Ron Capps Motorsports
Capps Earns Provisional Pole at Houston, Adding to his String of Success as a New Team Owner
BAYTOWN, TX – Ron Capps closed out day one of qualifying at the final running of the NHRA SpringNationals by taking his NAPA AUTO 
PARTS Funny Car on a stout 3.864 second at 326.16 mph ride to earn the provisional pole heading into Saturday at Houston Raceway Park.
“That run, it’s what you want to do, and what you hope to do,” said Capps, who banked three bonus points for his effort. “My NAPA car, it’s a good hot rod to drive right now, and you’ve got to enjoy these moments. You show up first round, and you hope you get on the board like that with your first run of the weekend, even if you’re not No. 1, you just want to make sure you have a good solid run so you’re not behind the eight ball going into Saturday. It’s going to be hotter tomorrow, and there are a lot of conditions changing these next two days so it’s imperative you put down a run like that.”
His Friday night launch to the top of the Funny Car timing sheets comes on the heels of his recent race win from the pole, which occurred during the Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, the most recent event on the NHRA tour. In his inaugural season as a team owner, Capps has continued to impress, recording a race win, a runner-up finish, and two No. 1 qualifier awards in addition to Friday night’s provisional pole in Baytown, Texas.
Capps Ready for his First and Last race at Houston as a Car Owner
Baytown, TX – Ron Capps, drive of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car heads for his last race at Houston Raceway Park.
Houston Highlights: Four-time event winner (2006, 2007, 2015, 2017), Three-time runner-up (2012, 2020, 2021)
2021 Houston Recap: Qualified third; runner-up finish (defeated Paul Lee in E1, Matt Hagan in E2, Tim Wilkerson in E3; defeated by Robert Hight in E4)
Last Event (Las Vegas 1): Qualified No. 1; Event champion (defeated Tim Wilkerson, Jason Rupert in E1, J.R. Todd, Bob Tasca in E2, Matt Hagan, Robert Hight, Alexis DeJoria in E3)
Career Statistics: 590 races; 69 event wins (one Top Fuel); 31 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics: Four races; one win; one runner-up finish; two No. 1 qualifiers
Ron Capps Captures First Victory as NHRA Team Owner
LAS VEGAS – From the pole to the winner’s circle, it was a banner weekend for defending series champion and new NHRA team owner Ron 
Capps during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Capps’ triumph was his 69th overall and goes down in the books as win No. 1 for the Ron Capps Motorsports team, which made its on-track debut less than two months prior.
Capps’ weekend began by recording the third-quickest runs of Q1 and Q3 before closing out qualifying by running low E.T. of Q4 to earn his second No. 1 qualifier award in four races, and 31st overall.
The driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car made his march to the winner’s circle look easy, powering to low E.T. of his quad in each of the three elimination rounds, knocking off several world champions along the way. After defeating Jason Rupert, J.R. Todd, and Tim Wilkerson in round one, Capps once again found himself lined up opposite Todd in E2, with Gainesville winner Matt Hagan and Bob Tasca staging their machines in the other two lanes. In lane one, Capps charged to the finish line in 3.902 seconds, eliminating Todd and Tasca in the process. The final quad pitted Capps against Hagan, Alexis DeJoria, and Robert Hight. For the sixth time in seven runs, NAPA crew chiefs Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli and John Medlen tuned the NAPA Funny Car to a three-second pass with the Carlsbad, Calif. resident crossing the finish line beams in 3.914 seconds at 331.20 mph to pick up his sixth Las Vegas victory, and second four-wide triumph (first was from Charlotte 2017).
Defending World Champ and New Team Owner Ron Capps Earns Second Pole of 2022
LAS VEGAS – Defending world champion and new team owner Ron Capps earned his second pole of the 2022 NHRA Camping World Series 
season on Saturday afternoon by powering the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car to a blistering 3.883-second pass in the heat of the day to claim his 31st No. 1 qualifier overall.
