Capps snags No. 2 in Vegas qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2009 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 5 of six in Countdown to 1 Playoffs
Round 23 of 24 for season
Ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

CAPPS SNAGS NO. 2 IN VEGAS QUALIFYING

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 31, 2009) - Ron Capps drove the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Funny
Car into second place in qualifying for the ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas
Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Capps set his quickest pass of 4.041 seconds at 310.55 mph in Friday
evening's second qualifying session, which held through two more rounds of
qualifying today. His first attempt on Friday produced a 5.578/126.09. A
5.934/111.35 and a similar 5.809/117.67 pass today completed his tries to
set a national elapsed-time record to garner 20 bonus points. He earned two
qualifying bonus points for posting the second-quickest pass in the third
session.

"We obviously knew we were well enough in the show that we could go after it
with the conditions we were offered," he said of his run in the final
session. "Out there looming are those extra points to reset a national
record. And we knew we had already run the .04. I can tell you that Ace
(crew chief Ed McCulloch) was trying to run a 4.02 or a 4.01. And the .04
would have been a backup for it." Capps' run earlier this year of 4.023
seconds is the record everyone is aiming to beat.

"So, at this time of the season, as far back as we are (63 points behind in
fourth place), having to make up a lot of ground and seeing the ladder with
Robert Hight and Ashley Force Hood (one and two in points) running each
other first round, we have to take advantage of it. And part of that would
have been a national record.

"The track was great tonight. Not a lot of guys got down that left lane, but
we still felt like we could negotiate it. It was just too much power too
soon. But that's OK. We have to get ready for tomorrow. Ace has got that
stern race-day face on and it's not even race day yet, and that's what I
love to see. He's a great leader and the NAPA team is in a position to
really make a run here and I can't wait to go to bed and wake up in the
morning and get back out here."

Capps faces Gary Densham in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.

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