Robert Hight confirmed Thursday that he is stepping down as President of John Force Racing, confident that the company is in capable hands moving forward.
“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.”
The 55-year-old Hight began his career as a crew member on Force’s championship-winning Funny Car in 1995. Later he was the Facilities Manager at JFR before becoming the company’s first designated test driver in 2004. He made his competitive driving debut in 2005, winning in just his fourth career start. Force promoted him to company president in 2011.
Driving primarily for crew chief Jimmy Prock, Hight won 65 tour events and Funny Car World Championships in 2009, 2017 and 2019. He was runner-up to Matt Hagan in his final season (2023) before being sidelined with a medical issue in 2024. The driver who replaced him, Prock’s youngest son Austin, won the championship last season.
“Family is everything,” Force said. “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,” said the Hall of Fame team owner and driver. “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,” Force said. “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.”
This story was originally published on March 13, 2025.
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