After clocking the third-quickest passes of Q1 and Q3, Capps and the NAPA team sat in the fifth seed as they pulled up for the final qualifying session during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. By clocking his third three-second pass of the weekend, Capps launched to the top of the timing sheet, setting up a first-round meeting with No. 8 qualifier Tim Wilkerson, No. 9 qualifier J.R. Todd, and 16th seed Jason Rupert in E1. While Capps has yet to win a Vegas Four-Wide Nationals trophy, he has found previous success competing in the unique four-lane format, having clinched a victory at the 2017 Charlotte event, and knows he has the manpower to add another four-wide trophy to his collection.
“I can’t say enough about Guido and Medlen,” said Capps, referring to his championship-winning crew chiefs, Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli and John Medlen. “I am always bragging about them but for good reason. Not to mention, our whole entire team remained intact from last year and came along on this new ownership journey, and that means a lot to me. These yellow No. 1 qualifier hats mean so much, especially now as a team owner, it makes us so proud to be able to share in these moments with NAPA and all of our wonderful partners.”
Capps Heads to Vegas for the 4 Wide
Las Vegas – Ron Capps, driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car has a great relationship with the Strip at Las Vegas. Las Vegas 1 Event 
Highlights: 2009 LV1 event champion, two-time event runner-up (2006, 2007)
Note: The Las Vegas 1 four-wide format was first introduced in 2018
2021 Las Vegas 1 Recap: Qualified fourth; Semifinal finish (defeated Bob Bode, Jim Campbell in E1, Robert Hight, J.R. Todd in E2; defeated by Bob Tasca, Matt Hagan in E3)
Last Event (Gainesville): Qualified 10th; Semifinal finish (defeated Bob Tasca in E1, John Force in E2; defeated by Blake Alexander in E3)
Career Statistics: 589 races; 68 event wins (one Top Fuel); 30 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics: Three races; one runner-up; one No. 1 qualifier
Ron Capps Races to Semifinal Finish in Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, FL – The NHRA Gatornationals got off to an unusual start when teams only had one qualifying session to secure a spot in 
the Sunday elimination show due to a rain-out on Friday, and unseasonably cold weather on Saturday. The reigning NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car champion’s sole qualifying run of 7.487 seconds placed him in the No. 10 seed and he drew Bob Tasca III as his round-one competitor. During Sunday morning’s pre-race ceremonies, Ron Capps was presented with his 2021 championship ring, and he was hoping to add more hardware to his collection by picking up his fifth Gainesville Raceway Wally trophy in the afternoon.
In what was billed as NHRA’s ‘marquee match-up,’ Capps easily defeated Tasca by powering his NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car to a winning 3.864-second at 336.23-mph ride, clocking low E.T. of the round and top speed of the meet. For the third time in three races, Capps and John Force lined up side-by-side during eliminations. Each driver had previously scored a round win on the other, and on Sunday at ‘the Gators,’ Capps extended his lead by driving his NAPA machine through the finish line beams in 3.913 seconds to defeat Force’s 4.096-second effort. In the semifinals, Capps faced off against Blake Alexander. The two-time world champion stood on the throttle and almost immediately lost traction while his opponent made a clean pass for the win.
