VISIT TO MEDLEN'S GRAVE INSPIRED HIGHT
Tue, 2008-09-02 10:00
Robert Hight doesn’t need motivation when the mission is racing the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
For the 39-year old driver from Yorba Linda, Ca, the inspiration came while visiting his friend Eric Medlen at the cemetery on Monday morning.
Hight stopped on his way into the cemetery as he saw John Medlen on his way out.
“He stopped and rolled the window down and he couldn't even talk,” Hight recalled. “His eyes were filled with tears. It's so tough to see what this guy has to go through every day. All I could say was let's go get them today. He drove off and I went and saw Eric. After I beat Mike Neff [Medlen’s driver] in the second round he came up to me and said, 'did you make a deal with Eric today?' I said 'whatever it takes. Yes.” Robert Hight doesn’t need motivation when the mission is racing the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
For the 39-year old driver from Yorba Linda, Ca, the inspiration came while visiting his friend Eric Medlen at the cemetery on Monday morning.
Hight stopped on his way into the cemetery as he saw John Medlen on his way out.
“He stopped and rolled the window down and he couldn't even talk,” Hight recalled. “His eyes were filled with tears. It's so tough to see what this guy has to go through every day. All I could say was let's go get them today. He drove off and I went and saw Eric. After I beat Mike Neff [Medlen’s driver] in the second round he came up to me and said, 'did you make a deal with Eric today?' I said 'whatever it takes. Yes.”
John Force Racing has a team base in Brownsburg, Ind., making the event a home venue for his team. A constant reminder of Medlen stands in front of the shop in the form of a statue, arm raised into the air in celebration of his final victory at Sonoma.
“I want to take my trophy back there and hopefully I will be as proud holding it as he was holding his,” Hight added.
The final round marked the third consecutive for him at Indy, as he scored the win over an upset-minded Jack Beckman. For Hight, two out of three isn’t a bad record.
With John Force unqualified, and all of the JFR teams eliminated in the second round, the pressure was on. Nothing says pressure like iconic crew chief Austin Coil peeking in to reassure a driver.
“You've got Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly up there every run,” Hight said. “Austin, I love him, but he comes underneath the car every run while I'm strapped in there and he says, 'no pressure.' He thinks that motivates but what is does is scare me to death. You don't want to go up there and just screw up.”
One cannot forget his father-in-law John Force either. Here’s a tip. Force does not make a good spectator.
“Force, when he came down there at the other end he said, 'you saved me.'
“It's tough, because he is not a good spectator and I can't even imagine the day that he decides he is going to retire. He gets up there and he wants to be in one of those cars so bad. It's like he's driving them from the starting line. He can see the mistakes we make or if we do good. He's the best, he really is. I feel bad when he is not out there because it kills him.”
Hight drove his way to pedal-fest victories over Frank Hawley and Tim Wilkerson in the third round. His closest race came in the second round against teammate Neff.
“This is not one of our prettiest wins, but I'm definitely not giving it back to anybody,” Hight said. “It's unbelievable. A weird, weird weekend. We started out real good with my car on Friday and went to the number spot. We then proceeded to go five runs in a row that it smoked the tires in about the same spot and that's including first round. After first round I wouldn't have bet on my team for nothing. Different things kept biting us and we would smoke the tires for different reasons. They kept giving us chances and when you give Jimmy Prock enough chances he's going to fix it.”
Hight enjoyed the kind of weekend that most drivers dream of. Earlier in the week he met major league baseball icon Tommy Lasorda and days later won Indy.
Even the meeting with Lasorda ranks up there with winning Indy.
Hight shared the experience with Force.
“I went home and was bragging to John about (the pictures Lasorda had on his wall) and John said, 'I got those kinds of pictures in my shop' and I said 'yea John, but he was with these people!”
For the 39-year old driver from Yorba Linda, Ca, the inspiration came while visiting his friend Eric Medlen at the cemetery on Monday morning.
Hight stopped on his way into the cemetery as he saw John Medlen on his way out.
“He stopped and rolled the window down and he couldn't even talk,” Hight recalled. “His eyes were filled with tears. It's so tough to see what this guy has to go through every day. All I could say was let's go get them today. He drove off and I went and saw Eric. After I beat Mike Neff [Medlen’s driver] in the second round he came up to me and said, 'did you make a deal with Eric today?' I said 'whatever it takes. Yes.” Robert Hight doesn’t need motivation when the mission is racing the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
For the 39-year old driver from Yorba Linda, Ca, the inspiration came while visiting his friend Eric Medlen at the cemetery on Monday morning.
Hight stopped on his way into the cemetery as he saw John Medlen on his way out.
“He stopped and rolled the window down and he couldn't even talk,” Hight recalled. “His eyes were filled with tears. It's so tough to see what this guy has to go through every day. All I could say was let's go get them today. He drove off and I went and saw Eric. After I beat Mike Neff [Medlen’s driver] in the second round he came up to me and said, 'did you make a deal with Eric today?' I said 'whatever it takes. Yes.”
John Force Racing has a team base in Brownsburg, Ind., making the event a home venue for his team. A constant reminder of Medlen stands in front of the shop in the form of a statue, arm raised into the air in celebration of his final victory at Sonoma.
“I want to take my trophy back there and hopefully I will be as proud holding it as he was holding his,” Hight added.
The final round marked the third consecutive for him at Indy, as he scored the win over an upset-minded Jack Beckman. For Hight, two out of three isn’t a bad record.
With John Force unqualified, and all of the JFR teams eliminated in the second round, the pressure was on. Nothing says pressure like iconic crew chief Austin Coil peeking in to reassure a driver.
“You've got Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly up there every run,” Hight said. “Austin, I love him, but he comes underneath the car every run while I'm strapped in there and he says, 'no pressure.' He thinks that motivates but what is does is scare me to death. You don't want to go up there and just screw up.”
One cannot forget his father-in-law John Force either. Here’s a tip. Force does not make a good spectator.
“Force, when he came down there at the other end he said, 'you saved me.'
“It's tough, because he is not a good spectator and I can't even imagine the day that he decides he is going to retire. He gets up there and he wants to be in one of those cars so bad. It's like he's driving them from the starting line. He can see the mistakes we make or if we do good. He's the best, he really is. I feel bad when he is not out there because it kills him.”
Hight drove his way to pedal-fest victories over Frank Hawley and Tim Wilkerson in the third round. His closest race came in the second round against teammate Neff.
“This is not one of our prettiest wins, but I'm definitely not giving it back to anybody,” Hight said. “It's unbelievable. A weird, weird weekend. We started out real good with my car on Friday and went to the number spot. We then proceeded to go five runs in a row that it smoked the tires in about the same spot and that's including first round. After first round I wouldn't have bet on my team for nothing. Different things kept biting us and we would smoke the tires for different reasons. They kept giving us chances and when you give Jimmy Prock enough chances he's going to fix it.”
Hight enjoyed the kind of weekend that most drivers dream of. Earlier in the week he met major league baseball icon Tommy Lasorda and days later won Indy.
Even the meeting with Lasorda ranks up there with winning Indy.
Hight shared the experience with Force.
“I went home and was bragging to John about (the pictures Lasorda had on his wall) and John said, 'I got those kinds of pictures in my shop' and I said 'yea John, but he was with these people!”
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