Robert Hight races to 2nd straight Funny Car playoff win

Hight races to 2nd straight playoff win

ENNIS, Texas — Robert Hight raced to his second Funny Car victory in two playoff events, winning the NHRA Fall Nationals on Sunday at Texas Motorplex.

Hight, who barely advanced to the Countdown to 1, beat Jack Beckman in the final round at the Texas Motorplex, after outrunning Leif Helander, Tim Wilkerson and Ashley Force Hood. Last week, he beat Matt Hagan in the finale in Concord, N.C.

“The first two weeks of the Countdown couldn’t have been any better for us,” said Hight, who posted a 4.218-second run at 296.44 mph in his Ford Mustang. “We won them and went from worst to first, so it’s very exciting for me. It’s something I never thought was going to happen. I never lost faith in my team. You dream big, but this is huge.”

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Greg Anderson (Pro Stock); and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

Schumacher beat rival Larry Dixon in the Top Fuel final. Schumacher finished in 3.944 at 312.86 for his fifth win of the season and 61st of his career, while top qualifier Dixon trailed with a 4.232 at 225.18. With the victory, Schumacher, who has won the last five Top Fuel season titles and six overall, moved into the points lead.

Anderson claimed his first playoff victory and second win of the season in Pro Stock, driving his Pontiac GXP to a 6.684 at 207.11 to hold off former Funny Car racer Johnny Gray. Series points leader Mike Edwards was upset in the semifinals by Anderson.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana raced to his third consecutive victory and fifth of the season with a final-round performance of 6.979 at 190.67 on a Buell to hold off championship rival and defending world champ Eddie Krawiec. Arana increased his series lead to 27 over Krawiec.