TOPEKA, Kan. – Robert Hight outran teammate Mike Neff in the Funny Car final at the 23rd NHRA Summer Nationals Sunday to win the 200th race for John Force Racing.
The other winners at the seventh of 22 races in NHRA’s 60th anniversary season were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel) and Shane Gray (Pro Stock).
It was the 21st career win for Hight, whose less-than-stellar 4.284-second final-round pass at 264.86 in his Auto Club Ford Mustang was still good enough to defeat Neff’s 4.562 and 215.27 in his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang.
“I came to this race 16 years ago to be a part of John Force Racing and I thought then my dreams had come true. I didn’t know what I was going to do, I didn’t care,” Hight said. “To be part of history like this, 200 wins, this is now my dream come true. This is unbelievable.”
The list of drivers who have won races for John Force Racing includes John Force (132), Tony Pedregon (27), Hight (21), Gary Densham (8), Eric Medlen (6), Ashley Force Hood (4) and Neff (2).
Massey’s win came at the expense of Bob Vandergriff, who extended his NHRA record of runner-up finishes without a win to 13.
“It feels unbelievable,” said Massey, who ran a 3.914 at 312.78 to Vandergriff’s 3.962 at 302.21. “We have the consistency now and that’s what it takes to do it.
“We’ve smoked our tires and beat ourselves; at Atlanta (May 13-15), we talked about getting down the track and make the other car beat us and that’s what we did (reaching the semis), and we did it again here at Topeka.”
Gray won for the second time in his career and moved back into the Top 10 in the standings with his final-round 6.679-second pass at 206.95 mph in his Service Central Pontiac to Greg Stanfield’s 6.695 at 206.29 in the NitroFish Pontiac.
“We’ve struggled pretty much since the year started, had car issues, engine issues, we just went back to the shop, regrouped, dissected the motor, dissected people, made probably 100 test runs, came here and the car ran really well,” Gray said.
“This win goes to (crew chiefs) Ian (Landies) and Craig (Hankinson) and the entire Service Central team,” Gray said.
NHRA’s 60th anniversary season resumes in two weekends with the NHRA SuperNationals June 2-5 at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories at the 23rd annual Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. The race is the seventh of 22 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Spencer Massey; 2. Bob Vandergriff; 3. Tony Schumacher; 4. Doug Kalitta; 5. Larry Dixon; 6. Antron Brown; 7. Del Worsham; 8. Terry McMillen; 9. David Grubnic; 10. Shawn Langdon; 11. Morgan Lucas; 12. Brandon Bernstein; 13. Terry Sainty; 14. Steven Chrisman; 15. Luigi Novelli; 16. Cory McClenathan.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Robert Hight; 2. Mike Neff; 3. Johnny Gray; 4. Jack Beckman; 5. Cruz Pedregon; 6. Jim Head; 7. Matt Hagan; 8. Ron Capps; 9. Bob Tasca III; 10. Jeff Arend; 11. Dale Creasy Jr.; 12. Tony Pedregon; 13. Melanie Troxel; 14. Paul Lee; 15. John Force; 16. Tim Wilkerson.
PRO STOCK:
1. Shane Gray; 2. Greg Stanfield; 3. Greg Anderson; 4. Rodger Brogdon; 5. V. Gaines; 6. Jason Line; 7. Allen Johnson; 8. Richard Freeman; 9. Ronnie Humphrey; 10. Ron Krisher; 11. Larry Morgan; 12. Kurt Johnson; 13. Vincent Nobile; 14. Mike Edwards; 15. Warren Johnson; 16. Erica Enders.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Sunday's final results from the 23rd annual Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. The race is the seventh of 22 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Spencer Massey, 3.914 seconds, 312.78 mph def. Bob Vandergriff, 3.962 seconds, 302.21 mph.
Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.284, 264.86 def. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.562, 215.27.
