Tuesday, 10 August 2010 17:07

BRAINERD A SPECIAL RACE FOR TWO-TIME EVENT CHAMP CAPPS

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Aug. 10, 2010) - With the Countdown to 1 playoffs beginning following this weekend's 29th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway, Ron Capps is comfortable with his and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger Funny Car team's position at this point. He stands No. 5 in the rankings, has clinched a spot in the Countdown, and is battling with his Don Schumacher Racing teammates Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman for third in points.

The two-time Brainerd champion (in 1998 and 2001), and last year's runner-up, plans to enjoy his stay in Northern Minnesota while seeking a second season victory before the playoffs kick in for the top 10 in points in the final six events of the year.

"For me, Brainerd has always been a pretty special race," said Capps, who was also No. 1 qualifier there in 2000. "For the fans it's always a really exciting race because the final spots in the Countdown are contested there and it's a great time to be a fan to watch all the drama. Also, my wife Shelley's family is from the Minnesota area, so it's kind of a home track for me. It's always fun to visit and hang out with family. And, it always bolsters your confidence to go back to a track where you've done well.

“Right now I feel like (crew chief) John Medlen has such a great outlook for the rest of the season with the NAPA car. He and (former crew chief turned team consultant) Ed McCulloch are working so well together, that it can only improve our performance.

"It's been tough to have two weekends off after losing that close race against Robert Hight in Denver (a holeshot loss in the quarterfinals). And I've been kind of champing at the bit to get back in the car. I really felt like the NAPA car was the car to beat on Sunday in Denver, and that excites me when we're looking at the long-term goals of getting ready for the Countdown and winning the championship.

"I also believe that most teams that are going to be fighting for a championship will be fine-tuning their setups in this last race before the Countdown. Many teams will be testing in Indianapolis after Brainerd and I expect they will be using Brainerd as a tune-up for the test and the start of the Countdown.

"The Brainerd staff has done such a great job on that track that it's become a great facility. If the weather and track conditions are good there, you can really get after it. And, as we saw last year, there could be some pretty quick times set."

RON CAPPS QUICK FACTS:
* No. 5 in 2010 Funny Car points, after 16 events (one win, two runner-up, four quarterfinal, four semifinal, five first rounds)
* Is 46 points out of fourth; 62 short of third
* Won Brainerd in 1998 and 2001; runner-up in 1997 and 2009
* No. 1 qualifier in Brainerd in 2000
* Qualified No. 2 in 2009 Brainerd event; runner-up to Tony Pedregon
* Has 31 event wins in 64 final rounds to his credit (30 national event wins in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel)
* Ended 2009 season No. 3 in the point standings
* Won class-best five events in 2009 - Pomona 1, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Topeka, Denver - in seven final rounds
* Entered 2009 Countdown to 1 No. 2 in Funny Car "regular season" after leading standings in 12 of the first 14 events
* Qualified No. 1 three times in 2009 (Phoenix, St. Louis, Denver); none in 2010 so far
* Has nine career No. 1 qualifiers
* No. 8 in 2008 Funny Car points; two runner-up, five semifinal, four
quarterfinal finishes, 13 first-rounds
* Is tied with Tony Pedregon with longest qualifying streak among active
Funny Car drivers: 79
* No. 4 in 2007 Funny Car point standings
* Led 2007 Funny Car point standings by as much as 154 points through 14 of the first 17 races of the season
* NAPA AUTO PARTS is primary sponsor for third straight season
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2005
* Has three U.S. Smokeless Showdown titles: 1998, 1999 and 2002
* Third in 2006 final point standings, with class-best five wins
* Had three wins, four runner-up finishes in 2005 (St. Louis was his first win for DSR in '05)
* 2005 Funny Car championship runner-up, eight points short of title
* A perennial fan favorite, Capps has driven and won in both Top Fuel and
Funny Cars since he began his pro NHRA career in 1995
* His best season points finishes were seconds in Funny Car in 1998, 2000 and 2005
* His career-best elapsed time (established during an event) is 4.694
seconds, set in 2005 in Dallas (racing to 1320 feet)
* His career-best speed is 331.61 mph (Pomona 1, '07) - racing to 1320 feet
* Capps' career round win-loss record is 394-289
* His career quickest ET at 1000 feet is 4.023 seconds (Phoenix 2009)
* Capps' career-best speed racing to 1000 feet is 314.09 mph (Houston 2010)
* (THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FOUR-WIDE RACE IN CONCORD) Capps' career record against 14-time champion John Force is 22-42 in round wins. He's won 14 of the last 20 meetings against Force, and has won five of the last seven first-round match-ups over Force. His final-round record against Force is 3-1
* Age 45 (June 20, 1965); born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Shelley and daughter Taylor (7/25/96)
and son Caden (7/1/01)
* Has tested for IROC Series and competed in Skip Barber Formula Ford, Dirt Late Models, Mini-Sprints and Go-Karts

SCHEDULE:   
FRIDAY, Aug. 13 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 2:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, Aug. 14 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, Aug. 15 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
 
TELEVISION: 
Saturday, Aug. 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Aug. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Aug. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 10 p.m. (ET).
                           
SATELLITE:   
Friday, Aug. 13, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K
(Digital SD feed)  
Saturday, Aug. 14, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K
Sunday, Aug. 15, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K  
(11800 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 18 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.
 
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