POMONA, Calif. – After a disappointing 2021, Funny Car standout Robert Hight got off to a strong start to open the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, rocketing to the provisional No. 1 spot on Friday at the 62nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the first of 22 races during the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Hight, a three-time world champion, powered to an impressive run of 3.882 seconds at 330.89 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS to take the top spot in Funny Car. If it holds, it would give Hight, who struggled to an eight-place finish last year, his 72nd career No. 1 qualifier and an ideal way to what he hopes is a rebound season.
“My team really worked over the winter to look at what we did in 2021 and how that went so badly,” Hight said. “We had no consistency. We could throw down a few times and won a couple races, but there was no consistency. Basically, we went back to our whole clutch set up we had in 2019, when we kind of just ran away with the (title) and so far, so good. It’s a good job by the team and things are good at JFR right now with the four cars, and we’re looking forward to the whole season.”
Now racing for the new Tony Stewart Racing team, Matt Hagan race to the second spot with a run of 3.886 seconds at 329.34 mph. Hagan is a three-time Winternationals winner and will look to add to that this weekend, while reigning world champ Ron Capps is third after his run of 3.903 seconds at 328.30 mph. Capps, who is the defending event winner, is also in new territory after forming his own team in the off-season.
Ashley paced the field in Top Fuel with an impressive run of 3.676 seconds at 331.45 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect dragster. Ashley, who advanced to the final round of the Winternationals a year ago, is seeking his first career No. 1 qualifier and the young standout closed in on that achievement with a standout run on Friday. After a strong close to his 2021 season, it was precisely the start Ashley, the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year, was looking for to begin the new season.
“The run felt great and it’s exciting to get back in the race car,” Ashley said. “When you’re able to go down there and go right to the top and run as good as we did, it’s exactly what we were looking for. It’s a great way to kick off the weekend. I think this is the best Top Fuel field in a decade. So to be able to qualify No. 1 would be amazing. We still have tomorrow to go and we’ve got a lot of really good cars behind us that are going to try and improve, but our Phillips Connect team is going to try to do the exact same thing and even improve upon today.”
Mike Salinas is currently second after running 3.677 seconds at 329.02 mph, while Brittany Force, who had 12 No. 1 qualifiers a year ago, is third with a 3.722-second pass at 332.10 mph. Four-time defending world champ Steve Torrence sits in the fourth spot.
Four-time Pro Stock world champ Enders started her season off in impressive style, jumping to the No. 1 spot in Pomona with a stellar run of 6.521 seconds at 210.44 mph in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. With hopes of competing for a fifth world championship, Enders will look to open the year with her 24th career No. 1 qualifier in what is Pro Stock’s 900th career race.
“We were definitely excited, considering how the year ended last year,” said Enders, who is seeking her first Winternationals win. “We knew we had to go to work and had to find some power in the engine department and getting our Rick Jones Race Cars tuned up. My guys went to work really hard. It takes an arm of people to get this stuff right.
“The KB Racing guys had big, big power last year. Greg (Anderson) was on the pole the majority of the races then it still came down to the wire on winning the championship. Our goal was to come out swinging. I feel like we have something to prove and we’re not backing down.”
Aaron Stanfield, who is the defending winner of the event, is currently second after going 6.527 seconds at 210.37 mph and Kyle Koretsky is a spot behind with his run of 6.528 seconds at 209.20 mph. Defending world champ Greg Anderson, who is also seeking his 100th career victory, sits fourth.