HIGHT READY TO TAKE BITE OUT OF GATORNATIONALS

TEAM CASTROL/JFR25THANNIVERSARY SEASONROBERT HIGHTPre-Race Package for the 41st annual Tire Kingdom GatornationalsMarch 12-14, 2010Gainesville RacewayGainesville, Fla.Third event in the Countdown to the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Championship * * * * Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing * * * * HIGHT READY TO TAKE BITE OUT OF GATORNATIONALSGAINESVILLE, FL --- 2009 Funny Car champion Robert Hight spent the off-weekend before the 41st annual Tire Kingdom Gatornationals in Bakersfield, California at the 2010 March Meet enjoying some nostalgia Funny Car racing action. The roar of the Funny Cars and front engine dragsters only revved up Hight’s eagerness to get back on the track himself behind the wheel of his Auto Club Ford Mustang.“John (Force, the 2010 March Meet Grand Marshal) and I were both talking about how strange it was to be at a race and not be racing. I am really looking forward to the Gatornationals. It is a race that has so much tradition that to get a win at Gainesville Raceway is big,�?? said the 14-time NHRA national event winner.Last year Hight’s season long struggles started at the Gatornationals. He qualified 10th with an inconsistent race car and dropped a first round match-up to rookie Matt Hagan. Hight and crew chief Jimmy Prock righted the ship in time for the 2009 Countdown to 1 eventually winning the Full Throttle championship but Hight knows that is not the ideal way to grab the brass ring.“Last year we were terrible most of the season. John shook up the teams in Reading and we got rolling headed into the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Then we got hot at the right time winning three of the last six races. We are not going to make the same mistake in 2010 (with an inconsistent race car). We had a good test session in Phoenix, qualified No. 1 at the Winternationals, and we went to the semi-finals in Phoenix. My Auto Club Mustang is in great shape and we are looking for a strong showing this weekend,�?? said Hight.Hight is enjoying being the Full Throttle champion but he is also knows that having the No. 1 on the side of his Mustang does not guarantee him any more success. The former crewman has embraced the responsibility of being a national spokesman for the sport as the reigning champion but he also does not want this to be a one year engagement. He still enjoys walking by his Auto Club Mustang and seeing the No. 1 on the side.“Honestly it is still hard to get used to seeing. I know when I used to see the No. 1 on someone else’s car I wanted to go after that guy. It is a little like putting a target on my Auto Club Ford Mustang. I knew how I felt when I was chasing the car with the no. 1 on the side and now I am that car,�?? said Hight. “People have said it is tougher to stay on top or to repeat as champion. I know this season will be tough but I am looking forward to defending this championship and keeping this no. 1 for more than one season.�??Hight has a Full Throttle Championship to go along with two wins at the stories Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Hight has raced to the last four finals at the famed track in Indianapolis. Getting a win at the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals would add another major bullet point to an already impressive racing resume.“You look at the history of the Gatornationals. NHRA has been hosting a national event here for over forty years. Kenny Bernstein going over 300 mph for the first time here was amazing. John (Force) won here five years in a row. (Don) Garlits and (Don) Prudhomme dominated here. You want to see your name listed with those guys. The Funny Car class is so tough now you know if you win a race you have really done something special. I am looking at this weekend’s race as my chance to make some Gatornationals memories of my own,�?? said Hight.  Castrol/JFR 25th Anniversary Flashback:After earning his very first NHRA tour victory at the 1987 Molson Grandnational at Montreal, Canada, John Force drove his Castrol GTX Oldsmobile to victory for the first time in the continental U.S. when he beat veteran Bruce Larson in the final round of the 1988 NHRA Spring Nationals at Columbus, Ohio.Force credited his win at Montreal to the fact that, after losing nine straight final round matches, he had resigned himself to another defeat and resolved to just have fun, executing a particularly long burnout. As a result, when he went to the starting line, the pressure was gone – and he performed flawlessly. The same was true at Columbus.“I wasn’t thinking about winning the race,�?? Force recalled. “I was thinking about getting it over so I could get back to California (where wife Laurie was preparing to give birth to his youngest daughter, Courtney). So I just went up there and did my job (and made it home in time to welcome the last of his four daughters).