By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The 2023 NHRA season hasn't been up to the success that Robert Hight and John Force Racing have grown accustomed to over the years.
But Hight gave himself and JFR a boost on Friday night, earning Funny Car's provisional No. 1 qualifying spot with a run of 3.948 seconds at 321.19 miles per hour in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS.
NHRA Funny Car star Robert Hight earned the provisional No. 1 spot Friday night in the first round of qualifying for the Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
If that holds up through Saturday's final two qualifying runs, the three-time world champ would earn his third No. 1 qualifier this season and the 80th of his career.
Hight, currently fourth in points, enjoyed a strong start to the 2023 season, winning in both Phoenix and Charlotte, but hasn’t been past the semifinals since.
“This was definitely much-needed,” Hight said. “We kind of went off of last year when we ran 3.93 here in similar conditions. We've been struggling, and the car hasn't been cooperating with every adjustment Jimmy (Prock, crew chief) makes.
"He's really set on this new clutch combination, but he believes that he's the one that's been making the mistakes. He beats himself up pretty bad and it was just awesome to hear the excitement in his voice when he told me what it ran. We needed that run big time.''
With hot conditions expeccted again on Saturday, Hight would appear to be in an excellent position to nail down the No. 1 qualifier, but he said the goal it to put together a pair of solid runs.
“It's going to be pretty hot out there, and it's really setting yourself up for race day,'' Hight said. "It's not going to do us any good to make a good run here tonight and go out there tomorrow and smoke the tires or drop cylinders.
"We really need to make good, quality runs so we're set up for Sunday and get to where we can race this thing a little better.”
Defending and back-to-back world champ Ron Capps was No. 2 in qualifying following his run of 3.950 at 314.17 m.p.h. and defending event winner Bob Tasca III is third with a pass of 3.967 at 316.60.
Funny Car qualifying continues at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with eliminations getting under way at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
MENARDS NHRA NATIONALS
At Heartland Motorsports Park
FRIDAY QUALIFYING RESULTS
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