NHRA Full Throttle Lucas Oil
NHRA Driver
Ron Capps
Capps
  • Date of birth:
    June 20, 1965
  • Hometown:
    Carlsbad, Calif.
  • Sponsor/Car:
    NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger
  • Crew Chief:
    John Medlen
  • Career Wins: 30
    TF: 1 FC: 29
  • Career Final Rounds: 65
    TF: 2 FC: 63
  • Career Best E.T.:
    4.023
  • Career Best Speed:
    314.09
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Career Highlights
  • 2009: Won a category-best five races in seven final-round appearances; Held the top spot in the point standings for the first 10 races of the season; Finished in the top three in the point standings for fifth time in his career
  • 2008: Posted runner-up finishes at Seattle and Pomona 2; Inked major sponsorship deal with NAPA Auto Parts
  • 2007: Finished the regular season in first place; Led the standings from Race 4 through Race 17; Advanced to Countdown to 4 and Countdown to 1
  • 2006: Advanced to a career-high eight final rounds and tied a career-high with five wins; Led the standings after 17 of first 19 events; Opened the season with three wins, two runner-ups and a semi in first six events
  • 2005: Finished second in POWERade Series standings for third time in career; Ended season just eight points behind teammate Gary Scelzi in closest Funny Car finish in NHRA history; Recorded first No. 1 qualifier (Dallas) since 2000; Won three events to rebound from winless 2004; His seven final rounds and 37 round-wins led the Funny Car category
  • 2004: Established career-best speed at Las Vegas 1; Qualified No. 3 at Reading; Recorded top speed of the event at Houston.
  • 2003: Finished in the Funny Car top 10 for the seventh consecutive season; won at least one NHRA national event for the fourth consecutive season and for the seventh time in the last nine seasons; established career-best time and speed
  • 2002: Won the Funny Car bonus race at Indianapolis and collected the $100,000 bonus for the third time in his career; Won at Columbus, sharing winner’s circle with teammate Larry Dixon
  • 2001: Earned four victories and two runner-up finishes
  • 2000: Went to seven finals, collecting one win, and was runner-up in the standings to John Force for the second time in three years
  • 1999: Won the Funny Car bonus race for the second consecutive year, joining Al Hofmann as the only back-to-back winners of the lucrative bonus event
  • 1998: Won a career-best five races and gave John Force one of his toughest championship battles, finishing 135 points behind Force; Won Funny Car bonus race
  • 1997: Won twice in three final rounds in first Funny Car season, finishing fifth in points; Became first driver in his category to exceed 315 mph with a 315.45 mph run at Houston 2; Named Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner
  • 1996: His driving abilities caught the eye of Don Prudhomme while he ran a limited six-race schedule in Top Fuel, qualifying four times
  • 1995: Made Top Fuel driving debut in Roger Primm’s dragster; Earned first career win (Seattle)

Personal
  • Wife: Shelley; Daughter: Taylor (7/25/96); Son: Caden (7/1/01)
  • Height/weight: 5-foot-8, 150 pounds
  • Graduated from Santa Clara University with Bachelor of Science degree in software engineering
  • Height/weight: 5’8”, 150 lbs.
  • Enjoys racquetball, golf, listening to rock music, computer racing games, and browsing the World Wide Web

 
Fan PollFast Talk
Who has your early vote for rookie of the year?
Shane Gray
LE Tonglet
Someone else