HIGHT MOVES INTO SECOND PLACE IN NHRA TITLE CHASE; BIFFLE LEADS FORD IN NASCAR RACES

  • Robert Hight, driver of the AAA of So. Cal. Mustang, made it to the semifinal round of the NHRA race in Denver before losing to eventual winner Tim Wilkerson. Hight moved up two spots to second place in the standings.
  • Greg Biffle was the top Ford driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. Biffle moved up four spots in Sprint Cup standings to seventh place.

DEARBORN, Mich., July 13, 2008 – Robert Hight’s semifinal appearance in the NHRA race in Denver allowed him to jump two spots in the standings and move to second place in the championship, to highlight Ford Racing action during the weekend.

With just five races remaining before the beginning of the NHRA playoffs, Hight and all of his teammates at John Force Racing sit in the top 10 spots in the standings. Hight now sits just 115 points behind leader Tim Wilkerson.

Ashley Force is fourth, John Force is sixth and Mike Neff is in ninth. Another Ford driver, Bob Tasca III, sits just outside of the top 10, in 11th place.

NASCAR’s top two series were in action at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., this weekend, where Greg Biffle led the way for Ford drivers in both races.

Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Fusion, led the NASCAR Sprint Cup race two times for a total of 43 laps before eventually finishing fourth and moving up four spots in the standings to seventh place.

“We had a great car,” said Biffle. “This 3M Ford Fusion did a great job. We had pretty good pit stops. We just needed the track position. We took two tires and were gone, and we’re just going to have to figure out how stay up front.”

Matt Kenseth and David Ragan also joined Biffle in the top 10, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Kenseth has been one of the hottest drivers in the series as he has had eight top-10 finishes in his last nine races and has moved up to eighth place in the standings.

Carl Edwards had one of the race’s most dominant cars and was leading the race in his No. 99 Fusion when a rare broken front splitter caused him to pit and go down a lap. Edwards was never able to get the lap back and finished 32nd. He remains fourth in the standings.

In the NASCAR Nationwide series race, Biffle drove his No. 16 Fusion to a sixth-place finish. Fellow Ford drivers Kelly Bires and Ragan finished 12th and 13th, respectively.

Carl Edwards continues to be the top Ford driver in the standings as he sits in fourth place after finishing 16th. Ragan is just two spots behind Edwards in the standings in sixth place.

Next weekend, the NASCAR Nationwide Series will be in Madison, Ill., while the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be in Sparta, Ky. Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., will host the Grand-Am Rolex Series, the Grand-Am KONI Challenge and the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup.

Ford Racing Technology

Ford Racing Technology, based in Dearborn, Mich., is responsible for major racing operations in North America, including NASCAR (Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, Craftsman Truck), Grand American sports car racing, NHRA drag racing, USAC midget car racing and the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup. Ford Racing also oversees the development and marketing of Ford Racing Engines and Performance Parts, the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts, and the marketing of the Ford Racing brand through initiatives such as Team Ford Racing. For more information regarding Ford Racing’s activities, please visit www.fordracing.com.