TWO-TIME US NATS CHAMP HIGHT LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY AND COUNTDOWN

John Force RacingRobert Hight Pre-Race PackageEvent: 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, 18th of 24 events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.Site: O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis
Dates: September 3-7, 2009* * * *TWO-TIME US NATS CHAMP HIGHT LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY AND COUNTDOWN “What was encouraging for me was to see (crew chief) Austin Coil at the top end and see how encouraged he was from our runs (during pre-Mac Tools U.S. Nationals test sessions).�?? - Robert Hight* * * *Team info at www.johnforceracing.comFollow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racingFollow John Force RaceStation store at www.twitter.com/JFRaceStationFollow Courtney Force at www.twitter.com/courtneyforce****The DriverRobert Hight, 40, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang, is entering 2009 following his fourth consecutive Full Throttle Top Five finish. He enters the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals as a two-time winner and the defending champion. He is the only Funny Car driver to have led the points each of the last four seasons. The 2005 winner of the Auto Club’s Road to the Future award that identifies the Rookie of the Year, he owns the two quickest 1000 foot times in Funny Car history (4.056 and 4.005 seconds) and well as the quickest quarter mile times in Funny Car history (4.646 and 4.636 seconds).* * * *Robert Hight By the Numbers:1 – Number of times Hight has been No. 1 qualifier in 2009 (Pomona1)2 – Number of time Hight has won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals4 – Number of semi-finals Hight has reached in 20097 – Number of semi-finals Hight had reached by this point in 20083 – Hight’s position in the Full Throttle points standings entering Mac tools U.S. Nationals in 200812 – Hight’s current position in the Full Throttle point standings38 – Number of points Hight is behind No. 10 placeholder Cruz Pedregon * * * *Full Throttle Point Standings (After seventeen of 24 Full Throttle events)FUNNY CAR - 1. Tony Pedregon, 1292; 2. Ron Capps, 1219; 3. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 1128; 4. Bob Tasca III, 1008; 5. Jack Beckman, 996; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 982; 7. Del Worsham, 929; 8. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 919; 9. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Mustang, 872; 10. Cruz Pedregon, 801; Also 11. Matt Hagan, 770; 12. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 763.TOP FUEL - 1. Antron Brown, 1435; 2. Larry Dixon, 1248; 3. Tony Schumacher, 1194; 4. Cory McClenathan, 1040; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 1029; 6. Morgan Lucas, 981; 7. Spencer Massey, 980; 8. Shawn Langdon, 932; 9. Doug Kalitta, 765; 10. Clay Millican, 682.PRO STOCK - 1. Jeg Coughlin, 1418/1438; 2. Jason Line, 1373; 3. Mike Edwards, 1349; 4. Greg Anderson, 1222; 5. Allen Johnson, 1076; 6. Greg Stanfield, 862; 7. Ron Krisher, 847; 8. Kurt Johnson, 824; 9. Rickie Jones, 742; 10. Warren Johnson, 715.PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE - 1. Eddie Krawiec, 1006/1026; 2. Andrew Hines, 837; 3. Hector Arana, 722; 4. Matt Smith, 720; 5. Douglas Horne, 685; 6. Craig Treble, 673; 7. Matt Guidera, 583; 8. Michael Phillips, 500/520; 9. Shawn Gann, 475; 10. Karen Stoffer, 459. ****Track Records:Top Fuel - 4.459 sec. by Tony Schumacher, Sept. 2005; 333.66 mph by Schumacher, Sept. 2007
Funny Car - 4.691 sec. by John Force, Sept. 2006; 331.04 mph by Robert Hight, Sept. 2006
Pro Stock - 6.634 sec. by Allen Johnson, Sept. 2008; 208.33 mph by Warren Johnson, Sept. 2008
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.932 sec. by Matt Smith, Sept. 2008; 193.85 mph by Andrew Hines, Sept. 2005
* Note - performance records for Top Fuel and Funny Car will not be officially recorded at this event.****Race Schedule:Friday, Sept. 4Pro Qualifying:             5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5 Pro Qualifying:             noon and 5:45 p.m.Sunday, Sept. 6Pro Qualifying:              11:30 a.m.and 2:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7Pre-race ceremonies      9:30 a.m.Final eliminations           11 a.m. * * * *Television:Sunday, Sept. 6, ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11 a.m. (ET).Sunday, Sept. 6, ESPN2 HD will televise 2.5 hours of qualifying coverage at 11:30 a.m. (ET).Sunday, Sept. 6, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 5 p.m. (ET).Monday, Sept. 7, ESPN2 HD will televise a special one hour NHRA Race Day at noon (ET).Monday, Sept. 7, ESPN2 HD will televise five hours of eliminations coverage at 1 p.m. (ET). Team PR and Marketing Contacts:Dave Densmore, PR                  Elon Werner, PR                                 