�??EVENT OVERVIEW:Off to his best start in eight seasons, 14-time NHRA series champion John Force returns this week to the 41st annual Tire Kingdom Gatornationals as the Full Throttle points leader and as the favorite to win the Gainesville Raceway Funny Car championship for a record eighth time.After driving his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang to victory in the season-opening Winternationals and to runner-up honors in the NHRA Arizona Nationals, the 127-time tour winner is the points leader for the first time since 2006. Force will be joined at the Gatornationals by teammates Robert Hight and Ashley Force Hood, who occupy the No. 4 and No. 6 spots in the current standings. The reigning Full Throttle champion, Hight is winless in five previous appearances in the Florida classic at the wheel of the Auto Club Ford Mustang although crew chief Jimmy Prock has won twice – once in Top Fuel with Joe Amato (1997) and once in Funny Car with Hight’s predecessor, Gary Densham (2003).Force Hood, who won the Gatornationals in her final year in the Top Alcohol Dragster division (2006), has been eliminated in the second round in each of her three starts in the Castrol GTX Mustang.* * * *JFR RACING HISTORY AT GAINESVILLE RACEWAY:Wins – 10 (including one by Ashley Force Hood for Castrol GTX in Top Alcohol Dragster, 2006). Seven by John Force for Castrol GTX (1992-1996, 1999, 2001); 1 by Tony Pedregon for Castrol SYNTEC (2002); 1 by Gary Densham for the Auto Club of Southern California (2003).Last year – After qualifying second, Ashley Force Hood was upended by rookie Matt Hagan in round two. Ashley’s father, 14-time series champion John Force, reached the semifinals before falling to overall race winner Bob Tasca III.Notable #1 – Eric Medlen beat John Force in the first round of the 2007 Tire Kingdom Gatornationals. It was the last round Eric won before he suffered fatal injuries in a testing accident the day after the race. Notable #2 – Austin Coil, who is beginning his 26th season as crew chief to 14-time champion John Force, earned his first NHRA tour victory at the 1982 Gatornationals, celebrating in the winners’ circle with then driver Frank Hawley.Notable #3 – John Force won the Gatornationals five consecutive years, 1992 through 1996, the longest such streak of his illustrious career.  * * * *PRO POINTS (Current 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Series point standings):FUNNY CAR– 1. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 224; 2. Jack Beckman, MTS Dodge Charger, 187; 3. Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger, 148; 4. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 121; 5. Matt Hagan, Diehard Dodge Charger, 120; 6. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 111; 6. Bob Tasca III, Quick Lane/Motorcraft Ford Mustang, 111; 8. Tony Pedregon, Quaker State Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 104; 9. Del Worsham, Al Anabi Toyota Solara, 97; 10. Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 86.TOP FUEL – 1. Cory McClenathan, 201; 2. Doug Kalitta, 196; 3. Larry Dixon, 161; 4. Tony Schumacher, 144; 5. Morgan Lucas, 108; 6. Steve Torrence, 107; 7. Troy Buff, 103; 8. Shawn Langdon, 92; 9. Antron Brown, 90; 10. Brandon Bernstein, 85.PRO STOCK (reflects qualifying and one round of racing completed on Feb. 21 at Phoenix; racing to resume in conjunction with Gatornationals) – 1. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 197; 2. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GXP, 147; 3. Allen Johnson, Dodge Avenger, 136; 4. Rodger Brogdon, Pontiac GXP, 112; 5. Greg Stanfield, Pontiac GXP, 105; 6. Larry Morgan, Lucas Oil Ford Mustang, 102; 7. Ron Krisher, Chevrolet Cobalt, 99; 8. Jason Line, Pontiac GXP, 87; 9. Ronnie Humphrey, Pontiac GXP, 85; 10. Shane Gray, Pontiac GXP, 82. * * * * TELEVISION (all on ESPN2, all times Eastern Daylight):Qualifying – Sunday, March 14, 12-2 amNHRA RaceDay – Sunday, March 14, 11 am.Race Highlights – Sunday, March 14, 6-9 pmRepeat race highlights – Wednesday, March 17, 3-5 am            * * * *NEXT EVENTS (2010 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship):Inaugural NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, March 26-28, Charlotte, N.C.23rd annual O’Reilly Spring Nationals, April 9-11, Houston, Texas11th annual SummitRacing.com Nationals, April 16-18, Las Vegas, Nev.14th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, April 30-May 2, Madison, Ill. (St. Louis)30th annual Summit Southern Nationals, May 14-16, Atlanta, Ga. * * * *CONTACTS:For John Force Racing, Inc.:Elon Werner                             Kelly Anontelli                             Chad Light214-244-1184                           317-858-8900                               714-921-8123elon@johnforceracing.com               kelly@johnforceracing.com       chad@johnforceracing.comFor BP/Castrol:Dave Densmore                       Lori Anne Goladenswood@aol.com               lorianne.gola@bp.com214-244-0008                           973-633-2393For Ford Racing:Kevin Kennedykkennedy@pcgcampbell.com313-203-7108For the Auto Club of Southern California:Rick Lalorlalor.rick@aaa-calif.com714-885-2085* * * *For additional information or photos, contact one of the representatives above or go to www.johnforceracing.com or www.nhra.com.  * * * *