Championship Drag Racing

O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals
Dallas, Texas
(Sept. 23-26)

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Ron Capps Skoal Racing Funny Car

Reports: Sunday Saturday Friday Pre-race

Dallas, Sunday: After posting a solid qualifying outing with a new Murf McKinney race car, Ron Capps' green Skoal Racing Chevy overpowered the race track and suffered a first round loss Sunday at the Texas Motorplex.

Capps, who qualified in the No. 11 position with a time of 4.892-seconds, met very different conditions on Sunday than what he dealt with during qualifying. On a hot, sunny day in the Lone Star state, Capps used a slight starting-line advantage and drove his Monte Carlo to a pass of 6.471 seconds at 158.24 mph, while first round opponent Cruz Pedregon was a bit quicker, racing to a run of 5.447 at 203.33 mph to earn the round victory. Capps remains 12th in the POWERade points standings.

"It was tough out here on Sunday," Capps said. "The weather changed and the sun caused a lot of problems for many teams including ours. You know, we ran pretty well in qualifying, now we just need that to transition over to race day."

Dallas, Saturday: Ron Capps, who debuted a new Murf McKinney chassis at the O'Reilly Fall Nationals this weekend, raced his green Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo to the No. 11 qualifying position Saturday at the Texas Motorplex.

Capps, who won at the Motorplex in 1998, posted his best qualifying performance on Saturday's first effort when he used a tune-up from veteran crew chief Roland Leong to power his Don Prudhomme-owned Chevy flopper to a run of 4.892 seconds at 313.44 mph, placing him 11th out of the 19 cars that attempted to make the cut this weekend. Capps finished qualifying with a pass of 5.294 at 204.54.

"We're happy with how the car performed," Capps said. "The guys are really finding that they can get after it quite a bit more with the new car. Obviously, we're not fighting for the championship, so we're trying things that we can work on for next season. The only way you're going to get ahead in the Funny Car class is to try new things. The car is great to drive and it seems like we can run the numbers we want to run with it."

The 14-time NHRA winner aims to earn his second career victory at the Texas Motorplex on Sunday when he battles No. 6 qualifier Cruz Pedregon in the first round of eliminations.

Dallas, Friday: Ron Capps used a tune-up from veteran crew chief Roland Leong to power his new Murf McKinney-built green Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo to a pass of 4.894 seconds at 315.64 mph Friday evening at the Texas Motorplex.

After last weekend's event in Reading, Pa. was postponed due to rain, Capps' teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. made three test laps behind the wheel of Capps' car Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway. On his first pass with the new piece, Capps raced to a run of 5.591 at 183.74 during the afternoon, before coming back under the lights and driving to a run of 4.894 at 315.64 to claim the ninth qualifying position, proving last Sunday's test session worthwhile. There are 19 Funny Cars attempting to make the cut for this weekend's O'Reilly Fall Nationals.

"We have this new car and Tommy (Johnson) tested the car in Reading (Pa.) and it's just a blessing because it's got some new trick pieces with Murf (McKinney) and the Skoal Racing guys working together," Capps said. "To run 4.89 on only the fifth pass down the track is huge. This car seems to be a lot more forgiving and the guys are excited about making a lot more runs with it."

Capps, who won at Billy Meyer's track in 1998, looks to move up in the Funny Car order on Saturday afternoon when professional qualifying continues with qualifying sessions scheduled for 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. (CT).

Dallas, pre-race: Two years ago in the opening round of Funny Car eliminations at the Dallas race, veteran Funny Car pilot Ron Capps was involved in one of the most spectacular vehicle explosions in recent memory when the engine of his Skoal Racing Chevy Funny Car let loose near half track. While unable to see because the roof caved in, the car coasted to a halt along the guard wall at the Texas Motorplex and Capps walked away and was back behind the wheel of his signature green Chevy flopper two weeks later in Las Vegas.

While the incident may have frightened some, the 14-time NHRA winner feels indestructible strapped in to his 6,000 horsepower racecar powering to speeds in excess of 300 mph in less than five seconds.

"The explosion in Dallas was unique because I was racing my teammate Tommy Johnson," Capps said. "We both were doing what we could to gain lane choice for the next round. I remember being out in front and then the explosion happened. It stunned me. I remember coasting and not being able to see because things were blocking my vision. My hand was on the steering wheel, but I didn't know where the car was going.

"I couldn't wait for the Safety Safari crew to get there. It's very calming to know that we have our Safety Safari there each and every time we make a pass down the race track. It's a good feeling because we know how good those guys are. When something happens to you, as a driver, there's panic that sets in and it's very comforting to know that they're there. I remember those guys hovering over me asking me if I was OK and helping me out of the car."

Capps returns to the site of the breathtaking episode Sept. 23-26 for the 19th running of the O'Reilly Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, just South of Dallas, looking to earn his first victory of the 2004 NHRA season. Capps won at Billy Meyer's famed all-concrete quarter mile in 1998.

"(John) Force was instrumental in coming up with some safety ideas for the Funny Cars," Capps said. "The shield over the driver to keep fire off of your hands is one of them. After our explosion at Dallas, we had a shield built by our chassis builder Murf McKinney. It added to what Force originally did. It was a strong piece to also protect you from debris in case of an explosion. I tell people all the time that you know you'll have fires, but the safety gear that (Bill) Simpson and Impact supply us with makes me feel almost invincible. When you're in the car with that gear on, you feel protected from anything."

Armed with seven layers of fireproof gear, gloves, boots, helmet and a HANS (Head and Neck Restraint) device, Capps and his fellow Funny Car competitors know they're as safe as can be strapped behind the wheel of their nitromethane powered Funny Car, which is comforting to everybody involved in racing.