Denswood Sports                     John Force Racing, Inc.               214-244-0008                             214-244-1184 denswood@aol.com                 Elon@johnforceracing.com        Chad Light, Marketing                Kelly Antonelli, Marketing           Andrew Hagstrom, SponsorshipJohn Force Racing, Inc.             John Force Racing, Inc.             IMG714-921-8123                             317-858-8900                             714.326.3450Chad@johnforceracing.com       Kelly@johnforceracing.com       andrew.hagstrom@imgworld.com Sponsor PR Contacts: Rick Lalor                                 Lori Anne Gola              Kevin KennedyAuto Club of SC                                    BP Lubricants               Ford Racing                
714-885-2085                             973-633-2393                 313-203-7108lalor.rick@aaa-calif.com                        lorianne.gola@bp.com kkennedy@pcgcampbell.com ROBERT HIGHTTWO-TIME US NATS CHAMP HIGHT LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY AND COUNTDOWNINDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 31, 2009) --- It is the longest running drag race in the country. It is the biggest drag racing event of the year. It has the most pressure and carries the most prestige. It is the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil and the stakes could not be higher for defending champion Robert Hight.Not since the 1970’s and Don Prudhomme has a funny car driver raced to three consecutive funny car finals at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Last year Hight and his Auto Club Ford Mustang team equaled that feat racing to his third final round in a row and he picked up his second Mac Tools U.S. Nationals title of his relatively young career. The win nailed down the number three position in the Countdown to 1 for the Auto Club Ford Mustang team and set them on their quest for the Full Throttle Funny Car Championship. Entering the 2009 installment of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Hight is still flying the Auto Club colors but in a strategic move by team owner John Force Hight is teamed up with crew chief legends Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly along with Force’s Castrol GTX High Mileage crew. Hight is in 12th place in the Full Throttle point standings 38 points outside the Top Ten. Indy will be Hight’s last shot to race into championship contention. Following the pre-race test session Hight likes his chances.“What was encouraging for me was to see (crew chief) Austin Coil at the top end and see how encouraged he was from our runs.  I would say (testing) was a one hundred percent success. Yes we smoked the tires (some), but we learned a lot from that.  We won’t press so hard (at Indy), and had we not done that (smoked the tires) we might have pressed it that hard during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals and smoked the tire there instead. So we’re way ahead. In the six runs we made(during testing), Austin feels that it’s shown more promise and that it responds to what he does better than it has all year,�?? said Hight. Hight needs to make up two rounds on 2008 Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon as well as one round on rookie Matt Hagan. Luckily history is on Hight’s side. In the past three Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Hight has reached the finals while Pedregon exited in the second round twice and DNQed once. That kind of performance at the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals would springboard Hight over Pedregon.To get past Hagan Hight needs to race one round further than the rookie. Hagan will be making his second attempt at the U.S. Nationals. He qualified last season but lost in the first round.Last year a quartet of John Force Racing Mustangs raced into the Countdown to 1 and the entire team wants to duplicate that effort. Hight is mindful of the pressure and knows that he has to be at the top of his game in Indy.“I am proud to have won Indy twice but this year will be special because of the pressure. I am looking forward to getting to Indy. Cruz (Pedregon) is a great driver and Hagan is having a great rookie year. Both of those guys will be tough but I have a great team supporting me including Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly along with all the other crew chiefs and drivers. We have had a lot of success at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals we and we will be focused and ready,�?? said Hight.####Did you know…-          Hight and sister-in-law Ashley Force Hood are featured in an Auto Club of Southern California television commercial that is getting rave reviews on the Full Throttle Drag racing Series.-          Hight and his three teammates will be cruising to Cabo San Lucas for New Year’s Eve as part of the John Force Racing Fan Cruise III sponsored by AAA. Fans can get more information by calling 1-888-874-7222. Get team info here: www.johnforceracing.comFollow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing