Capps wins zMAX Funny Car title, extends points lead; Schumacher from third to first after going to final round

September 16

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 16, 2012) -Ron Capps captured his fourth Funny Car title of the season for NAPA AUTO PARTS and Don Schumacher Racing while DSR teammate Tony Schumacher was runner-up for the U.S. Army in the Top Fuel category in the NHRA Nationals at Charlotte Motor Speedway's zMAX Dragway at Concord, N.C.

Capps posted a 4.067-second elapsed time in the final round under the lights for the win over John Force Racing's Mike Neff, who hazed the tires when he lost traction.

Schumacher was defeated in a close race by Al-Anabi Racing's Shawn Langdon. Schumacher's 3.808-second lap was edged out by Langdon's 3.785-second effort.

Capps and Schumacher both lead their respective categories after the first of six events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series' Countdown to the Championship.

A sporadic drizzle and light rain throughout the day delayed the start by four hours for the opening event in the six-race Countdown to the Championship. But after diligent work by the NHRA Safety Safari to dry and prepare the track, racing began at 4 p.m. ET.

The following are DSR qualifying results from the NHRA Nationals near Charlotte and other notes:

TOP FUEL
EVENT WINNER: Shawn Langdon (Al-Anabi Racing)
No. 1 qualifier: Langdon 3.807 sec., 324.12 mph

Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army dragster
Qualified: No. 3
Round 1: SCHUMACHER (3.793, 324.83) def. David Grubnic (5.147, 131.99)
Round 2: SCHUMACHER (3.788, 323.66) def. Morgan Lucas (3.865, 262.18)
Semifinals: SCHUMACHER (3.749, 324.75) def. SPENCER MASSEY (3.804, 321.04)
Final: Shawn Langdon (3.785, 326.71) def. SCHUMACHER (3.808, 322.27)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 3.876 sec., 319.37 mph
Session 2: 3.817, 320.05
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 3.859, 318.84
Session 4: 4.295/195.19

Spencer Massey, FRAM/Prestone dragster
Qualified: No. 2
Round 1: MASSEY (3.812 sec., 322.73, sec.) def. Terry McMillen (3.949, 314.83)
Round 2: MASSEY (3.777, 324.36) def. Khalid alBalooshi (5.819, 113.99)
Semifinals: TONY SCHUMACHER (3.749, 324.75) def. MASSEY (3.804, 321.04)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 3.992 sec., 303.30 mph
Session 2: 3.811, 322.73
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 3.859, 318.84
Session 4: 3.851, 321.58

Antron Brown, Aaron's Dream Machine/Matco Tools dragster
Qualified: No. 10
Round 1: Khalid alBalooshi (4.425 sec., 182.43) def. BROWN (4.716, 159.31)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 4.393 sec., 207.08 mph
Session 2: 4.913, 152.06
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 3.865, 318.69
Session 4: 3.851, 319.22

FUNNY CAR
Event Winner: Ron Capps, Don Schumacher Racing
No. 1: Tim Wilkerson, 4.048 sec., 309.70 mph

Ron Capps, NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 4
Round 1: CAPPS (4.069 sec., 312.06 mph) def. Jim Head (5.423, 137.30)
Round 2: CAPPS (4.047, 317.85) def. Cruz Pedregon (4.541,188.31)
Semifinals: CAPPS (4.047, 317.85) def. MATT HAGAN (4.343, 21
8.65)
Final: CAPPS (4.067, 315.49) def. Mike Neff (10.406, 79.25)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 4.143 sec., 303.78 mph
Session 2: 4.441, 205.13
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 4.095, 308.21
Session 4: 4.100, 308.07

Jack Beckman, Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 2
Round 1: BECKMAN (4.066 sec., 312.42 mph) def. Alexis DeJoria (4.110, 311.20)
Round 2: BECKMAN (4.063, 310.48) def. Jeff Arend (4.108, 313.44)
Semifinals: Mike Neff (4.050, 314.53) def. BECKMAN (4.298, 305.49)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 4.200 sec., 265.38 mph
Session 2: 4.084, 309.56
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 4.132, 304.80
Session 4: 4.082, 306.53

Matt Hagan, Mopar/Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 8
Round 1: HAGAN (4.057 sec., 311.56) def. Bob Tasca III (6.313, 108.04)
Round 2: HAGAN (4.062, 307.09) def. Tim Wilkerson (9.461, 81.00)
Semifinals: RON CAPPS (4.047, 317.05) def. HAGAN (4.343, 218.65)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 6.076 sec., 113.47 mph
Session 2: 4.123, 301.54
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 4.135, 302.89
Session 4: 4.165, 301.81

Johnny Gray, Tire Kingdom/Service Central Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 14
Round 1: Mike Neff (4.271 sec., 262.18) def. GRAY (5.931, 114.88)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 4.241 sec., 254.90 mph
Session 2: 5.317, 138.30
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 4.203, 300.66
Session 4: 4.182, 293.54

NEXT FULL THROTTLE EVENT: Sept. 21-23, Ennis, Texas

NHRA FULL THROTTLE STANDINGS
Countdown to the Championship
Unofficial thru Sept. 16, 2012
(Points reset for six-event Countdown; points leaders receive 20-point bonus; DSR drivers CAPS)

TOP FUEL
1. TONY SCHUMACHER, 2170
2. SPENCER MASSEY, 2160
3. Shawn Langdon, 2151
4. ANTRON BROWN, 2142
5. Doug Kalitta, 2105
6. Morgan Lucas, 2099
7. Brandon Bernstein, 2095
8. Steve Torrence, 2093
9. Bob Vandergriff Jr., 2053
10. David Grubnic, 2043

FUNNY CAR
1. RON CAPPS, 2230
2. Mike Neff, 2157
3. JACK BECKMAN, 2152
4. Robert Hight, 2113
5. Cruz Pedregon, 2087
6. JOHNNY GRAY, 2081
7. Courtney Force, 2074
8. John Force, 2072
9. Jeff Arend, 2064
10. Tim Wilkerson, 2064

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 192 NHRA national event titles and nine world championships.

Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.

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