Capps makes Memphis field in final try

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 17 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA MID-SOUTH NATIONALS
Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park
Race Date: Aug. 18-20, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

CAPPS MAKES MEMPHIS FIELD IN FINAL TRY

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 19, 2006) - Funny Car points leader Ron Capps barely
made it into the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series field today at the
O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals in a nail-biting final qualifying session.
But he accomplished that feat, ending up No. 13, with a pass of 4.950
seconds at 292.90 mph.

Following a surprise deluge on Friday, which allowed only one qualifying
round to be held that day after a long clean-up once the rain stopped, the
driver of the Brut Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car posted a 5.168/291.07 pass,
good only for 15th place.

Today's third session was held in extreme heat, in the 100-degree range, and
Capps did not improve with a 5.193/246.39 lap, dropping him to No. 16.

In his final attempt the temperatures fell slightly, the sun was setting and
by the time Capps' pairing arrived at the starting line he was out of the
field. That solid 4.950/292.90 pass saved the day.

"Those weekends that you have when you just get into the show are as good
looking back at the end of the year and as important as qualifying No. 3 or
No. 2 at a race," said Capps, who also receives support from Knoll Gas-Torco
Race Fuels. "It is one of those weekends where we had a shot of losing a lot
of points and not qualifying and just having a disastrous weekend, but it
turned into a pretty good one so far.

"I told the guys on the Brut team that the feeling you have right now,
bottle it up and just remember it, because this is why we do this. It's not
the money, it's not everything else, it's that feeling you get of going from
the lowest of lows and you don't know if you're going to get in and, all of
a sudden, you get in, your anxiety goes away, and the whole team is excited.
Everybody's got the same goal. It's exciting."

The heat and the surprise rain storm took its toll. "A lot of guys had to
pedal it last night," Capps added. "Everybody rolled up to the starting
line, and whether the humidity caused a lot of the engines to not make as
much horsepower, I don't know. I know Whit (Bazemore) had problems, I know
we did, Bob Gilbertson, even (Gary) Scelzi might have slapped his too.
Everybody was having to pedal it last night. Of course, in the run today it
was a 140-something-degree track, which made it difficult.

"You have to get a little bit of data, and when you're cut run one short,
tonight was THE run. And you either went up and did it or you didn't it. And
for guys like Del Worsham not getting in just tells you how tough it was."

Capps faces Cruz Pedregon in first round of eliminations on Sunday.

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