Ron Capps captures fourth qualifying position in Brainerd

August 20

 Ron Capps today drove the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Dodge Funny Car into the fourth-starting position for Sunday’s 30th-annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals here at Brainerd International Raceway.

Simply qualifying for the race clinched a place for Capps in the NHRA’s Countdown playoffs, where the 2011Full Throttle Funny Car championship will be on the line. He enters Sunday’s contest sixth in the standings (the top-10 drivers at the conclusion of the 16-race-regular season make the Countdown), 33 points, less than two race-round wins, behind his DSR teammate Matt Hagan in fifth.

A pair of solid runs Friday (4.150 seconds at 293.66 miles per hour in Q1) and today, (4.149 at 294.24 mph in Q3) were evidence of the continued progress made by the NAPA team under Tim Richards, a mid-season addition as crew chief.

“It’s great to see Tim hitting his stride,” said the Don Schumacher Racing driver. “It was amazing the 4.15 held up, keeping us third after we didn’t make the run in Friday’s second round (due to a mechanical issue) when everyone seemed to get better as the track conditions improved; that’s how good Tim’s setup was!

“And then, under tougher, but closer to race-day conditions this afternoon, Tim turned it up and we ran even better than we had on Friday.”

Coming out of the fourth slot means Capps will open against 13th-qualifier Jim Head in the first round tomorrow, who he has defeated in their only previous meeting (Englishtown, N.J.) earlier this season.

“I’m having a good time,” said the California native. “I feel like I’m learning something new about racing every day from Tim. He looks at the big picture, about every aspect of what it takes to win, and I love this approach.”