Indy and I think this race car might be better than the one we had before.”

Hight knows how to handle fast cars. The 47-year-old Californian has 37 career victories in 57 final-round appearances and he knows how to turn up the wick when the stakes are at their highest – particularly at zMAX Dragway. Hight won the NHRA Carolina Nationals in 2009 and rode the positive momentum all the way to the championship. With a strong opener to this year’s Countdown, the four-time zMAX Dragway winner believes Title No. 2 is within his grasp.

“The first race is important because you can make up ground on the drivers in front of you with a good start,” Hight said. “I think it gives you a lot of confidence to start Charlotte on a strong note. We have had a lot of success in Charlotte as a team.”

Qualifying for this weekend’s high-octane playoff opener at zMAX Dragway will feature two rounds at 3:15 and 5:30 p.m. on Friday and the final two rounds on Saturday at 12:45 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations begin at noon on Sunday.

TICKETS:
To purchase tickets and camping to the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, Sept. 16-18, visit www.zmaxdragway.com or call 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Be a part of the action all weekend by purchasing a three-day pass for just $99. Kids 13 and under get in FREE with the purchase of an adult ticket. Every ticket is a pit pass, so fans can walk through the pits and see their favorite drivers and teams as they prepare to take to the track.

KEEP TRACK:
Connect with zMAX Dragway and stay up to speed with all the happenings at the Bellagio of drag strips on Facebook, Twitter or on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s mobile app.

RacingNation Crew

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