Robert Hight’s pass of 3.822 seconds at 334.65 mph in the third round of qualifying Saturday at New England Dragway put him in elite company, as only the 13th driver to record at least 50 No. 1 qualifiers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Hight had been in a tie for 13th overall with Angelle Sampey, having most recently setting the quickest qualifying time last year at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. Now, nearly eight months later, Hight reached the half-century mark.

His first No. 1 came March 19, 2005, in only his third career NHRA race, at Gainesville Raceway. He advanced that day to the second round before dropping a matchup against Whit Bazemore.

He recorded another milestone - his 25th No. 1 - on June 28, 2008, at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. He advanced to the finals before falling to Tony Pedregon.

Overall, Hight has qualified No. 1 at 21 tracks, including 19 of the 21 active tracks (Bristol and Brainerd the exceptions), spread out over 13 years of racing. The most No. 1s he earned in a single season came in 2006, when he earned nine. The track in which he has earned the most No. 1s was The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he has recorded seven.

The guys ahead of him read as a Who’s Who in NHRA history, with teammate and car owner John Force at the top with 155 No. 1s; followed by Warren Johnson (138); Bob Glidden (102); Greg Anderson (87); and Tony Schumacher (83) rounding out the top five.

And, if you look solely at the nitro categories (Top Fuel and Funny Car), Hight would rank eighth in No. 1s, behind Force, Schumacher, Kenny Bernstein, Cruz Pedregon, Joe Amato, Larry Dixon, and Don Prudhomme, whom also has 50 Funny Car No. 1s. Just in Funny Car, Hight would rank tied with Prudhomme for third, behind Force and Pedregon.

“That’s pretty cool,” Hight said. “Fifteen years ago, I never would’ve thought my name would’ve even come in the same sentence as Don Prudhomme’s. He’s one of the greatest of all time. He dominated in his day. Fifty No. 1s – that’s pretty awesome. To have my name in the record books with Don Prudhomme is pretty surreal. It’s harder and harder to get these No. 1 qualifiers.”

The next target – Jason Line, the current Pro Stock driver who holds 52 No. 1s in his respected category, then Larry Dixon, who earned all 53 of his No. 1s in Top Fuel.

Now, Hight has his sights set on Sunday’s New England Nationals, where he holds two No. 1s (including a career-best and track record elapsed time as well as track record speed set Saturday). In his career at No. 1, he has a record of 41-8 in the first round, 82 total elimination round wins in 124 rounds (.661 winning percentage), and seven victories in 13 finals.

Below is the list of every No. 1 in which Hight has recorded in his career (date listed is race date):

           Date                      Track

    3/20/2005       Gainesville, Fla.
    4/10/2005       Houston, Texas
    5/29/2005       Topeka, Kan.
    6/12/2005       Chicago, Ill.
    7/17/2005       Denver, Colo.
    8/21/2005       Memphis, Tenn.
    4/9/2006         Las Vegas, Nev.
    5/21/2006       Columbus, Ohio
    5/28/2006       Topeka, Kan.
    6/25/2006       Madison, Ill.
    7/23/2006       Seattle, Wash.
    7/30/2006       Sonoma, Calif.
    8/20/2006       Memphis, Tenn.
    9/24/2006       Dallas, Texas
    10/29/2006     Las Vegas, Nev.
    2/25/2007       Phoenix, Ariz.
    3/18/2007       Gainesville, Fla.
    6/3/2007         Topeka, Kan.
    7/1/2007         Norwalk, Ohio
    7/15/2007       Denver, Colo.
    7/22/2007       Seattle, Wash.
    9/16/2007       Memphis, Tenn.
    10/28/2007     Las Vegas, Nev.
    4/13/2008       Las Vegas, Nev.
    6/29/2008       Norwalk, Ohio
    7/20/2008       Seattle, Wash.
    9/21/2008       Dallas, Texas
    11/2/2008       Las Vegas, Nev.
    2/10/2009       Pomona, Calif.
    9/7/2009         Indianapolis, Ind.
    9/27/2009       Dallas, Texas
    10/5/2009       Memphis, Tenn.
    2/14/2010       Pomona, Calif.
    3/29/2010       Charlotte, N.C.
    5/23/2010       Topeka, Kan.
    6/6/2010         Chicago, Ill.
    6/14/2010       Englishtown, N.J.
    7/11/2010       Seattle, Wash.
    6/26/2011       Norwalk, Ohio
    2/12/2012       Pomona, Calif.
    4/1/2012         Las Vegas, Nev.
    4/15/2012       Charlotte, N.C.
    5/6/2012         Atlanta, Ga.
    4/7/2013         Las Vegas, Nev.
    9/22/2013       Dallas, Texas
    6/22/2014       Epping, N.H.
    10/4/2015       Reading, Pa.
    9/25/2016       Madison, Ill.
    10/16/2016     Dallas, Texas
    6/4/2017         Epping, N.H.