Shockwaves through the Racing Community! In a surprising turn of events, Robert Hight, the celebrated three-time NHRA Funny Car champion and president of John Force Racing, has announced a temporary hiatus from his illustrious racing career. This unexpected news has left fans and fellow racers alike in a state of concern and curiosity about his health. In this article, we provide information related to it.
Robert Hight Illness
Robert Hight has recently announced a temporary break from his racing career due to health reasons. The nature of his illness has not been disclosed publicly, as the details remain confidential.
Hight has emphasized the importance of putting his health first and has expressed his eagerness to return to racing once his health issues are resolved. In the meantime, Austin Prock will be taking over driving duties from Hight for the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for the 2024 season.
Robert Hight said he is committed to putting his health first, mentioning,
“I have to put my health first. Once this is resolved, I’ll be back. I’ll be looking forward to racing again, I’m a competitor and can’t wait to get back to doing what I love. I know Austin will do a great job in my place for Cornwell Tools, AAA, Chevy and all of the John Force Racing sponsors. I have no doubt he’ll win races.”
Austin Prock shared his good wishes, saying,
“First off, all the best wishes to Robert and his health. It’s been a dream of mine to drive a Funny Car with my family, but this is not the way I hoped it would happen. It’s bittersweet. I’m grateful for the opportunity and thankful to John and all of our partners, especially Cornwell Tools, AAA, and Chevy for giving me a chance to fill this seat. It’s a huge role to fill considering how outstanding of a driver Robert is and how successful this team is. It’s been a whirlwind of an off-season so I’m just ready to get back to racing.”
If you want to know about the health of other stars, then you can check out our below posts:
- Paul Michael Glaser Illness: Is He Suffering From Any Disease?
- Kevin Mcalpine Illness: Did He Have Any Disease Before His Death?
Robert Hight Career Achievements
After being a fan for several years, Hight joined John Force Racing in 1995 and became a clutch specialist. He started as a crew member and later became a driver in 2005, joining forces with John Force and Eric Medlen.
In 2005, Hight had a successful debut season, finishing fifth in points. He secured two victories, reached four final rounds, and achieved a 28-21 record in 23 starts.
The following year, in 2006, Hight continued to excel, finishing second in points. He won three races, reached six final rounds, and had a 35-20 record in 23 starts during his second season with John Force Racing.
In his 13th season driving a Chevrolet Camaro, Hight teamed up with crew chief Mike Neff and co-crew chiefs Jon Schaffer and Jason McCulloch. At the start, he drove the California Highway Patrol car at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.
Later in the season, starting from the NHRA Gator Nationals, Hight joined forces with his former championship-winning crew chief, Jimmy Prock. Despite a slow beginning, the team improved and secured their first No. 1 spot in June at the New England Nationals.
Hight grabbed the team’s initial victory at the Mile-High Nationals in Colorado, followed by another win two weeks later at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Washington.
With strong performances in qualifying and consistent races, the team climbed into the top five. It reached as high as second before the regular season concluded at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
Hight also stood out with record-breaking feats, including the NHRA’s fastest speed ever at 339.87 mph in July at Sonoma Raceway and the first Funny Car to finish in 3.7 seconds at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota. By the season’s end, Hight had seven of the top 10 speeds ever recorded in Funny Cars, all achieved in 2017.
In the Countdown to the Championship, Hight did really well. He won the NHRA Carolina Nationals and the AAA Texas Fall Nationals and had a close competition with Ron Capps in the next races.
A good performance in Las Vegas put him in the lead for points. The final race, the Auto Club Finals in Pomona, was crucial. Hight won his first-round matchup, securing the championship. He finished as the runner-up in the event, increasing his lead to 98 points.
In the season, Hight matched his career-best of reaching seven finals and achieving low ETs 10 times. He also set personal records for elimination-round victories (45) and top event speeds (13). With four victories, this was his best performance since 2014, when he won five times.
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