NHRA Carolina Nationals, 15-17 September 2017

Joe Hornick Enterprises assists the teams supporting Robert Hight, Shawn Cowie and John Lombardo.

 

FUNNY CAR FINAL, Charlotte, NC: Robert Hight (2nd from left) celebrated his 40th career win when he defeated his John Force Racing teammate Courtney Force with a 3.943-second pass. His 0.019sec reaction time significantly contributed to his win. His rival, Force managed only a 3.98 pass after running a 3.957 in the semifinals. Driving his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, this win gives Hight a 44-point lead in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series.

Hight currently holds the national elapsed time record at 3.793 seconds at a speed of 339.87mph. His most pressing dream is to be the first to reach 340mph.

“I look forward to it,” said Hight, “because I know that elusive 340mph run is within our grasp. I know we can achieve it. We’ve already approached it in the first part of a run, and in different parts of the second half of a run. If we can put them together under the right conditions, we’ll capture it.”

So far in his 299 races, Hight has achieved 40 victories, 62 final-round appearances and 54 No. 1 qualifiers and won the 2009 NHRA Funny Car championship.

Following her Charlotte performance, Courtney Force ascended the Funny Car points’ standings from sixth to third.


TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: Canadian Shawn Cowie defeated Corey Michalek.
Cowie, from Surrey, B.C., came from behind to score the final-round victory in Top Alcohol Dragster after surrendering the starting line advantage.

Cowie, whose dragster is prepared by Norm Grimes, peaked at 5.295 seconds, 272.39mph; Runner-up Michalek of Columbus, Ohio recorded 5.399 seconds at 267.27 mph.


TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: John Lombardo Jr. claimed runner-up to Andy Bohl. Current Top Alcohol Funny Car points’ leader, Lombardo Jr. from Brea, Calif., accelerated off the line first then faced traction troubles from which he couldn’t recover. Andy Bohl of Racine, Wyo., won the national event recording a 5.556 seconds pass at 268.60 mph. Lombardo driving Rick Jackson’s machine covered the quarter mile in 5.786sec at 267.91 mph.