NAPA
COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP HITS HALFWAY POINT AT NAPA AUTO PARTS NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS IN ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS – Every NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series driver knows the importance of NHRA Countdown to the Championship and its 
six playoff races. The 14th NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, Sept. 26-28, marks the halfway point of the playoffs and drivers have their sights set on a big weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.
It is the 17th of 20 races during the 2025 season and the third of six races in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs, putting a premium on standout performances. All the star drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will look to put on a show in front of a passionate St. Louis fanbase, one that has packed the standout facility year after year.
The weekend will be heavy on intensity and action, starting with nitro at night on Friday, as the second session features the 12,000-horsepower, 340-mph nitro machines under the lights. Racing continues with two more qualifying sessions on Saturday, leading into eliminations on Sunday, where every round – and every point – matters. Continue reading
NO. 1 CLAWIFIER AWARD PRESENTED BY NAPA HIGHLIGHTS FRIDAY NIGHT PRIMETIME AT NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS
EPPING, NH – Nitro at night will include some special New England flair on Friday, May 30 with the introduction of the “No. 1 Clawifier 
Award presented by NAPA” as part of this year’s 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals.
The award – as well as lobster dinners for the No. 1 teams in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock – will be on the line during Friday’s second qualifying session, which is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET at New England Dragway, adding a little extra incentive for Friday’s primetime session under the lights.
A special chair made of lobster pots will await drivers on the top end, with the evening’s No. 1 qualifier sitting in the chair until they are replaced by a new No. 1 qualifier or claim the No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA. The driver will receive a large lobster, while the teams will be given lobster dinners to celebrate a thrilling performance under the lights on Friday night. Continue reading
NAPA NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS AT WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY
ST. LOUIS – World Wide Technology Raceway and NHRA officials announced today that NAPA has been named the title sponsor of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ annual race in St. Louis as part of an exciting new multi-year agreement.
The 14th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals will take place Sept. 26-28, serving as the third of six races in the NHRA’s thrilling Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Tickets for the race are currently on sale. With strong ties in the St. Louis area, NAPA was thrilled to support the popular race in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, one that annually draws capacity crowds to the standout facility.
“NAPA has always been synonymous with racing, so having a presence at one of the biggest and best NHRA events in the country is a natural fit,” said Earl Flack, owner of multiple NAPA Auto Parts throughout the Midwest. “We’re proud to support the fanbase at World Wide Technology Raceway and continue our commitment to motorsports at every level.”
NAPA has enjoyed a storied history in NHRA drag racing, serving as the primary sponsor for three-time world champion Ron Capps and his 12,000-horsepower Funny Car since 2008. That footprint grew before the start of the 2025 NHRA season as NAPA was named “Official Auto Parts Store of NHRA” for the first time. Continue reading
NAPA NAMED OFFICIAL AUTO PARTS STORE OF NHRA IN FIRST-TIME PARTNERSHIP
INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time ever, NAPA will team up with NHRA as an official partner, becoming the “Official Auto Parts Store of 
NHRA” as part of an exciting multi-year agreement.
NHRA and NAPA officials announced the long-term partnership today, which is set to begin with the 2025 season in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
NAPA has a long and storied history in NHRA drag racing. Since 2008, NAPA has been the primary sponsor on the 11,000-horsepower Funny Car of three-time world champion Ron Capps. This partnership with Capps, the standout driver, 76-time event winner and 152-time finalist will continue, as NAPA looks to strengthen an already impressive footprint in the NHRA drag racing.
As part of the partnership, NAPA will also become a presenting sponsor of the NHRA Youth and Education Services (YES) program. The NHRA YES Program is the only full-time education initiative in motorsports, offering quality educational content and activities for schools and youth organizations nationwide. It invites students to NHRA national events to see firsthand the career opportunities within the motorsports field. Continue reading
Tobler sends NAPA to final round then Capps reaction gets fifth title, while DSR teammate Pritchett, Papa John’s Pizza gets to another final
BRISTOL, TN – The first eight races of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season featured track- or world-
record conditions and Don Schumacher Racing took advantage of those weather conditions.
But trend began going up in smoke as mid-summer temperatures rose last weekend in Englishtown, N.J., and continued the past three days during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Tennessee.
The only records set Sunday during championship eliminations were for tire smoke, dropped engine cylinders.
Matco’s Brown gets another pole at hometown track in New Jersey, Capps leads DSR Funny Cars with NAPA Dodge Charger R/T
ENGLISHTOWN, NJ – It was warm on Friday with temperatures in the low 80s for opening day of the 48th annual 
NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park at Englishtown, N.J.
Then it got warmer on Saturday for the last day of qualifying with the thermometer reaching 85.
On Sunday for championship eliminations scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. (EDT) … it will be hot. The forecast high of 93, by any definition, is hot.
The rising temps make crew chiefs sweat even in the air-conditioned climes of their offices in Don Schumacher Racing technical trailers.
Capps, NAPA head to New England with 4-event, 15-round streak, aim to defend pole, title earned there a year ago in Mello Yello Series
BROWNSBURG, IN – It’s bad news for the opposition on rare occasions when Ron Capps and NAPA AUTO PARTS 
Funny Car team lose in the first round of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competition.
After Capps lost in the first round at Topeka in 2016, the NAPA team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler and assistant Eric Lane went on to win three of the next four NHRA Wally trophies and fell one title short of sweeping the Eastern Swing that covers June.
The next time the world championship team lost in an opening round was this year’s Las Vegas Nationals on April 2, and since then, Capps and NAPA team are unbeaten while winning the last four NHRA Wally trophies, including the last race two weeks ago at Topeka, Kan.
Capps Wins Fourth Straight in All-Mopar Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car Final at Topeka
Topeka, KS – The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series reached the one-third mark of the 2017 schedule with this weekend’s Heartland Nationals, and neither Ron Capps nor his Mopar teammates in the Nitro categories are showing signs of slowing any time soon. Capps took home the Wally trophy in Funny Car for the 53rd time in his career and fourth race in a row, driving his Dodge Charger R/T to the victory over his Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) teammate Matt Hagan. Hagan meanwhile became the quickest and fastest driver in Funny Car history during event qualifying. Capps’ win is the seventh for Mopar HEMI® power in the Funny Car category this season.
Capps defeated Hagan’s Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T from the left lane with a pass of 3.924 seconds at 321.42 mph after a .054-second reaction time. Hagan turned in a pass of 3.985 at 318.92 with a .057 reaction time off the starting line. Capps and team had lane choice for the final, and made a last-second decision to move to the left lane just before the cars were fired. The race was a re-match of this year’s Funny Car final round at the Arizona Nationals, which represents the only final round in which Capps has appeared but not won in 2017.
World champ Capps wins fourth straight with Tobler, NAPA Dodge, combines with Matco’s Brown to sweep Topeka nitro titles for DSR
TOPEKA, KS – The Funny Car final round Sunday in the NHRA Heartland Nationals was going to be “déjà vu all over 
again” for Don Schumacher Racing’s Ron Capps or Matt Hagan.
Hagan was trying to replicate what he did a year ago at Topeka, Kan., when he set both NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world records and concluded his visit to Heartland Park by winning the Wally Trophy.
Instead, Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS 2017 Dodge Charger R/T Powered by Pennzoil won their fourth consecutive event title to ruin his teammate’s perfect weekend.
And DSR teammate Antron Brown with the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster team kept Steve Torrence from reliving his recent winning history when the three-time world champion defeated Torrence, who arrived at Topeka riding a two-race winning streak.
