Capps Stays Strong with Quarterfinal Finish at Brainerd
Driving the NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra, three-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps qualified in the top four and advanced past the first round on race day at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. While his bid for an eighth Brainerd victory came up short in the quarterfinals, Capps and the Ron Capps Motorsports team leave Minnesota confident and energized as they turn their attention to the upcoming NHRA U.S. Nationals, where the regular season will come to a close.
Capps was up in smoke early in the first qualifying session on Friday, but crew chief Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli went back to the drawing board for the second session and tuned Capps to a 3.92 E.T. at 330.39 mph. That performance was the third-best of the session and the day, giving Capps one bonus point. He slipped a few spots on the qualifying order after losing traction in the third session on Saturday, but he moved back up to No. 4 in the final qualifying session when he recorded a 3.907-second pass at 332.67 mph.
Capps went into race day paired up with second-generation Funny Car pilot Bobby Bode in the opening round of eliminations Sunday morning. Capps moved first and powered to a 3.861 E.T. at 333.91 – the second-quickest pass of the round – to defeat Bode. Capps left the line first again in the second round ahead of J.R. Todd, but he dropped a cylinder and started spinning the tires. Todd reached the finish line first while Capps followed with a 4.245 E.T.
“You’ve got to have your hot rod ready for the U.S. Nationals, but you want to come to Brainerd and be able to focus on winning this event,” said Capps, whose seven Brainerd wins put him No. 2 behind John Force in NHRA Mission Foods Series wins at the Minnesota track. “It’s such a one-off, great event. We really felt strong. We made a solid run first round. You get a bullseye on your back a lot of times when you run good like that. Dickie (Venables) and Jon O (Oberhofer) and J.R.’s team threw up an awesome number. It’s the good and the bad when you run well, but our NAPA Auto Care team is always showing that we’re a team that you’ve got to go up there with your best to beat us, so it makes me very proud.”
Capps maintained his No. 4 position in the Funny Car points standings heading into the final race of the NHRA regular season, the NHRA U.S. Nationals, Aug. 27-Sept. 1, at Lucas Oil
Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Capps is a two-time winner of the prestigious event and has reached the final round there the last four consecutive years.
Start / Finish: No. 4 / def. in quarterfinals
Points Standing / Total: No. 4 / 840 pts.
Next Race: August 29 – September 1, U.S. Nationals
How to Watch or Listen: FS1, NHRA.TV
NAPA Racing:@NAPARacing
Ron Capps: @RonCapps28
Ron Capps Motorsports: @TeamRonCapps
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Established in 2021, Ron Capps Motorsports is a multi-car NHRA team owned and operated by three-time Funny Car world champion Ron Capps. Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., the team made its on-track debut in 2022 and competes on the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series circuit thanks to the support of NAPA Auto Parts, Carlyle Tools, USA Compression, Champion Spark Plugs, Mobil 1, Blue Wolf, Johnsen’s Brake Clean, and Core Scientific. Capps, who pilots the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car, is the second-winningest Funny Car driver in NHRA history and a class leader among active drivers with 76 wins in the category. His 77 overall wins (1 Top Fuel) rank seventh amongst NHRA’s four premier classes. The 2026 NHRA season marks Capps’ 32nd year competing in the sport’s professional ranks and 19th representing NAPA Auto Parts. Driving the organization’s second entry is third-generation drag racer Maddi Gordon, who will make her professional NHRA debut during the 2026 season aboard the Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster. Previously, Gordon competed in the Top Alcohol Funny Car category where she became the 100th woman to win an NHRA national event in 2024.