Mopar-Powered Capps Captures Fourth Win of Season at Topeka
Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car driver Ron Capps claimed his fourth win of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series on Sunday, May 31, in the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas. The win added to Capps’ sizeable lead in the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car point standings.
En route to his 29th career victory in 59 final rounds (28 in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel), Capps defeated 14-time Funny Car champion John Force and his two Don Schumacher Racing teammates (Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman) to face popular Ashley Force Hood in the final round. Capps triumphed with a winning pass of 4.265/286.07 to Force Hood's 4.495/238.26.
"It really came around probably from second round on after we beat John Force in the right lane," said Capps, who extended his points lead to 119 over Del Worsham. "Everybody was saying there was no way you're going to get down that track. And (crew chief) Ed McCulloch just kept plugging away."
Along with Capps in first, Mopar-powered and Don Schumacher Racing drivers Beckman and Hagan are fifth and seventh, respectively, in the Funny Car standings. Next up is the NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., June 5–7. For more information on the NHRA, visit http://www.nhra.com.