Ron Capps Motorsports
Defending World Champ Ron Capps Starts 2022 Countdown with Low E.T. of Maple Grove Race
READING, PA – Defending NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps rolled into the NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway with a 
dominant NAPA AutoCare Toyota GR Supra after winning the U.S. Nationals from the No. 1 spot less than two weeks prior. Capps appeared on his way to another late-round finish on Sunday at the first race of the Countdown to the Championship, setting low E.T. of the event in the opening round of eliminations. His bid for a second consecutive win ended in the second round, though, when he lost traction after a starting line advantage.
Before starting eliminations, Capps and his Ron Capps Motorsports entry were quick and consistent through all three rounds of qualifying. He was third-quickest of the first session, earning one bonus point with a run that also set top speed of the meet. Capps made another solid run in the second session, but it was his 3.878 E.T. at 331.45-mph pass in the final session that netted Capps three valuable bonus points, as well as the No. 2 qualifying position.
On race day Sunday, Capps and co-crew chiefs Dean “Guido” Antonelli and John Medlen threw down the quickest pass of the day to get things started. Capps recorded a 3.858 at 331.53 to defeat Phil Burkart and earn lane choice for a second-round match with Tim Wilkerson. Capps left the starting line first in the race between the two most recent U.S. Nationals winners, but he had to lift to a 4.420 at 201.10, allowing Wilkerson to drive past with a winning 3.918.
CAPPS HAS THE INDY WIN IN HIS SAILS AS HE STARTS HIS CHAMPIONSHIP RUN
Reading, PA – The defending series champion is pursuing his second consecutive Funny Car title, third overall, and first for Ron Capps 
Motorsports. Capps enters the Reading event after having raced to victory from the pole in Indianapolis, and a runner-up finish in Brainerd, Minn.
He will be seeking his third consecutive final round appearance during the Pa. event. Capps owns both ends of the Maple Grove Raceway
Ron’s thoughts on 2022 so far. “This season has flown by and I can hardly believe that we’re getting ready to head out to Reading, Pa. to start the Countdown. We have a lot of excitement and momentum coming off of our big weekend from the U.S. Nationals. Great performance by (Dean Antonelli) ‘Guido,’ (John) Medlen, and our NAPA AutoCare team. We’re all pretty excited to see what the Koretsky family has done since purchasing Maple Grove Raceway. Coming off of a big win like we did in Indy, it was nice to have a week off but we’re blessed that NAPA AUTO PARTS has given us a chance to run our NAPA AutoCare car, which we won in Indy, again this weekend in Reading. We’re thrilled to be able to represent the great AutoCare Center owners of this country, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to put the car in the winner’s circle once again.”
Finally, Ron Capps Wins Indy!
Capps Sweeps Indy; Wins Pole, All-Star Call Out Race, and U.S. Nats Trophy
INDIANAPOLIS – Defending NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car champion Ron Capps raced to victory on Monday afternoon at 
Indianapolis Raceway Park, finally capturing that first NHRA U.S. Nationals triumph that had been eluding him for more than two-and-a-half decades. Capps took his NAPA AutoCare Toyota GR Supra to the finish line in 3.913 seconds at 327.98-mph to defeat Robert Hight in the final round, scoring his third win as a team owner and 71st overall. The victory came one day after he won the Pep Boys All-Star Call Out specialty race, allowing Capps the opportunity to double-up at the ‘Super Bowl of drag racing.’
“It’s such a surreal feeling, I can’t even put it into words,” said an emotional Capps following the momentous win. “There are so many emotions that come from winning such a big event that exemplifies NHRA’s heritage and history. To not only win Indy on Monday, finally, but to win the big Call Out race, and get the pole position all in one weekend, it was like I was held back, and held back, and held back, and then, the flood gates opened. This year has been so crazy being a first-year team owner and having so much help around me. So many people wanted to be a part of what we were doing, and what we’re building, and it was so nice to have that support. Don ‘the Snake’ Prudhomme, my old boss, texted me right before I put my helmet on for the finals and he said, ‘one more, kid, go get ‘em,’ and I can’t wait to call him.”
