Some drivers have a storied history at certain tracks. For multi-time NHRA Funny Car champion, the most significant aspects of his relationship with John Force began at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan. 

The memories are as vivid as his 11,000-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro when, in June 1995, when he first rolled through the gates at the multipurpose facility. 

The rookie mechanic flew into Kansas City with his new bosses, drag racing tuning legends Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. The experience proved to be a whirlwind orientation.

“Didn’t have a clue what I was going to be doing,” Hight admitted. “All I knew was we had a match race coming in Canada, and the next weekend, I had to learn how to do the clutch. I was doing the clutch the next weekend by myself at a match race. So I had to pay attention and learn here in Topeka.” 

Force was in the midst of an eleven final round season, a year in which he led the championship points from start to finish. 

“In typical John Force fashion, they really ran great, number one qualifier, everything else,” Hight added. “But it wasn’t like I could get excited because it wasn’t like I did anything to make it to be a part of that. I was just there to learn. 

“It was very intimidating, and Austin Coil; he’s intimidating. But luckily, he took me under his wing and taught me things, and I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for him and Bernie.”

The intimidation factor on a 1-to-10 scale?

“It was off the charts,” Hight said. “It was out of control because you’re on this team that’s winning championship after championship. This was in John’s heyday when he was winning a dozen races a year. And we only had 18 races back then, so it was like, okay, I can’t be the weak link here, I have to learn. And think about it, you’re learning from the best. There they’re winning races for a reason, so I’m in the right place. I just got to focus and pay attention and do my part to learn so that I’m not the one screwing things up here.”

Hight said his best bet was to take his shots as they came his way. 

“You can’t overthink it,” Hight counseled. “I just took it as it came and learned and went to the next race, which was a match race in Canada, and did the clutch by myself, got through that.”

Nothing could have prepared the rookie for his immediate future. 

“I had no idea going into Denver what my job was going to be,” Hight said. “I may just be the guy that cleans the truck and trailer when it pulls in because now the clutch guy can come back and run. And Austin coil, when he got to the track on Thursday, he says, you’re our new clutch guy.”

For nearly a decade, Hight held the revered role of clutch specialist for John Force. But in those early days, Hight, an avid baseball fan,  said it felt as if he was the minor leagues and called up to the big leagues. 

“It’s getting into the playoffs, and it’s like, ‘okay, we just called you up, and you’re going to start the game in the playoffs,” Hight said. 

Just to be clear, before the Force gig, Hight had never done the clutch for any time, much less got paid for it. 

“No, but I had paid attention to other teams,” said Hight, who had previously worked for Top Fuel driver Roger Primm. “When I had time, I was always watching and learning. I always feel that you have two eyes and two ears, and one mouth, and you need to use them proportionally. And I always paid attention and really tried to learn things, not talk other than ask questions when the time was appropriate. But anyway, that’s how I got to where I was at, just learning and paying attention.

“Then getting paid to do it, I had to pinch myself. I’m getting paid to do this job, and it was a dream come true. I mean, back then, it was tough to become a crew member. There was a lot of teams out here, and hard to get on a team, but the top tier teams were John 
Force, Prudhomme, Bernstein. If you wanted to learn, you wanted to be on a winning team and get to the top; that’s where you needed to be. So I want to thank Roger Prim for giving me the opportunity and hiring me, and then John Force team for hiring me, and I’m still here, 26 years later.”

Fast forward, almost a decade later. Hight was given the opportunity to drive a Funny Car. The journey culminated in a final licensing run at Heartland Park - Topeka. 

“I had started early in the year in, I think, April, starting to make runs, and I’d make runs in Houston and make runs everywhere,” Hight recalled. “Well, finally get to Topeka, really good race track. And I’d been down to a thousand-foot before and they said, ‘If it feels good and you see where you’re at and everything, take it to the finish line.” 

“And I did. And I remember hearing Bernie Fedderly tell me on the radio what we ran, and I knew that was good enough for a license.”

The first person to greet Hight was Force. 

“I was so excited,” Hight said. “Here comes John, didn’t even crack a smile. Shook my hand, ‘Congratulations.” 

“But he made it clear right away, ‘This doesn’t mean anything.” 

“That was the biggest buzzkill you can ever have. Okay. He’s like, “This doesn’t mean anything. We’ve got to go out and sell you the sponsors and don’t know if that’s possible.” 

An even bigger buzzkill for Hight came on Sunday when Force took him out in Sunday's quarterfinals.