"Looking back to when Don Garlits ran with Dodge in the HEMI dragsters all the way through the history of the sport, with guys like Dick Landy, and since the inception of nitro Funny Cars, every one of the successful cars that you read about had a HEMI. And so to the average racing fan it's part of their vocabulary. I can be going down the street and look over at the guy next to me in some type of old HEMI, and guaranteed he's going to know everything about drag racing." -- Ron Capps (center), on the legendary success of Mopar HEMI-powered racers. Capps and his DSR teammates Jack Beckman (left) and Matt Hagan (right) will again compete in Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Charger R/Ts on the 2010 NHRA Funny Car circuit.

Mopar HEMI-Powered DSR Trio Begin Battle for '10 Title at Pomona

The formidable Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) NHRA Funny Car trio of Ron Capps, Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan will return to the cockpits of their Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge Charger R/Ts in 2010. All three enjoyed stellar outings in 2009 and each will be a strong threat to clinch a first Funny Car championship in '10. The DSR trio will kickoff their season at the 50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 11–14 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.).

Capps has finished in the Top-10 of the point standings for five years running, coming up agonizingly short in his elusive quest for a Funny Car championship. He and his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T crew chief Ed "Ace" McCulloch will try to remedy the situation this year, with a little help from their Mopar HEMI.

"When you think of Dodge, Chrysler and HEMI, it makes you want to pump your chest a little bit to be able to actually be part of that history and run a HEMI-powered Dodge Funny Car," said Capps. "When you look back at all forms of racing, and especially drag racing, the word HEMI pretty much says performance in racing. And when you're making 8000 horsepower like we are it's all about performance."

Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger R/T driver Beckman is another Mopar HEMI-powered performer to watch for in 2010. In three full Funny Car seasons, Beckman has never finished worse than fifth. Hagan, the youngest DSR hotshoe, finished No. 11 in his rookie season, earning consideration for the NHRA rookie of the year award, and has the talent to capture the title in his sophomore year on the circuit.

The 50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals is scheduled to take place Feb. 11–14 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.). Two hours of qualifying coverage will air on Saturday, Feb. 13, beginning at 11 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. Three hours of eliminations coverage will air on Sunday, Feb. 14, beginning at 8 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. For more information on the NHRA, log on to http://www.nhra.com.

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