Ron Capps Powers to Pole and Pep Boys All-Star Call Out Victory at U.S. Nationals
INDIANAPOLIS – In addition to securing his first NHRA U.S. Nationals Funny Car pole, Ron Capps defeated Matt Hagan in the final round 
of the inaugural Pep Boys All-Star Call Out race on Sunday evening at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Aboard the NAPA AutoCare Toyota GR Supra, Capps clocked a 3.936-second at 330.47-mph pass to outpace Hagan and claim the $80,000 cash prize.
The unique ‘call out’ element of the All-Star race allowed Capps, the No. 2 seed, to select his first-round opponent, and Capps made no bones about why he chose to line up against Tim Wilkerson in round one.
“The choice was simple. I wanted revenge, and Guido (Dean Antonelli) and (John) Medlen, and our entire NAPA AutoCare team wanted revenge,” said Capps, referring to last year’s U.S. Nationals final round showdown when Wilkerson laid down a monster run to defeat Capps, denying the defending Camping World series champion of his first Big Go win. “Timmy is one of my favorite people out here. He’s one of those ‘throwback racers.’ Tunes his car, owns his own team, he’s a NAPA AutoCare Center owner, so we share that connection, and he was a big help to me over the off-season. That being said, I believe his final-round pass was the ‘run of the year’ last year. That throw-down run in the final round, snatching that U.S. Nationals win away from our team, it hurt; it still stings, so yeah, we were gunning for him.”
CAPPS READY FOR FIRST INDY VICTORY AS CAR OWNER
Indianapolis, IN – While Capps won an event at Indy in 2020, the 28-year Funny Car veteran and second-winningest driver in the class has 
never won the coveted Wally trophy at the ‘Big Go,’ and will be looking to achieve that bucket-list item this weekend. Capps has come close, most recently finishing as the event runner-up at last year’s race.
Capps, a two-time race winner in 2022, sits third in the Funny Car standings with 56 points (less than two round wins) separating the defending world champ from No. 2 ranked Matt Hagan. Capps will be looking to make a move and lock-in the No. 2 starting position as he begins his championship defense.
The U.S. Nationals will feature an All-Star shootout event during the race weekend. Capps and the NAPA AutoCare team have qualified for the Call-Out, earning the No. 2 seed, and will have the advantage of selecting their first-round opponent as they vie for the $80K purse
Capps take on the BIG GO, “Once again, it’s time for the U.S. Nationals. I can’t believe how fast the season has gone by so far. There have been so many firsts for myself, and our team this year, and it’s been such a fun ride. But, it’s time to start thinking about the world championship and our title defense, and that starts when we get to the U.S. Nationals. It’s the last race you can collect points to have an opportunity to move up to start the Countdown.
Ron Capps Advances to Fourth Final Round Appearance in Brainerd
BRAINERD, MN – Two-time and defending NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps advanced to the final round for the fourth time 
during the 2022 Camping World Series season on Sunday, powering to a runner-up finish at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
Starting from the No. 4 seed, Capps’ march to the final round began with a round-one matchup versus John Force who entered the race weekend ranked fourth in the Funny Car standings, trailing No. 3-ranked Capps. Aboard the NAPA AUTO PARTS GR Supra, Capps powered to a winning 3.931 E.T. to outpace Force’s 4.022-second effort, effectively halting Force’s chances at making any points gains on Capps. In his quarterfinal contest, Capps was awarded the automatic win on a solo run when Bobby Bode was unable to put his car in reverse following the burnout, setting up a semifinal match versus Alexis DeJoria. Against DeJoria, Capps drove the NAPA Supra to the finish line in 3.955 seconds while DeJoria fouled out when she stood on the throttle too early and red lit.
In his 10th Brainerd final round appearance, Capps used his quick reflexes to score the holeshot advantage over Bob Tasca, but his 4.007 E.T. wasn’t enough to keep pace with last week’s winner’s 3.945-second pass.
BRAINERD BRINGS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RON CAPPS
Brainerd, MN – Ron Capps will be cruising the Zoo on Friday afternoon in search of the best campground set up. Campers are encouraged to 
bring their best, most creative ideas to showcase their BIR spirit. The winner of the best campground will be rewarded with a Dometic Patrol 20 cooler and drinkware, plus NAPA team swag, thanks to Dometic Outdoor.
Capps, a two-time race winner in 2022, sits third in the Funny Car standings with 89 points separating the defending world champ from No. 2 ranked Matt Hagan. Capps will be looking to close-in on Hagan’s lead this weekend as he prepares to lock-in his starting position for the Countdown to the Championship.
