John Force Racing president Robert Hight has announced that he is stepping down after 30 years with the team, and 14 years in the role.
Hight joined John Force Racing in 1995 as a crew member. The 55-year-old subsequently moved through the ranks. After his stint as the facilities manager, Hight became a test driver in 2004 before making his racing debut in 2005.
In an official press release from the team, the Californian thanked John Force for opening “many doors” for him but revealed that his decision came down to wanting to spend more time with his family.
“I had 30 great years at JFR,” Hight said. “But being out of the car last year made me realize there are other things I want to do, especially with my wife Leslie and my family. John opened so many doors for me and I’m just glad I was there to help him and the company through everything that happened last year.”
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Force, who has just been inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame, shared a heartfelt message to Hight, stating:
“Family is everything. So as much as I’ll miss Robert, I understand that he has some other things he wants to do. He was a big part of the success of John Force Racing for more than 25 years. I love him and I wish him well in whatever he decides to do. Down the line, we’ll name a new President, but right now we’ve got a great team in place and I’m looking forward to working closer with everyone.
“We just signed new deals with PEAK, Cornwell Tools and HendrickCars.com. And I’m really excited about being back at the track with all of them, with our race teams and with all our other partners including Chevrolet and Monster.
“Jimmy and Thomas Prock, Nate Hildahl, my son-in-law Daniel Hood, Chris Cunningham, Tim Fabrisi, David Grubnic and John Collins. That’s our brain trust.
“They run the race cars, but they also work with Sam Fabiano at Force American Made, our company in Brownsburg (Ind.) that makes all our parts, everything from chassis to engine blocks to cylinder heads to superchargers. It’s why we stay on top.
“With Robert leaving, Bob McAleer will be my go-to guy,” Force said, referring to JFR’s Brownsburg-based Director of Business Operations. “He already works closely with our partners. Now, he’ll be working with me a lot more, and with the brain trust, to keep this machine firing on all cylinders.”
