Mopar-Powered Capps Reaches Semis at NHRA Finals, Finishes Third in Funny Car Standings
Mopar HEMI-powered NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Ron Capps reached the semifinal round at the 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals on Sunday, Nov. 15, before he was defeated by Ashley Force Hood. Capps ended up third in the final 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car point standings, having earned the most class victories (five) this season.
En route to the semifinal, Capps dismissed Bob Tasca III in the opening round with a 4.312-second elapsed time at 236.67 mph, then disposed of his Mopar-fueled Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) teammate Matt Hagan in the second round, with a 4.144/310.48.
Force Hood was there for the taking after she launched with a .143 reaction time to Capps' .086, but the veteran lost traction, allowing Force Hood to take the win with a 4.133/307.09 pass, while Capps followed with a losing 4.775/248.25.
"We were still on a mission to try to stand on the podium at the awards banquet in second place," said Capps, who missed out on his fourth runner-up season finish by 48 points. "It would have been nice after winning five races this year to finish second. We ended up third, and that's OK."
Capps' DSR teammate, Jack Beckman, lost in the opening round at Pomona, finishing fifth in the standings. Capps and Beckman (two wins) combined to drive Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars to seven wins during the 2009 season.