Ron Capps Looking for Victory in Gainesville
Gainesville, FL – Ron Capps, driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car is a four-time event champion:2006, 2007, 2015, 2020, two-time 
runner-up: 2000, 2016 and last years #1 qualifier
2021 Gainesville Recap: Qualified No. 1; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Jim Campbell in E1; defeated by Bob Tasca in E2)
Last Event (Phoenix): Qualified sixth; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Jim Campbell in E1; defeated by John Force in E2)
Career Statistics: 588 races; 68 event wins (one Top Fuel); 30 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics: Two races; one runner-up; one No. 1 qualifier
Noteworthy: Looking to tie former boss Don Prudhomme’s five Gainesville Funny Car wins
Ron Capps Motorsports Continues to Impress in Phoenix
CHANDLER, AZ – Two-time and defending world champion Ron Capps continued to build upon his early-season momentum, which 
included a runner-up finish from the pole position in Pomona, Calif., by posting two 3.8-second passes in qualifying during the NHRA Arizona Nationals to start race day at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park as the sixth seed on the Funny Car eliminations ladder. Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team faced Jim Campbell in round one and used another sub-3.9-second run to notch the win over Campbell’s 4.029-second effort. The quarterfinals featured a rematch of last week’s ‘marquee match-up’ between the two greatest Funny Car pilots in the history of the sport with Capps squaring off against John Force. Against his opponent, Capps once again posted another quick and consistent run, clocking a 3.869 E.T. but Force’s starting line advantage allowed him the holeshot win, ending the new team owner’s day after round two.
“Obviously, coming to this race after the great start in Pomona was something you dream of, but also, I come to expect it with our NAPA AutoCare team,” said Capps, a three-time Phoenix event champion. “(Crew chief Dean Antonelli) ‘Guido’ and (John) Medlen have given me such a great race car in different conditions. To go up there first round and run the .84 was pretty stout. Unfortunately, my reaction time got the best of me second round. To be honest, I didn’t have a great light first round either, and I really felt like when I left the starting line, it was a good light. Against John Force, we were trying to make sure we had lane choice in the semis. I’m too good, and too seasoned to have a .120 light; it’s not going to cut it. But, sometimes you’re off, and there is nothing you can do about it.”
With now two races under his belt as a team owner, Capps is feeling more comfortable with his new dual-role position and is excited to see how his team progresses as they race under the Ron Capps Motorsports banner.
Capps looking for Continued Success of his New Team in Phoenix
Chandler, AZ – Ron Capps, driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car pleased with recent outing in Pomona, looks forward to improving 
from his runner-up.
History: NHRA Arizona Nationals Event Highlights: Three-time event winner (2003, 2009, 2013), Four-time runner-up (1998, 2000, 2005, 2017), Three-time No. 1 qualifier (2000, 2009, 2016)
2020 Phoenix Recap:
Qualified eighth; Semifinal finish (defeated J.R. Todd in E1, Jeff Diehl in E2; defeated by Tommy Johnson Jr. in E3)
Last Event (Pomona 1):
Qualified No. 1; Event runner-up (defeated John Force in E1, J.R. Todd in E2, Cruz Pedregon in E3; defeated by Robert Hight in E4)
Career Statistics:
587 races; 68 event wins (one Top Fuel); 30 No. 1 qualifiers
Ron Capps Races to Runner-Up Finish from the Pole in Debut Performance as Team Owner
POMONA, CA – It was a near-perfect weekend for defending NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car champion Ron Capps, who raced to a 
runner-up finish at his debut event as a team owner. In what can only be described as a dominant qualifying performance, Capps started race day from the No. 1 seed after clocking the quickest times in both the second and third qualifying sessions, and the third-quickest E.T. in Q1 at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals.
“To start our 2022 season as a new team, and with everything going on as a team owner, and knowing the competition is going to be so tough this year, and then to have a No. 1 qualifier, run top speed of the meet, and almost win the race was just a fantastic way to start,” said the Carlsbad, Calif. resident as he reflected on Ron Capps Motorsports’ inaugural weekend, which included a race day stacked with a world champion-competitor in each round of eliminations.
Starting from the pole, the newly-formed Ron Capps Motorsports team faced Funny Car heavy-hitter John Force as their first round opponent. Force had struggled throughout qualifying, but Capps, the second-winningest Funny Car driver in the history of the sport – second only to Force – knows better than to take him lightly. In what was billed as NHRA’s ‘marquee matchup,’ Capps was first to stand on the gas and he used his holeshot start coupled with a 3.920-second E.T. to defeat Force whose weekend struggles continued into race day.
