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Written by Patrick Rall
Robert Hight drove his Chevrolet Camaro to the 2017 NHRA Funny Car Championship in just the third year of the program.John Force Racing made the switch from Ford Mustang funny cars to Chevrolet Camaro funny cars for the 2015 season. GM got back into the series when Ford pulled their factory backing of the NHRA legend. Force began his incredible career in General Motors products before switching to Ford in the 1990s, but when Ford announced that they were pulling their factory backing John Force Racing made the leap to the Chevrolet Camaro for the 2015, helping GM get back into the big leagues of funny car racing.In just the third season since Chevrolet rekindled their factory-backed funny car program, John Force Racing"s Robert Hight drove a Camaro SS funny car to the 2017 NHRA Championship.The Championship SeasonThe 2017 racing season started rough kind of rough for the Chevrolet Camaro drivers from John Force Racing. Although John Force won the third race of the season, a Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger funny car won 12 of the first 13 events of the year. During that time, Robert Hight only made it to the finals one time, losing to Jack Beckman, but starting with the 14th race of the season, the AAA Auto Club Camaro turned it all around.Robert Hight won two of the final five races leading into the six-race shootout of the Countdown to the Championship. Although Capps had a massive lead during the first 18 races of the season, the Countdown portion evens the points out a bit, bringing Capps" Charger within striking distance for the rest of the cars in the run for the title.Hight and his Camaro won the first and fourth race in the Countdown while Capps and his Charger won the second and fourth events. Neither of them made it to the finals in the fifth race of the Countdown, but Hight made it to the semis while Capps lost early. With Capps having placed poorly in the other two Countdown races in which Hight won, the JFR Camaro held a narrow lead going into the final race of the season.The Final ShotAt the Auto Club NHRA finals in Pomona, California, Robert Hight and his Auto Club Camaro only had to outlast Ron Capps and his Dodge Charger. When Capps lost to Del Worsham in the first round, Hight"s title was secured, but for good measures, he drove his Camaro all of the way to the final round, where he lost to DSR"s Tommy Johnson Jr.This is the second funny car championship of Robert Hight"s career, having won his first back in 2009 when John Force Racing was still running Ford Mustangs.For Chevrolet, this is the first NHRA funny car title of the modern program and for General Motors, this is the first funny car championship since John Force won in a Pontiac Firebird back in 1997 (he also won the title in 1993-1996 in a Pontiac).The best years for General Motors" factory-backed funny car program came with John Force in the 1980s and 1990s, so it is no surprise that Force is involved in the first title for the new Camaro funny car program this time as the car owner. Also, in addition to winning the funny car title as a car owner with Robert Hight, John Force"s daughter Ashley Force took the NHRA Top Fuel championship as well, so John Force Racing took home two titles from Pomona this weekend.Images: John Force RacingTags: 6th Gen Camaro, camaro, John Force Racing, NHRA, NHRA Funny Car, Robert Hight
Date written: December 5, 2017
More of this article on the LS1 Tech website
ID: 10219
Robert Hight drove his Chevrolet Camaro to the 2017 NHRA Funny Car Championship in just the third year of the program.John Force Racing made the switch from Ford Mustang funny cars to Chevrolet Camaro funny cars for the 2015 season. GM got back into the series when Ford pulled their factory backing of the NHRA legend. Force began his incredible career in General Motors products before switching to Ford in the 1990s, but when Ford announced that they were pulling their factory backing John Force Racing made the leap to the Chevrolet Camaro for the 2015, helping GM get back into the big leagues of funny car racing.In just the third season since Chevrolet rekindled their factory-backed funny car program, John Force Racing"s Robert Hight drove a Camaro SS funny car to the 2017 NHRA Championship.The Championship SeasonThe 2017 racing season started rough kind of rough for the Chevrolet Camaro drivers from John Force Racing. Although John Force won the third race of the season, a Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger funny car won 12 of the first 13 events of the year. During that time, Robert Hight only made it to the finals one time, losing to Jack Beckman, but starting with the 14th race of the season, the AAA Auto Club Camaro turned it all around.Robert Hight won two of the final five races leading into the six-race shootout of the Countdown to the Championship. Although Capps had a massive lead during the first 18 races of the season, the Countdown portion evens the points out a bit, bringing Capps" Charger within striking distance for the rest of the cars in the run for the title.Hight and his Camaro won the first and fourth race in the Countdown while Capps and his Charger won the second and fourth events. Neither of them made it to the finals in the fifth race of the Countdown, but Hight made it to the semis while Capps lost early. With Capps having placed poorly in the other two Countdown races in which Hight won, the JFR Camaro held a narrow lead going into the final race of the season.The Final ShotAt the Auto Club NHRA finals in Pomona, California, Robert Hight and his Auto Club Camaro only had to outlast Ron Capps and his Dodge Charger. When Capps lost to Del Worsham in the first round, Hight"s title was secured, but for good measures, he drove his Camaro all of the way to the final round, where he lost to DSR"s Tommy Johnson Jr.This is the second funny car championship of Robert Hight"s career, having won his first back in 2009 when John Force Racing was still running Ford Mustangs.For Chevrolet, this is the first NHRA funny car title of the modern program and for General Motors, this is the first funny car championship since John Force won in a Pontiac Firebird back in 1997 (he also won the title in 1993-1996 in a Pontiac).The best years for General Motors" factory-backed funny car program came with John Force in the 1980s and 1990s, so it is no surprise that Force is involved in the first title for the new Camaro funny car program this time as the car owner. Also, in addition to winning the funny car title as a car owner with Robert Hight, John Force"s daughter Ashley Force took the NHRA Top Fuel championship as well, so John Force Racing took home two titles from Pomona this weekend.Images: John Force RacingTags: 6th Gen Camaro, camaro, John Force Racing, NHRA, NHRA Funny Car, Robert Hight
Date written: December 5, 2017
More of this article on the LS1 Tech website
ID: 10219
