Ron Capps reaches quarterfinals of Sunday's NHRA Finals outside Los Angeles

November 16

Aboard his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, Ron Capps reached the second round of Sunday’s 47th-annual Automobile Club of ¬Southern California NHRA Finals here at Auto Club Raceway Pomona.

Capps, who finished the season with two wins in five-final-round appearances, claimed the fifth position in the Countdown to the Championship standings behind Don Schumacher Racing teammate and champion Matt Hagan, DSR teammate Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon, Mike Neff and Robert Hight.

“I’m just so proud of my NAPA Know How guys, of Tim Richards (crew chief) and all they’ve accomplished in turning our season around,” reflected the Carlsbad, Calif. native. “I know I’m back with the same team for next year which has me really excited about 2012. And working with these guys just makes everything so much fun.

“It was great coming to Pomona with a chance, to still be in the hunt for the title, regardless of how remote the possibility might have been.”

Capps’s title hopes ended when Hagan and Beckman advanced to today’s second round.

He began the weekend with a 4.124-second run at 301.94 miles per hour in Thursday’s first qualifying session which earned him the 10th-starting position on race day and a first-round match with Jeff Arend.

Capps dispatched Arend with a 4.110 pass at 311.13 mph setting up a quarterfinal race with Hight. Hight took the close contest, posting a 4.091 lap at 311.77 mph versus Capps’s 4.114 at 311.13 mph.

“Again, we went down the race track every round on race day,” he said. “This kind of consistency sends a message to the other teams – they know we are a team which cannot be taken lightly. We’ll be a force next season, for sure, and I can’t wait to get back out here for the Winternationals.

“I can’t say enough about how great it is to drive for a sponsor like NAPA, and to know I’ve got thousands of fans around the country.”