Capps hopes ‘date weekend’ with Shelley pays off with fourth Kansas event title for NAPA AUTO PARTS team
TOPEKA, KS – Ron Capps has won three Funny Car titles in the NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.
A year ago, he lost in the championship round but didn’t have the person he considers his Topeka lucky charm at his side.
When the driver of Don Schumacher Racing’s NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T begins championship eliminations today he knows it will not be a losing weekend.
It’s become a Topeka tradition for his wife, Shelley Capps, to join him for a “date weekend” at the Kansas Nationals and after coming up a little short to DSR teammate Jack Beckman last year he wasn’t about to be at Topeka without Shelley this year.
“It’s always been that way and I’ve did well here so many times, and I think she’s been here each of the three times we’ve won,” said Capps, who will start championship eliminations Sunday in the No. 10 qualifying position and will face Tim Wilkerson in the opening round scheduled to start at 11 a.m. (CT).
Ron and Shelley are joined by their children Taylor, 16, and Caden, 11, at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events on the West Coast when they load into their motorhome for races not too far from their home near San Diego.
“I enjoy it going to Topeka with him because we get more one-one-one time, and I get to spend more time with (crew chief Rahn Tobler) and the team,” Shelley said. “When the kids are here I’m pretty busy with them and races on the West Coast we have a lot friends and family.
“It’s a nice race for us to get away. We love having the kids at races, but this is kind of like a date race for us.”
They arrived in Kansas on Wednesday and met friends from Capps annual “NAPA Cruisin’ with Capps” cruise for dinner in Kansas City before they headed for Topeka for the NHRA Kansas Nationals news conference. After that, they enjoyed lunch before going to see Star Trek 3 in 3D. They planned another movie for Saturday night.
“What we do day in and day out with racing makes it hard to spend so many weekend’s on the road by yourself,” Ron said. “So it’s very enjoyable when Shelley comes to Topeka with me.
“It is a date weekend. We get away, no kids and its weird because we have all the time together. It’s a nice weekend.
Shelley added, “It’s nice when I get to spend time alone with Ron. When we’re home we do things as a family.
“But I have to admit, I don’t mind when he goes racing because then I get my quiet time.”
