NHRA News: A different kind of Ron Capps horsepower (5/19/2000)

A different kind of Ron Capps horsepower

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
5/19/2000

Chevrolet Funny Car drivers Ron Capps and Whit Bazemore along with NHRA legend Don "the Snake" Prudhomme were the keynote speakers earlier this week at Sardi's restaurant in downtown New York during the Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society monthly meeting.

The three men entertained the packed house with numerous stories of drag racing and fielded many questions on driving at speeds in excess of 300 mph. Videos of NHRA action and Prudhomme's induction ceremony into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame were also shown.

At the conclusion of the luncheon, as the trio signed autographs for the Society's constituents, Capps was asked by member Dr. Sam Castimore to sign an official form that would allow his full name to be used on one of his racehorses. Capps immediately agreed and as soon as the paperwork is filed with the United States Trotting Association, a 4-year-old pacer who is now known as Caterpillar Diesel will begin competing as Ron Capps.

"I hope [the horse] runs straight, doesn't cross the centerline, and beats any horse that has the words Bazemore or Force in their names."
-- Ron Capps

"I'm a big fan of Ron," Castimore said. "He's a gutsy guy and so is this horse. They're both giant killers. I like his attitude and the way he races to win. That's exactly how this horse is when he's on the track. I hope we can win a bunch of races.

"This is a pacer horse that runs with the jockey behind the horse in a very small carriage. I doubt if many harness racers know anything about drag racing but I bet they will now."

The horse is currently racing across Southern California and is stabled near the Cal Expo track in Sacramento. The plan is to bring the horse to New Jersey and race him at the Meadowlands later this summer.

"I think this is completely cool," Capps said. "Sam went to drag racing school with my brother awhile back and he asked him if I would mind if he named this horse after me. I said he could do it right away but we had to make it official with the sanctioning body so that he could use the exact name.

"I hope that thing runs straight, doesn't cross the centerline, and beats any horse that has the words Bazemore or Force in their names."

"I think I've seen it all now," said Prudhomme, who owns Capps' U.S. Tobacco car. "I've had babies named after me, but not horses."

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