“It’s that time of the year. Most of us racers, me for sure, have always grabbed the red pen and circled the Brainerd race on the schedule. There are quite a few reasons in particular why I love going to Brainerd. My wife’s family is from that area, so it’s nice to be able to get to race where you’re surrounded by family, and I’ve been lucky enough to win that race quite a few times and have them join us in the winner’s circle. On top of that, the Zoo is always fun, and the whole atmosphere surrounding the race track is just a blast.” Capps explained.
Capps’ 600th NHRA Race Results in Quarterfinal Finish
TOPEKA, KS – Ron Capps began his professional drag racing career in 1995 as a Top Fuel wheelman, and at the Menards NHRA Nationals 
presented by PetArmor, the two-time and defending Funny Car world champion competed in his 600th NHRA event, making him the third most-tenured driver competing in the category. By qualifying in the No. 9 position, Capps faced another veteran driver in round one as he went head-to-head with Tim Wilkerson, who is fourth on the list of most races entered.
Capps and Wilkerson pulled up to the line for what NHRA had selected to be Funny Car’s ‘marquis match-up,’ and were ready to battle for a bid to the quarterfinals. Capps moved first and despite having to wrangle his car in when it started skating around down track, he earned the definitive win when Wilkerson’s car immediately went up in smoke.
In round two, Capps was pitted against John Force, the only other driver in the category to outrank Capps with 823 events entered. The two winningest Funny Car pilots in NHRA history lined up for the 116th time in their career and put on a good show for the Heartland Motorsports Park fans. Once again, Capps scored the starting line advantage. He charged hard to the stripe aboard his NAPA GR Supra, but Force pulled ahead right as they approached the finish line lights to get the win in a close side-by-side race with Force’s margin of victory being a mere four inches. Continue reading
Capps Makes His 600th Start at this Weekends Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor
Topeka, KS – Capps began his professional drag racing career in 1995 as a Top Fuel wheelman, and at this weekend’s event in Topeka, he will 
compete in his 600th race as an NHRA driver.
Capps explained the countdown and it’s importance, “We’ve got two more races to go before we get to the U.S. Nationals and lock-in our playoff spots. Heartland Motorsports Park has always been one of those tracks where you can produce record-setting runs, and it’s always been a part of NHRA history, especially in Funny Car when you look back at the first Funny Car to go 300-miles-per-hour. Personally, I’ve done well there and have had some big wins there, and I always look forward to the Topeka race.
“You don’t want to go into the U.S. Nationals and have to worry about positioning, and that’s what is so impressive to me about racing with ‘Guido’ (Dean Antonelli) and (John) Medlen, and our NAPA AutoCare guys. We’re third in the points. We’ve been consistent all year, and we know we can go to Indianapolis, try and score the Call-Out money, win that race, and not have to worry about where we are in the points. Topeka is a great track that can hold fantastic runs. We were able to test some things at the Night Under Fire match race last weekend, and I think that’s going to bode well for us in Topeka and Brainerd as we gear up for Indy at the end of this month.”
Capps and NAPA Team Opted for ‘Big Picture’ Approach in Seattle
KENT, WA – With only two races remaining between the NHRA Northwest Nationals and the U.S. Nationals, the final event of the NHRA’s 
‘regular season,’ the Ron Capps Motorsports team used Seattle’s three qualifying rounds to help prepare them for the upcoming Indianapolis event and the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The reigning world champions know that the key to Countdown success is consistency, and they opted for a ‘big picture’ approach this weekend at Pacific Raceways.
After treating Seattle’s three qualifying rounds as test sessions, Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS crew found themselves in the eighth position on the Funny Car ladder heading into race day and facing a tough first-round competitor in Robert Hight. Against the current point leader, Capps moved first to give himself the early advantage but his machine lost traction as he neared halftrack while Hight made a clean pass in the opposite lane for the win, ending Capps’ day after the first round.
“As a team owner, I do not care if we go out and smoke the tires when Guido (crew chief Dean Antonelli) is trying to run low E.T.,” said Capps of his first-round contest. “We knew Robert Hight and (crew chief) Jimmy Prock were going to run a low 3.90 today, and you can’t expect to beat them unless you run that number, which is what we were after.
