Robert Hight knows the window for his 2009 NHRA Full Throttle championship aspirations is quickly closing. The
pressure is on because he must not only out-qualify the defending world
champion Cruz Pedregon but must also gather 39 points more.
He’s done his homework enough to know what will help as well as what
will hurt. Maintaining Friday’s top spot through Saturday at the NHRA U.S. Nationals only helped
his chances.
“Had I not been number four qualifier and Cruz not number one, well
that changes everything,” Hight explained. “Then we have to make up
three rounds on Sunday, and that is big. But at the same time, you
know, you risk smoking the tires. All my other team mates, had we not
stepped up tonight would have bumped me. John already had, by speed.
And Neff and Ashley...and had Cruz stepped up and gone to number one,
well, that would have made it 40 some points, 40 and some change, which
would have made it three rounds on Sunday.”