Capps Moves Up to Third in Funny Car Standings in Las Vegas

Three-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps was in the mix for a late-season win at the NHRA Nevada Nationals Sunday afternoon with the third-quickest pass of the cutthroat Funny Car quarterfinals. Capps faced the quickest driver of the round, though, with Jack Beckman defeating Capps in a side-by-side race between two top-five drivers. Still, Capps moved up one spot to third in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings at the penultimate race of the season at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Capps, who reached the final round at the last two consecutive races, started off qualifying with the third-quickest pass of the first session, a 3.860 E.T. at 330.96 mph, to earn one bonus point. He had problems late in the run in the second session and lost a cylinder late in the third qualifying attempt, but still posted a 3.946-second pass. Capps then drove into tire smoke in the final qualifying session and coasted through the finish line, settling into the No. 7 qualifying position going into Sunday.

On race day, Capps met up with fellow Toyota driver Alexis DeJoria in the opening round. The two drivers left the line together, but DeJoria went into tire smoke while Capps powered to a 3.917 E.T. at 318.77 mph to get the win. Capps in his NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra left just ahead of Jack Beckman in the second round and charged to a 3.878 E.T. at 330.88 mph. It was the third-quickest pass of the round, but Beckman was quicker with his winning 3.853 E.T.

“To unload with a 3.86 – put us No. 3 at the time – was a great start to the weekend,” Capps said. “There are so many good-running cars right now in the NHRA Funny Car class. It’s going to be fun to go to Pomona with points and a half. We have continued the momentum of moving up in points with two final rounds in a row (at the last two races) and just have a great running car. Even though we lost, every time, it’s been a great run, so I’m proud of our guys.”

Capps, now in his third season as a team owner, is still chasing his first win of the year with just one chance left. He’s been to the final round five times, coming painfully close to a victory. Still, Capps and the Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli-led Ron Capps Motorsports team have been in the championship conversation all season, and Capps is set to finish in the top 10 for the 20th consecutive year.

“This has been sort of a growing year for where we want to be with our team,” said Capps, who launched his team in late 2021. “We came off the two championships (2021-2022) and wanted to build on that. Guido and our NAPA Auto Care team have done a great job of that. We want to get this Toyota GR Supra as far up in the points as we can and we want to finish the year strong.”

Now ranked third behind points leader Austin Prock and Beckman, Capps will move on to one of the events he considers a home race, the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, Nov. 15-17, at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.

Start / Finish: No. 7 / def. in second round
Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 2,411 pts.

Next Race: Nov. 15-17, NHRA Finals, Pomona, Calif.
How to Watch or Listen: FS1, NHRA.TV

NAPA Racing:@NAPARacing
Ron Capps: @RonCapps28
Ron Capps Motorsports: @TeamRonCapps