Capps settles for No.2 in rain-shortened Brainerd qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2009 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 16 of 24
28th annual NHRA NATIONALS
Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway
Aug. 14-16, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

CAPPS SETTLES FOR NO. 2 IN RAIN-SHORTENED BRAINERD QUALIFYING

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 15, 2009) - Under welcome cool conditions, Ron Capps
grabbed the pole position in today's third qualifying session for the 28th
annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway with a 4.169-second
pass at 292.01 mph. Then, following a three-hour rain delay, he relinquished
it to Mike Neff, who was the last remaining driver to make a qualifying
attempt in that round before the rains hit.

The fourth and final qualifying session was cancelled due to continuing rain
showers. Driving the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Funny Car, Capps will begin
Sunday's eliminations rounds from second place.

His two other passes produced a 4.710/229.74 (No. 6) and 4.285/277.83 (No.
6). Before Neff's low-qualifying run, Capps would have met up with his
teammate and No. 16 qualifier Jack Beckman. Instead, he will face Tim
Wilkerson in the opening round.

"Obviously, the conditions came to pretty much all the racers today," said
Capps. "Friday was tricky. It was a pretty trying day for the crew chiefs
and the crew members. It was so hot and so humid out. They've done such a
great job of with this track. Every year we come back here and find the
track owners have done something new and it's nice that the conditions
cooled off to where we could really show how good the track surface is.

"We were actually trying to run a 4.15. We saw Ashley Force run her 4.17 in
front of us. Before that we weren't quite so sure the .15 was going to hold,
but once we saw that run we figured we'd leave the car alone and Ace (crew
chief Ed McCulloch) did a great job; he made a great call."

Having out-qualified points leader Tony Pedregon today, No. 2-in-points
Capps is now just eight markers shy of regaining first place, where he wants
to be when the Countdown to 1 playoffs begin after the U.S. Nationals on
Labor Day. Earning those 20 bonus points as the class leader entering the
Countdown is his goal. "The way the points are at this stage of the season,
with three races left before the Coutndown kicks in, every single point
counts and so those are valuable points,² he said.

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