Capps not in field; NHRA decision questioned

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
ROUND 19 OF 23
TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
READING, PA.
Race Dates: Sept. 16-18, 2005



READING, Pa. (Sept. 16, 2005) - Ron Capps, whose first qualifying pass today
in the Brut Dodge Stratus Funny Car was a 5.081/251.86, was not given the
opportunity to improve on that position in tonightıs second qualifying pass
under cooler conditions by the NHRA.

The NHRA officials claimed the Brut Dodge was leaking oil after the burnout
and was told to shut down. The team disagrees with this decision, saying
that any oil on the track had to come from a previous pass.

Team members and NHRA officials checked the Brut Dodge and found no evidence
of oil leakage. Unfortunately for the Brut team, the ruling was not
corrected and the team is not in the 16-car field, and is in No. 19.

³(Chief Starter) Rick Stewart made a wrong call,² said crew chief Ed
McCulloch. ³They need to Œfess up to the fact that he made a wrong call and
make it right. Their officials have been here (in the pits). Theyıve looked.
There are no drips. There is no oil on this car. There are no leaks. The oil
was in the lane before we ran and we pointed that out to them. They should
have cleaned it up before we ran. It was coming out of the car that ran in
front of us. When we did our burnout and we saw it, they went out and they
were trying to wipe it up. It wasnıt from our car. It was from the car
before. There are no leaks in this car.²

Note: The car that ran directly in front was Cappsı teammate Whit Bazemoreıs
MatcoTools Dodge. Bazemoreıs car was also checked and there was no evidence
of oil. It is presumed that the oil came from Paul Leeıs car, which posted a
slow pass just prior to Bazemoreıs No. 6 qualifying pass of 4.813/320.13.

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