Just twenty four hours before Hight’s dramatic win at the 48^th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals in Pomona the level of confidence Hight felt was somewhere between low and lower.

Now the 38 year-old Yorba Linda, Calif., resident is excited to be heading back to Firebird Raceway with the No. 1 points position, a consistent race car, and momentum on his side.

“I am definitely looking forward to getting back to Firebird. Last year we were in the final with Tony Pedregon and we lost the race at the top end when we had a malfunction in our Auto Club Ford Mustang,” Hight said. “We were going for a national record to beat or back-up our 4.636 second run from earlier in the race (last year). If we get good conditions there again I think we can put up some more big numbers.”

Two time NHRA POWERade Funny Car Championship runner-up Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team proved that one day really can make a huge difference in your perspective.

Just twenty four hours before Hight’s dramatic win at the 48^th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals in Pomona the level of confidence Hight felt was somewhere between low and lower.

Now the 38 year-old Yorba Linda, Calif., resident is excited to be heading back to Firebird Raceway with the No. 1 points position, a consistent race car, and momentum on his side.

“I am definitely looking forward to getting back to Firebird. Last year we were in the final with Tony Pedregon and we lost the race at the top end when we had a malfunction in our Auto Club Ford Mustang,” Hight said. “We were going for a national record to beat or back-up our 4.636 second run from earlier in the race (last year). If we get good conditions there again I think we can put up some more big numbers.”

In 2007 Hight started the season with two final round appearances but also two runner-up checks. This season with one win under his belt already he is hoping to continue his winning streak in Phoenix. Had the outcome been reversed Hight would have captured his first POWERade Championship at the end of last season.

After a hectic off-season that saw the Funny Car chassis redesigned for the first time in twenty- five years, coupled with figuring out a new tune-up to power the 2,500 pound beast down a quarter mile track at speeds in excess of 300 miles per hour, Hight and his team were less than productive at the season opening test session, never powering their Ford Mustang hybrid past half-track.

“We are still adapting to our new set-up and a lot of the changes to the chassis but the good news is I am heading into Phoenix with a lot more confidence than I had going into Pomona for the season opener,” said the 2005 Rookie of the Year.

One of the hottest stars in drag racing and the pre-season pick by major media outlets including the Indianapolis Star, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and a wide variety of national media outlets for the Funny Car championship, Hight was feeling anything but championship worthy at the start of the season. He does know that just being considered the favorite does not guarantee you anything. The competition level in Funny Car has never been higher in his opinion.

“I think anyone can win any NHRA POWERade event this season. Look at the competition in Funny Car this year.  Any one of my teammates, John (Force), Ashley (Force) or Mike Neff could win plus you have drivers like Tim Wilkerson, Jim Head, Ron Capps, or the Pedregons (Cruz and Tony) out there,” Hight said.

After four round wins on Sunday at the season opener including a pedal win over fellow championship contender Ron Capps, Gary Densham, 14-time Funny Car Champion and father-in-law John Force and finally former Funny Car World Champion Cruz Pedregon, Hight was feeling better about his chances for the 2008 season.

Better, but not over-confident.

“I used to feel safe knowing that I’d get qualified. I wouldn’t get nervous until race day. Now I have two hurdles every race. The first hurdle is just getting qualified and then you have to go four tough rounds on Sunday. The great thing about Firebird is if you get good conditions you know the track will be good and that sets up for exciting racing for the fans and sponsors. I am fired-up about the possibilities. We figured some things out in Pomona and we will be ready.”

The four round wins at the Winternationals moved Hight’s win-loss record to 101-58, making him the fastest Nitro driver (Top Fuel or Funny Car) to reach 100 round wins in NHRA history.

In addition to the round win record Hight is the only driver in the Funny Car class to hold the No. 1 position in the POWERade point standings at least once for the last four seasons.

Hight is returning to one of ten tracks on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series where he is either an elapsed time or mile per hour record holder. Last season he powered his Auto Club Ford Mustang down Firebird Raceway in 4.636 seconds, the quickest elapsed time in the history of the class.