CHEVROLET AT ATLANTA
What: Lucas Oil NHRA Southern Nationals
When: Saturday, May 1-Sunday, May 2
Where: Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia
TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations at 11:30 p.m. ET May 2
Chevrolet looks to close Atlanta Dragway with multiple victories
Team Chevy entries looking strong in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock
DETROIT (April 28, 2021) – Positive results build momentum, which translates into short- and long-range objectives being met.
Team Chevy Funny Car driver Robert Hight, who has been flexing 11,000 horsepower of muscle in the Auto Club of Southern California Camaro SS, will aim to attain his immediate goal of winning the final Lucas Oil NHRA Southern Nationals on May 2 at Atlanta Dragway.
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced that the 40th Southern Nationals at the track, which opened in 1975 and has been owned by the NHRA since 1993, would be the final NHRA national event. The 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hight, a three-time NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion, is a three-time winner in six final-round appearances and a two-time No. 1 qualifier. He holds the Funny Car track elapsed time record of 3.880 seconds set in 2017.
In the first two events of the season, Hight has recorded a runner-up finish at Gainesville and the No. 1 qualifier and low elapsed time at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals as he transferred to the final quad.
“This Auto Club car has what it takes. We’ve been working out some gremlins, did some testing Monday after the Vegas race,” said Hight, who is third in the Funny Car standings. “We had some bad luck, but things are falling into place. I have no worries at all that we’ll be going rounds and picking up wins starting this weekend at Atlanta Dragway.
“We’ll keep doing what we know how to do, being quick and fast. Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham will have this thing tuned in.”
Teammate and 16-time Funny Car world champion John Force will make his 38th appearance at Atlanta Dragway. The driver of the PEAK / BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro has won seven times in 14 final-round appearances and notched eight top qualifier honors.
“Atlanta Dragway has a lot of history for me. We’ve been racing there for a long time. It’s going to be sad to see it go but I have a lot of good memories there,” said Force, who from 1992-2000 advanced to the finals.
Brittany Force, driving the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster, also takes momentum to Atlanta as she seeks her initial Top Fuel victory at the dragstrip. At Las Vegas, Force recorded the 21st No. 1 qualifying position of her career and registered the top speed (330.80 mph) and lowest elapsed time (3.722 seconds) in eliminations.
“This team wants to take home the last and final win at Atlanta Dragway this weekend,” she said.
Pro Stock was added to the lineup and competition through the field is tight. Reigning Pro Stock champion Erica Enders won at Las Vegas in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS for her 30th career victory in her 300th Pro Stock start. Another four-time Pro Stock champion, Greg Anderson, won the season opener and has been the No. 1 qualifier in both races in the KB Racing Chevrolet Camaro SS.
FS1 will telecast eliminations at 11:30 p.m. ET May 2.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL:
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier in last race): “Overall, we’ve started the season running well. We looked good in testing and at the Gatornationals and qualified No. 1 in Vegas. We did some testing on Monday and the team, David Grubnic and Mac Savage, they’re feeling good. Worked out some things so we’re looking forward to Atlanta next. Winning Atlanta this year would be so much more significant since we won’t be returning. This team wants to take home the last and final win at Atlanta Dragway this weekend.”
FUNNY CAR:
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (seven-time winner at track): “All of John Force Racing is looking good. Just two races in with some testing and we’re going to continue to be in the hunt this season. This PEAK / BlueDEF Chevy is right there with Robert (Hight) and Auto Club and Brittany (Force) with Monster and Flav-R-Pac are just as fast and quick as ever. We’re going to get to Atlanta and do our job, qualify well and make our fans and sponsors proud. They all stuck by us and I owe them that.”
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier in last event; runner-up in season opener; holds track Funny Car elapsed time record): “This Auto Club car has what it takes. We’ve been working out some gremlins, did some testing Monday after the Vegas race. Vegas went really well for us, we looked great through qualifying and that first round. We ran into some trouble at the end of that low ET run and these guys, myself included, had to put in the work for the next round and it just wasn’t quite enough.”
PRO STOCK:
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner in season opener; No. 1 qualifier in both events this season): “Can’t wait after it this weekend and see what we can do at the last NHRA Southern Nationals. We started out with a bang and the car is running great. My Chevrolet has been flawless the first couple races and looking forward to a lot more tangles with the Pro Stock crowd. There are a lot of cars that can win. We’re absolutely one of them and it’s exciting going to the races these days and I’m enjoying it more than ever.”
ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning and four-time class champion; winner at last event; surpassed 350 rounds wins at last event): “I’m really excited to have one last opportunity to hopefully get a win there. I’ve never won there.”
KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (competing in 11th Pro Stock race and first time at track; No. 3 qualifier in last race): “I’ve never been to Atlanta Dragway, so I’m looking forward to racing there in the final race. Being my first time in a four-wide (at Las Vegas) I was pretty happy. Still getting a feel for the car. I always feel the more I race the better I do, so the races so close together gets my confidence up and gets me more comfortable in the car.”
TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in season opener): “We need to have the car set up just right because there’s no room for error. I think it adds a lot to the excitement of the race having just two qualifying sessions because it puts a big premium on preparation. I know for sure there isn’t another team in the world I would rather have to rely on then this Elite group. Everyone on this crew is extremely knowledgeable at what they do. Mark, Eric Luzinski, Kelly Murphy, Steven Hurley and Kyle Bates — we’re talking about the best of the best. I know we’ll arrive for Q1 with a car capable of qualifying in the top three. I just need to do my job.”
