Capps takes Brut Dodge to semis in Topeka

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 9 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS
HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA, Kan.
Race Dates: May 27-29, 2005

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 29, 2005) - Without the benefit of lane choice all day,
Ron Capps ripped through the Funny Car field to reach the semifinal round
today at the hot and humid O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park
Topeka.

No. 11 qualifier Capps drove the Brut Dodge Stratus Funny Car straight into
a semifinal round match-up against John Force after first defeating his
teammate Whit Bazemore in the opening round with a 4.867/315.93 to
Bazemore's tire-smoking 8.047/111.09, then disposing of Tim Wilkerson with a
4.850/316.60 to Wilkerson's 4.938/310.20.

This was Capps' and Force's fourth meeting of the season, including a
semifinal match-up last weekend in Columbus, Ohio. Capps and crew chiefs Ed
"Ace" McCulloch and Dan Olson knew they had a tough challenge in front of
them, as Capps won only one of those contests, the first round in Las Vegas.

Capps had the edge at the starting light, with a .073 reaction time versus
Force's .106, but the Brut Dodge quickly lost traction, slowing to an
11.927/85.85 pass, while Force thundered on to a 4.839/319.22 victory.

"The lanes were pretty even all day," said Capps. "We didn't have lane
choice first couple of rounds, and to have run as well as we did was just a
tribute to how hard the guys worked, and Ace and Olson making the right
calls.

"We expected to go up there and have two lanes that were going to give both
cars a good shot. Then we saw Tommy Johnson Jr. smoke the tires right in
front of us right at the hit. I thought, Uh-oh.

"We made the calls we made to go up there and when Ace got up there and
looked at the lane it wasn't good. So we just let the clutch out and hoped
for the best. But, the Brut Dodge smoked the tires early, and Force ran a
4.83 next to us.

"All in all, considering how the weekend has kind of gone, we rose to the
occasion on race day, no doubt about it. We went three rounds. And when
you're having those bad weekends and things aren't exactly responding to
what you want, going three rounds is good because when you're having a great
weekend and everything is going good, you're going to go rounds.

"I think the Brut guys did a great job. We'll get a one-week break now, then
there's three more in a row. We'll keep working at it, the POWERade points
are going to come, and that's all you can do."

Capps holds on to sixth place in NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car
points, just 73 out of second place.

Next up is the CARQUEST NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill., on June 10-12, 2005.

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. John Force, 715 (winner today)
2. Robert Hight, 588
3. Gary Scelzi, 576
4. Cruz Pedregon, 539
5. Whit Bazemore, 537
6. Ron Capps, 515
7. Tommy Johnson Jr., 502
8. Eric Medlen, 472
9. Tony Pedregon, 405
10. Bob Gilbertson, 385

***