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"It's very exciting to drive for a top-notch team owner like Rick and to have him believe in you enough to put you in the seat." -- Jon Capps

Jon Capps, the younger brother of perennial Funny Car contender Ron Capps, has inked a deal with Rick Jackson to drive his Jackson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car in 2002. The duo plan to battle for the Division 7 championship and are scheduled to compete in at least 12 races including the national events in Pomona, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Sonoma, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, and Seattle.

"It seems like the perfect time to get involved full-time with NHRA drag racing," said Jon, who is licensed in both Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. "The new deal with POWERade and the support of ESPN, in my opinion, has taken the sport of drag racing to a new level. It's an exciting time to launch a career."

With just one race worth of experience as a driver-Capps campaigned a Top Alcohol Dragster in his hometown of Las Vegas last season--he will now step into a very competitive race car that has been a steady fixture on the tour over the last few years. Owned and tuned by two-time world champion boat racer Rick Jackson and his assistant Pete Fleming, the Jackson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car carried Rod Alexander to the winner's circle of the Inaugural Las Vegas Nationals in 2000 and was most recently driven by Ed Marks.

"It's a consistent 5.7-second car," Capps said. "Let me tell you, it's very exciting to drive for a top-notch team owner like Rick and to have him believe in you enough to put you in the seat. This has been something I've wanted to do for a long time and I'm thrilled to finally get a chance like this."

Capps currently makes his living as a stunt driver, handling the dangerous action for various Hollywood stars in television shows, movies, and even commercials. It's a job he found with the help of former Top Fuel champion Kelly Brown. Capps even has a Screen Actors Guild card. He also test drives cars for major auto and parts manufacturers to assist them in product development. Prior to his latest job, Capps was the lead driving instructor for Driving 101, a CART instructional school, and worked alongside Sylvester Stallone in the movie Driven.

His list of racing accolades includes several successful runs in a USAC Midget car. Capps also served on the crews of Alan and Blaine Johnson, his brother Ron, Roger Primm, and Clayton Harris, working primarily on the top-end of the engine.

His tinkering with powerplants began in the U.S. Navy where he serviced F-18s and A-6s on the deck of an aircraft carrier. His tour of duty included battle time in the Persian Gulf War.

"I've had some experiences, to be sure," Capps said. "I feel like I know how to handle a lot of different situations from the driver's seat. My main goal this year is to become completely comfortable in the seat of a Top Alcohol Funny Car and try to win some races.

"I would love to make the move up to Funny Car and race against my brother. The Pedregon brothers are out there battling every weekend; it would be neat to see the Capps brothers going at it as well."

The story is copyright 2002 National Hot Rod Association. It may not be reprinted or retransmitted in any form without the express written permission of NHRA.com.