Capps looks to make up ground in Texas

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Roud 20 of 23
Round 3 of six in Countdown to the Championship
25th annual NHRA Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Sept. 24-26, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

CAPPS LOOKS TO MAKE UP GROUND IN TEXAS

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Sept. 22, 2010) - Ron Capps is eager to make up some lost
ground at this weekend's 25th annual NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas
Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, the third of six events of the NHRA Countdown to
the Championship.

His first-round exits in the first two events of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle
Drag Racing Series playoffs have dropped him to seventh place, but with the
points being shuffled at each event, it is still anybody's championship to
be earned, and Capps is looking for his first. He returns to racing the NAPA
AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger Funny Car this weekend at the Motorplex, where he
won the class title in 1998 against John Force. He was also low qualifier
there in 2005.

"When you lose first round in the first event of the playoffs, you know you
have to fight your way back into the Countdown," said Capps. And, in
Concord, N.C., last weekend, an almost-perfect scenario happened. A couple
of the leaders in front of us went out early and we thought we could
capitalize on it, but we couldn't. Our Don Schumacher Racing teammate Jack
Beckman did capitalize on it by coming in runner-up and is at the top of the
list right now, in second, just four points out of the lead.

"Looking at the points after the Concord race was over, it's not as bad as
it could have been. We're only 122 out of first, and just a few rounds out
of being back in the top three.

"We stayed and tested at zMAX Dragway on Monday and had one of the best test
sessions we've had in a very long time. We really think we learned
something. It was very hot, we made some very good runs in the heat, and
it's nice to go directly to Ennis the next weekend after you've had a bad
outing, because you want to get back on the horse and get right back in
there.

"What we learned in the test session is going to be beneficial because the
temperatures are going to be in the low 90s in the Dallas area this weekend.
I feel very comfortable that we're going to have a good result and get right
back in the hunt.

"The Texas Motorplex is a great facility, as every driver will tell you.
Billy Meyer has done a terrific job of making many updates to the track. He
made changes safety-wise to the walls at the other end to make drivers
comfortable, so when you strap in and pull up to the starting line at this
track you know you're going to have a really good chance to run well. With
that assurance, we're going to do all we can to move up in points."

RON CAPPS QUICK FACTS:
* Age 45 (June 20, 1965); born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Shelley and daughter Taylor (7/25/96)
and son Caden (7/1/01)
* No. 7 in standings after two of six races of the Countdown to the
Championship 
* Entered 2010 Funny Car Countdown in No. 5, after 17 events of the regular
season (one win, two runner-ups, four quarterfinals, four semifinals, six
first rounds)
* Is 122 points behind leader John Force
* Funny Car winner at Texas Motorplex in 1998 spring race
* Funny Car No. 1 qualifier in 2005
* Qualified No. 9 in 2009 Ennis race, lost first round to Tim Wilkerson
* Has 31 event wins in 64 final rounds to his credit (30 national event wins
in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel)
* Has nine career No. 1 qualifiers
* His best season points finishes were seconds in Funny Car in 1998, 2000
and 2005
* Is tied with Tony Pedregon with longest qualifying streak among active
Funny Car drivers: 82
* NAPA AUTO PARTS is primary sponsor for third straight season
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2005
* Races in Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream every year
* Capps' career round win-loss record is 394-292
* His career quickest ET at 1000 feet is 4.023 seconds (Phoenix 2009)
* Capps' career-best speed racing to 1000 feet is 314.09 mph (Houston 2010)
* (THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FOUR-WIDE RACE IN CONCORD): Capps' career
record against 14-time champion John Force is 22-42 in round wins. He's won
14 of the last 20 meetings against Force, and has won five of the last seven
first-round match-ups over Force. His final-round record against Force is
3-1
* Ended 2009 season No. 3 in the point standings
* Won class-best five events in 2009 - Pomona 1, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Topeka,
Denver - in seven final rounds
* Has three U.S. Smokeless Showdown titles: 1998, 1999 and 2002
* Entered 2009 Countdown to 1 No. 2 in Funny Car "regular season" after
leading standings in 12 of the first 14 events
* Qualified No. 1 three times in 2009 (Phoenix, St. Louis, Denver); none in
2010 so far
* No. 8 in 2008 Funny Car points; two runner-up, five semifinal, four
quarterfinal finishes, 13 first-rounds
* No. 4 in 2007 Funny Car point standings
* Led 2007 Funny Car point standings by as much as 154 points through 14 of
the first 17 races of the season
* Third in 2006 final point standings, with class-best five wins
* Had three wins, four runner-up finishes in 2005 (St. Louis was his first
win for DSR in '05)
* 2005 Funny Car championship runner-up, eight points short of title
* 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 career-best elapsed time (established during an event) is 4.694
seconds, set in 2005 in Dallas (racing to 1320 feet)
* His career-best speed is 331.61 mph (Pomona 1, '07) - racing to 1320 feet
* Has tested for IROC Series and competed in Skip Barber Formula Ford, Dirt
Late Models, Mini-Sprints and Go-Karts

SCHEDULE:    
FRIDAY, Sept. 24 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 2:15 p.m. and 5:15
p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 25 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:15 a.m. and 2:30
p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 26 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FULL THROTTLE SERIES
eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:    
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise one hour of qualifying
highlights at 1 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will re-air one hour of qualifying
highlights at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute
news magazine show, at 6:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26 ESPN3.com will televise of coverage of eliminations
starting at noon (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
    
SATELLITE (Digital SD feed):
Friday, Sept. 24, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
Saturday, Sept. 25, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
Sunday, Sept. 26, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
(12180 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms;
FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners'
interviews on Sunday.

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