Capps powers Brut Dodge to No. 7 in Phoenix qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 2 of 23
CHECKER SCHUCK'S KRAGEN NHRA NATIONALS
FIREBIRD RACEWAY
CHANDLER, ARIZ.
Race Dates: Feb. 25-27, 2005

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

RON CAPPS DRIVES BRUT DODGE INTO NO. 7 IN PHOENIX QUALIFYING

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 26, 2005) - Ron Capps powered his way down a tough
track in the Brut Dodge Stratus Funny Car at Firebird Raceway and landed
firmly in the top half of the Funny Car field for the second event of the
2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. His 4.791-second elapsed time at
321.88 mph set in last night's qualifying session placed him solidly in No.
7 after four qualifying rounds.

In today's third round, Capps clocked a 4.868/311.56, then followed with a
4.806/317.27 in the final session, the third quickest pass of that round
under a strong desert sun.

"This is always a grueling track to figure out for the crew chiefs," said
Capps, the 2003 winner here. "Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) and (co-crew
chief Dan) Olson did a great job. To run that last session at an .80 flat
was pretty awesome. It was pretty warm out all day and to qualify where we
did was encouraging.

"It's a battle every year in the Funny Car class just to qualify, let alone
to qualify in the top half of the field. We're working our way into the
Skoal Showdown at Indy and we're achieving these small goals as we go along.
It was great (in that final qualifying pass) to have a close race against
Tommy Johnson Jr. (who posted a 4.808 to Capps' 4.806), who just won the
Winternationals. We're going to race him again tomorrow in the first round.

"It should be another close race. We're just going to have to get up there
and see what happens. Hopefully the conditions will stay the same.

"Ace and Dan had kind of backed it down a little bit (in that last pass),"
he added, "just to be a little bit safe and go down the track. Ace's motto
this weekend has been to make sure we go down the track and learn something
instead of smoking the tires out there.

"As a driver I feel great. The Brut guys did a great job. We had some
problems with the clutch earlier. They overcame adversity and got the car
back together. Part of the deal out here is teamwork and I am very excited."

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