Capps primed for Dallas weekend

RON CAPPS SEES THIS WEEK’S AAA TEXAS NHRA NATIONALS AS CRUCIAL RACE IN CHAMPIONSHIP HUNT

Ron Capps

Photo by: Ted Rossino

ENNIS, TEXAS, September 20, 2011 – NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Ron Capps heads into this weekend’s 26th-annual AAA Texas NHRA Nationals here at the Texas Motorplex philosophical about the race and the ongoing 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

“It seems this race has always been a pivotal one in the championship picture,” explained the Don Schumacher Racing driver sitting sixth in the standings after the first of six Countdown races. “And this year, I look for it to be pivotal for our NAPA team.

“We didn’t do as well as we expected last week in Charlotte (a first-round loss), but, as I’ve said, you can take a Mulligan in the Countdown if you then go out and start beating the other cars in the playoffs.

“Last week wasn’t the start we wanted, for sure as it put us a little bit more behind in the points. If we can’t win two or three of the six races in the playoffs, then we don’t deserve to be 2011 Full Throttle Champions – I sincerely feel like we can win at least that many – and it would be great to start in Texas.”

The California native’s optimism is bolstered by recent successes and the performance of the team under the leadership of crew chief Tim Richards.

“We had some gremlins rear their heads in Charlotte, but Tim found them and my NAPA crew did a great job to get the car qualified and into the show,” Capps said. “Our struggles in qualifying cost us lane choice for the first round and that turned out to be crucial as the track conditions had changed from qualifying to race day.

“And like zMAX (Dragway outside Charlotte), you don’t know what you are going to get at this track. It can be hot, which the forecast calls for now, or it can be cool – we won’t know till we get racing. Either way, I’m thrilled I’ve got an experienced crew chief like Tim, one who can read a track and make the right kind of adjustments to get the job done.”