Funny Car points leader Capps not relaxing
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 10 of 23
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals
Route 66 Raceway
Joliet, Ill.
Race Date: June 9-11, 2006
JOLIET, Ill. (June 7, 2006) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car
points leader Ron Capps says he just can't relax and enjoy being in the
lead, as the series heads to Route 66 Raceway this weekend for round 10 of a
long 23-event season, the CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals.
Despite taking the Brut Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to the Charger model's
first win since 1971 (Capps' other three wins in 2006 were in a Dodge
Stratus) at the last event in Topeka, Kans., and after defeating
second-place John Force for the third time in three finals, Capps still
feels that target on his back.
The California native knows it's no fun having 13-time champion Force, over
whom he maintains a 109-point lead, aiming that arrow at him as the summer
season begins, bringing with it a number of challenges, including a
back-to-back three-event swing.
"I find it hard right now to enjoy being the points leader, because we're so
focused on making sure we keep pushing ourselves and keep doing well," he
says. "You would think that we'd be able to enjoy it a lot more. I'm hopeful
that at the end of the year we could enjoy it, but I don't want to get
complacent. Every minute I stop to think, Wow, we're leading the points and
how great it feels, I feel like I have to stop myself and remind myself and
everybody on the Brut team that we have to stay on top of our game, because
Force being on our heels is more reason than any to make sure that we don't
get too lazy or too cocky.
"We said it time and time again, when you get to parts of the season when
you have three races in a row, and especially with the three we have coming
up, with completely different conditions as far as tracks and weather go,
the cream of the crop is going to rise to the top. That's a cliché, but
those rising to the top are the crew chiefs who can adapt. So far, Ace (crew
chief Ed McCulloch) and the Brut guys have done a great job adapting
everywhere we've gone. We brought out the new Charger body and gave it its
first win."
One of the three races he won in 2005 which helped him earn runner-up in the
championship by eight points was at the second event here at Route 66.
"After winning last year here, I feel a lot better coming back here," adds
Capps, who also receives sponsorship support from Knoll Gas-Torco Race
Fuels. "I hadn't had quite the success in Chicago I always wanted, so it was
nice to do what we did last year in the fall.
"At this time of the year it's probably going to be warm and humid. It used
to really bother me as a driver when you had to go to different conditions,
but it doesn't anymore."
Capps' Route 66 record includes his Chicago 2 win here in 2005 and a
runner-up at Chicago 2 in 2002.
RON CAPPS QUICK FACTS:
* Leading 2006 Funny Car point standings after nine events, by 109 over John
Force
* Has four wins, two runner-up finishes, one semifinal finish in 2006 so
far
* Qualified No. 11 at 2005 CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals, lost first round
to Del Worsham
* Is the 2005 (2) winner here and 2002 (2) runner-up
* Had three wins, four runner-up finishes in 2005 (St. Louis was his first
win for DSR in '05), won at Chicago 2 at Route 66 Raceway and Las Vegas 2
* 2005 Funny Car championship runner-up, eight points short of title
* Qualified No. 1 once in 2005, in Dallas; first time since Brainerd 2000
* A perennial fan favorite, Capps has driven and won in both Top Fuel and
Funny Cars since he began his pro NHRA career in 1995
* His best season points finishes were seconds in Funny Car in 1998, 2000
and 2005
* He has 21 event wins in 43 final rounds to his credit (20 national event
wins in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel)
* His career best elapsed time (established during an event) is 4.694
seconds, set in 2005 in Dallas
* His career best speed is 329.02 mph (Chicago 2, '05)
* Age 40 (June 20, 1965); born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Shelley and daughter Taylor (9) and
son Caden (3)
* Is the subject, along with son Caden and the Brut racing crew, of a number
of Brut ads appearing in mainstream magazines, such as People, Sports
Illustrated, etc.
* New to Don Schumacher Racing in 2005 after eight years with Don Prudhomme.
* Has tested for IROC Series and competed in Skip Barber Formula Ford, Dirt
Late Models and Go-Karts
SCHEDULE:
Friday, June 9, professional qualifying sessions are at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 10, pro qualifying sessions continue at 12:10 p.m. and 3:05
p.m. King Demon Crown elimination rounds are at noon, 3, and 4:25 p.m.
Sunday, June 11, pre-race ceremonies are at 10:30 a.m., final eliminations
begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, June 10, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying
highlights at 5 p.m. (ET).
Sunday June 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly
news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of eliminations
at 5 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, June 9, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) SBS 6, Transponder 15K (Downlink
frequency, 12072 MHz, horizontal)
Saturday, June 10, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) SBS 6, Transponder 15K (Downlink
frequency, 12072 MHz, horizontal)
Sunday, June 11, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) SBS 6, Transponder 15K (Downlink
frequency, 12072 MHz, horizontal)
