Capps Posts Top Time at NHRA Tour de Charity in Sonoma

Race Fans Trade High-Speed Thrills with Top NHRA Drivers 

SONOMA, Calif. - Thirty-five lucky race fans not
only got to mingle with top drivers from the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series on Saturday, but they also supported a great cause at the 4th
annual NHRA Tour de Charity at the Infineon Raceway Karting Center. 

 

The event, which coupled race fans with top NHRA drivers for a day of
karting on the three-quarter mile, 16-turn kart course, raised $11,000
for Speedway Children's Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon
Raceway. All proceeds will benefit needy youth organizations in Sonoma
County. Approximately 200 people attended the event overall.

 

Star NHRA drivers Ron Capps (Brut Dodge Funny Car), Cory McClenathan
(Carrier Boyz FRAM Boost Top Fuel Dragster ) and Gary Scelzi
(Mopar/Oakley Dodge Funny Car) swapped paint with the fans over the
challenging road course. Capps took bragging rights among the NHRA
drivers, turning the best lap over the circuit at 55.718 seconds. He was
followed by McClenathan (56.112) and Scelzi (56.565). Capps has been
dubbed King of the Track three of the event's four years, with
McClenathan taking the honor in 2004.

 

"I've come to this event three of the four years and it keeps getting
better and better," Capps said. "We're supporting a great cause with
Speedway Children's Charities, but at the same time we got to kart all
day and hang out with the fans. It's been great."

 

Race fan Ken Caplan has attended the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals for 10
straight years in Sonoma, but this was his first at the NHRA Tour de
Charity. This year's nationals take place July 28-30.

 

"This was a blast," said Caplan, from San Jose. "I'm really into NHRA
drag racing, and all forms of racing, so to meet these drivers and get a
day of karting was more than I could have asked for. It's really
unbelievable just how nice the NHRA drivers are in person. I'll be back
for this every year."

 

The Jim Russell Racing Schools and Infinity Karting provided the karts,
racesuits, classroom instruction and on-track pointers for all
competitors. NHRA drivers were coupled with race fans during the day of
racing, and they also signed autographs and donated memorabilia for a
raffle. 

 

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," said Scelzi, who has participated
in every NHRA Tour de Charity since its inception in 2002. "It's nice
blasting around this course in these karts. It's amazing just how much
concentration it takes to get around this course. I know I'll be back.

 

            "We couldn't have asked for a better day, and I had a great
time with the fans," McClenathan said. "These karts are really
addicting, too. I had a great time."

 

 Race fans also had their own private feature race at the end of the
day, with Folsom's Phil Blay taking top honors at 56.953.