Reigning NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world champion Robert Hight will kick off his title defense by campaigning a commemorative Auto Club Ford Mustang celebrating his first Full Throttle championship at the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil Labor Day weekend. The black and blue Ford Mustang will be adorned with the traditional Auto Club logos and will also feature Hight’s Full Throttle world championship trophy as well as the verbiage “Robert Hight 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car Champion” on the sides and hood.

“I remember seeing and working on John’s championship cars, so to have my own Full Throttle championship Funny Car is pretty neat. I have to thank Auto Club and Tom McKernan as well as all our sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Mac Tools, and BrandSource for making my championship possible. This is also more than just my car. This is a representation of all the hard work my crew chief, Jimmy Prock, and my crew guys put into making a great run in the Countdown last year,” said Hight, the No. 2 seed in the 2010 Countdown.

“Last year in Indy, we barely made the Countdown, and then we won three races to get the championship. This season, I wanted to be a dominant car, and we have won four races so far. I would never guarantee a championship or a race win. They are too hard to earn. I have been in the past four Mac Tools U.S. Nationals finals, and I would love to get this Full Throttle world-championship Auto Club Mustang into the winner’s circle this year and start the Countdown with a lot of momentum,” said Hight.

This is the third specialty Mustang Funny Car for Hight. He raced a Rookie of the Year Mustang in 2006, the year after he won the Auto Club Road to the Future Award, winning the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil that year, and in 2008, he raced a Los Angeles Dodgers commemorative Mustang the last two races of the season.