Capps, DSR teammates understand testing priorities, but they’re ready to race in PRO Warm-Up

January 19

JUPITER, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2012) - Ron Capps was intense.

His face usually carries a smile, but Thursday afternoon his expression seemed more appropriate for after a disappointing qualifying run.

It was the third day of testing at Palm Beach International Raceway in South Florida, but it was game-on for Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team.

"The up side and the down side of testing is you're trying things. Some guys are just out here practicing. When you're in test mode it's hard to watch one of those cars go down the track when you're not supposed to.

"When you're testing you have to shut it off when you're told to shut it off. You have to do what's best for the long term.

"The cool part is knowing we're testing some cool, extensively modified pieces."

Capps made four runs Thursday in his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing.

The team led by crew chief Tim Richards uncorked a very respectable 4.149-second run at 304 mph under clear, sunny skies with temperatures in the mid 70s. Early in the evening, Capps produced a run of 4.170 seconds at 304.57 mph.

Reigning NHRA Funny Car champion Matt Hagan in the Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge, Johnny Gray in the Service Central Dodge and Antron Brown in the Aaron's Dream Machine/Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragster waited until early evening to make runs.

Tony Schumacher's U.S. Army and Spencer Massey's FRAM Top Fuel Dragster teams did not run and devoted the day to servicing their cars in preparation for two more days of testing and racing in the evening.

The top teams in NHRA Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car categories can make additional test runs during daylight in sessions closed to the public on Friday and Saturday.

All cars will make two side-by-side passes when the PRO Winter Warm-Up begins at 5 each night.

"It will be nice to get the testing part out of the way and (Friday and Saturday) night we get to go down the track as fast as we can," Capps said.

Crew chief Tommy DeLago tuned Hagan to DSR's best run Thursday. The Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge completed its run in 4.093 seconds at 313.22 mph.

"It felt good and we had a lot left in it," Hagan said of his best run this week. "We're creeping up on it. We'll be ready for Pomona."

Schumacher's run of 3.761/324.28 on Wednesday remains the best of the week in Top Fuel.

Here is a recap after three days of testing:

Jack Beckman/Valvoline NextGEN Dodge Charger R/T

Best run Thursday: 4.22 seconds, 239 mph

Best run over three days: 4.073 seconds, 311.49 mph

Total runs over three days: 11

Ron Capps/NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T

Best run Thursday: 4.149 seconds, 304.46 mph

Best run over three days: 4.10 seconds, 305.22 mph

Total runs over three days: 7

Matt Hagan/Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T

Only run Thursday: 5.361 seconds, 138.58 mph

Best run over three days: 4.093 seconds, 313.22 mph

Total runs over three days: 7

Johnny Gray/Service Central Dodge Charger R/T

Only run Thursday: 4.142, 306.67 mph

Best run over three days: 4.084 seconds, 312.06 mph

Total runs over three days: 10

Antron Brown/Matco Tools-Aaron's Dream Machine Top Fuel Dragster

Best run Thursday: 3.900 seconds, 256.21 mph

Best run over three days: 3.814 seconds, 321.58 mph

Total runs over three days: 11

Spencer Massey/FRAM Top Fuel Dragster

No runs Thursday

Best run over three days: 3.802 seconds, 322.81 mph

Total runs over three days: 9

Tony Schumacher/U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster

No runs Thursday

Best run over three days: 3.761 seconds, 324.28 mph

Total runs over three days: 9

About Don Schumacher Racing

Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., consists of seven professional NHRA teams: in Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the FRAM/Prestone dragster of Spencer Massey and the Matco Tools dragster of Antron Brown; and in Funny Car, 2011 NHRA Funny Car champion Matt Hagan in the Aaron's Dream Machine/Mopar Dodge Charger R/T, Valvoline NextGen Dodge piloted by Jack Beckman, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Service Central Dodge of Johnny Gray. DSR has won 174 NHRA national event titles and nine world championships.