Momentum is a wonderful thing for nitro Funny Car driver Robert Hight.

Hight, a multiple time NHRA world champ, fresh off his season-opening when at the Winternationals, kept his foot on the gas in qualifying Friday at the Arizona Nationals, Friday at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix.

The veteran John Force Racing pilot clocked a 3.838-second elapsed time at 332.18 mph to grab the provisional No. 1 spot.

His boss, legendary John Force, is second on the ladder at 3.851 seconds at 332.02 mph.

“Just about every run we had made down the track this whole year, it has been in the 3.80s, and that’s pretty impressive, but we were under really good conditions,” Hight said. “You know when you come to Phoenix and temperatures are like this you better hold on. You could see the dragsters out there having lots of trouble tonight. They were shaking. Jimmy (Prock) and Chris (Cunningham) did a really good job and hit it just right. We had a really good run to come off. The final round (at the Winternationals) it ran 3.861 and we had just been here (in Phoenix) testing and we ran 86 and we knew we were going to have to step it up.”

Running later in the qualifying session is something Hight saw as a benefit.

“You also have a little luxury when you’re in the back of the pack to be able to watch what the other cars are doing and then kind of plan ahead and we did that.”

The start by his JFR team is exactly what Hight was hoping to see unfold.

“We had a great race in Pomona and now we are here the following weekend and we had success testing here (in Phoenix),” Hight said. “We couldn’t wait to get here and (Saturday) is going to be more of the same. There are going to be similar conditions and Funny Cars are going to run a little later and I will be honest right now, I don’t know if the 3.838 is safe. Other guys out there can do this. Maybe (Saturday night) we can step up and run an 82. 

“One thing I was really happy about is when they said nobody had run that quick last year. That makes you feel good. I know Jimmy is pushing to beat (other drivers). He looks at nothing else other than being low E.T., that’s it. But he’s very cautious about it and when you have a car that is responding like mine is right now it gives him more confidence and he can make the changes he needs. It is pretty amazing.”

Hight knows there’s no secret formula for his team continuing its success.

“It’s not just about being quick, it is about being consistent,” Hight said. “That’s how you win races, and you win championships, and right now we have the best of both worlds.”