Pro Stock -- Shane Gray, Pontiac GXP, 6.679, 206.95 def. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.693, 206.29.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Final round-by-round results from the 23rd annual Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, the seventh of 22 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Antron Brown, 3.845, 320.81 def. Cory McClenathan, DQ; Doug Kalitta, 3.873, 317.42 def. Morgan Lucas, 5.004, 164.11; Terry McMillen, 3.898, 311.05 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.918, 272.39; Larry Dixon, 3.835, 319.37 def. Terry Sainty, 5.323, 138.50; Tony Schumacher, 3.844, 315.64 def. David Grubnic, 3.909, 308.99; Del Worsham, 3.826, 319.67 def. Steven Chrisman, 6.060, 108.94; Spencer Massey, 3.868, 317.34 def. Luigi Novelli, 9.261, 92.21; Bob Vandergriff, 4.622, 179.49 def. Brandon Bernstein, 5.104, 206.04;
QUARTERFINALS -- Massey, 3.894, 309.84 def. McMillen, 6.025, 114.66; Schumacher, 4.298, 218.65 def. Brown, 4.576, 178.21; Kalitta, 3.906, 306.26 def. Dixon, 3.996, 302.62; Vandergriff, 4.312, 226.43 def. Worsham, 4.737, 185.31;
SEMIFINALS -- Vandergriff, 4.002, 299.40 def. Kalitta, 4.604, 198.26; Massey, 3.892, 313.44 def. Schumacher, 4.026, 271.62;
FINAL -- Massey, 3.914, 312.78 def. Vandergriff, 3.962, 302.21.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.112, 304.12 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 6.969, 97.59; Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.097, 309.70 def. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Impala SS, 4.391, 234.98; Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.171, 294.05 def. Jeff Arend, Toyota Solara, 4.250, 300.46; Johnny Gray, Charger, 4.176, 278.46 def. Paul Lee, Impala SS, 6.050, 113.46; Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.726, 189.60 def. Tony Pedregon, Impala SS, 5.307, 194.91; Cruz Pedregon, Solara, 4.539, 226.70 def. Melanie Troxel, Solara, 5.446, 179.06; Ron Capps, Charger, 4.144, 298.73 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.178, 301.67; Jim Head, Solara, 4.165, 305.70 def. John Force, Mustang, 6.087, 109.95;
QUARTERFINALS -- Neff, 4.148, 303.23 def. C. Pedregon, 4.200, 292.27; Gray, 5.140, 206.54 def. Capps, 5.786, 162.37; Hight, 4.731, 214.21 def. Hagan, 5.202, 158.00; Beckman, 4.665, 236.01 def. Head, 4.862, 247.61;
SEMIFINALS -- Hight, 4.172, 303.50 def. Gray, 4.239, 279.96; Neff, 4.179, 303.78 def. Beckman, 5.381, 155.96;
FINAL -- Hight, 4.284, 264.86 def. Neff, 4.562, 215.27.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Greg Stanfield, Pontiac GXP, 6.725, 205.91 def. Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.718, 206.23; Shane Gray, GXP, 6.684, 206.67 def. Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 17.208, 47.96; Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.687, 206.29 def. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.683, 206.32; Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.677, 206.92 def. Warren Johnson, Cobalt, 6.785, 206.35; Jason Line, GXP, 6.665, 206.76 def. Kurt Johnson, GXP, 6.708, 205.76; Richard Freeman, GXP, 6.753, 205.47 def. Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.760, 206.51; Allen Johnson, Avenger, 6.711, 206.20 def. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.706, 206.10; V. Gaines, Avenger, 6.700, 205.57 def. Ron Krisher, GXP, 6.690, 206.95;
QUARTERFINALS -- Stanfield, 6.693, 206.32 def. Freeman, 15.021, 55.93; Anderson, 6.715, 204.17 def. A. Johnson, 6.762, 203.58; Brogdon, 6.707, 206.73 def. Gaines, 6.688, 205.76; Gray, 6.673, 206.64 def. Line, 6.690, 206.83;
SEMIFINALS -- Stanfield, 6.705, 206.32 def. Brogdon, foul; Gray, 6.710, 206.26 def. Anderson, 6.799, 204.73;
FINAL -- Gray, 6.679, 206.95 def. Stanfield, 6.693, 206.29.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 23rd annual Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, the seventh of 22 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Del Worsham, 613; 2. Tony Schumacher, 534; 3. Larry Dixon, 530; 4. Spencer Massey, 526; 5. Antron Brown, 524; 6. Doug Kalitta, 416; 7. Shawn Langdon, 335; 8. Morgan Lucas, 327; 9. Brandon Bernstein, 317; 10. Terry McMillen, 299.
Funny Car
1. Mike Neff, 593; 2. Jack Beckman, 557; 3. Robert Hight, 529; 4. Cruz Pedregon, 459; 5. Matt Hagan, 409; 6. Jeff Arend, 384; 7. John Force, 381; 8. Bob Tasca III, 362; 9. Johnny Gray, 347; 10. Ron Capps, 329.
Pro Stock
1. Jason Line, 578; 2. Greg Anderson, 537; 3. Greg Stanfield, 513; 4. Mike Edwards, 473; 5. Rodger Brogdon, 453; 6. Vincent Nobile, 452; 7. Erica Enders, 363; 8. Allen Johnson, 356; 9. Shane Gray, 341; 10. Ron Krisher, 322.
LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES RESULTS
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Sunday's final results from the 23rd annual Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. The race is the seventh of 22 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Spencer Massey, 3.914 seconds, 312.78 mph def. Bob Vandergriff, 3.962 seconds, 302.21 mph.
Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.284, 264.86 def. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.562, 215.27.
Pro Stock -- Shane Gray, Pontiac GXP, 6.679, 206.95 def. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.693, 206.29.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Cody Perkins, 5.377, 263.15 def. Aaron Tatum, 5.679, 250.09.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Frank Manzo, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.572, 259.76 def. Tony Bartone, Ford Mustang, 5.680, 256.31.
Competition Eliminator -- Lou Ficco Jr., Pontiac GXP, 7.260, 189.36 def. David Billingsley, Olds Cutlass, 9.047, 147.37.
Super Stock -- Chris Chaney, Chevy Cavalier, 10.013, 131.22 def. Mike Stokes, Cavalier, 8.927, 141.34.
Stock Eliminator -- Daryl Bureski, Olds 442, 11.530, 112.11 def. Brett Speer, Chevy Nova, 10.639, 116.08.
Super Comp -- William Swann, Dragster, 8.934, 174.12 def. Jacky King, Dragster, 8.944, 171.42.
Super Gas -- Mike Wiblishouser, Chevy Corvette, 9.962, 156.68 def. Jarod Bowman, Corvette, 9.976, 158.32.
Super Street -- Steve Domingues, Chevy Camaro, 10.901, 151.00 def. Scott Cowles, Chevy Truck, foul.
Top Dragster -- Keith McCullar, Dragster, 6.669, 198.64 def. Larry Piper, Dragster, 7.343, 179.28.
