Capps, NAPA on cusp of season's first pole; Schumacher, Brown lead DSR dragsters
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This year's Charity Challenge series between Leah Pritchett and John Schnatter ended
Friday with a win for Papa John. See story below.
World champ, points leader Capps, NAPA Dodge on cusp of pole;
Schumacher, Brown 2-3 in Top Fuel but Torrence extends lead
ENNIS, Texas (Octobler 13, 2017) - Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger
R/T Powered by Pennzoil are on the cusp of winning their first No. 1 qualifying
position of the year, and it couldn't come at a better time if it holds up after
Saturday's last two qualifying sessions.
Capps and the NAPA AutoCare team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler and assistant Eric
Lane uncorked a time of 3.872 seconds at 329.58 mph during Friday's early evening
session to earn three qualifying bonus points.
"We didn't get down the track on our first run," Capps said of an early 8.981. "But
Tobler, Eric and our NAPA AutoCare guys did a great job getting our Dodge ready
on the next one."
If it holds after Saturday's sessions at 2 and 5 p.m. (CDT), it will be Capps' first
pole since June of last year.
"NAPA team just went to No. 1 which we haven't done in a long time," said Capps
the reigning world champion and current points leader with eight event titles this
year.
"I know we are not known to be low qualifier on these cool condition tracks, but
we went 3.87. We got the three bonus points. I know that doesn't sound like much
but, trust me, those little points are important.
"It's going to be warm tomorrow so we're not sure we can run quicker than that but
on Sunday, it's going to be in the high-60s and records will fall. It will be fast.
I've got Rahn Tobler so I think we'll be alright."
That allowed him to extend his points lead to 49 over Robert Hight of John Force
Racing in the NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas in the 22nd
of 24 events of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and fourth of sixth in
the Countdown to the Championship playoff.
Right behind Capps is Don Schumacher Racing teammate Jack Beckman in Terry and Doug
Chandler's Infinite Hero Dodge, which was quickest in the first session, improved
to a 3.873 (332.34) on their last run.
In Top Fuel, DSR's Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army) is qualified No. 2 with teammate
Antron Brown (Matco Tools "Tools for the Cause"), third but points leader Steve
Torrence of nearby Kilgore, Texas, was quickest in both sessions including a 3.682
on the last run of the night that tied the track record and extended his lead in
the Countdown to the Championship.
Torrence leads fourth-place Brown by 99 points and Schumacher, who moved up into
a tie for fifth, by 146.
"It was an outstanding run considering there's an incredibly fine line between going
for it too much and not enough in these conditions on this track tonight," said
Schumacher, the winningest Top Fuel driver in Texas Motorplex history with six event
titles. "We made an extremely good run and theirs (Steve Torrence) was a little
better. They're No. 1, we're No. 2."
CHARITY CHALLENGE
Papa John's founder and chairman John Schnatter drove his classic 1971 Chevrolet
Camaro Z28 to victory over Leah Pritchett Friday evening in the last Charity Challenge
race of the season but Pritchett took the series by a 3-1 margin with her supercharged
Gen III HEMI in a 2017 Dodge Challenger configured for drag racing.
DSR owner Don Schumacher and Schnatter each contributed $20,000 at each Charity
Challenge and raised $100,000 for the Infinite Hero Foundation and $40,000 for the
Riley Hospital for Children Foundation.
The following are Friday's qualifying results for DSR in the FallNationals:
TOP FUEL
Provisional No. 1 qualifier: Steve Torrence (CAPCO Contractors), 3.682 sec., 327.51
mph
TONY SCHUMACHER, U.S. Army
Crew chief: Mike Green; Assistant: Phil Shuler
QUALIFYING
Provisional qualifying position: No. 2
FRIDAY: 3.793 sec., 324.75 mph, (Session 1); , (Session 2)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles
DNQ W/L
2017 6th 21 1 3 4
9 5 3 0 29-20
CAREER 477 83 64 75 134
114 83 8 805-386
Career best time, speed: 3.660 sec. (2017, Topeka); 332.51 mph (2016, Brainerd)
BY THE NUMBERS
Last event: Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Qualified No. 3, lost in second round to Antron Brown
A year ago at Dallas: Qualified No. 3, lost in second round to Shawn Langdon
Career at Dallas: Wins 6-track record (1999, 2004-05, 2009, 2010, 2014), Runner-ups
1 (2008),
Poles 3 (2003, 2006, 2011)
ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools 'Tools for the Cause'
Crew chiefs: Brian Corradi, Mark Oswald; Assistant: Brad Mason
QUALIFYING
Provisional qualifying position: No. 3
FRIDAY: 6.714 sec., 100.46 mph, (Session 1); 3.696, 329.91, (Session 2)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles
DNQ W/L
2017 4th 21 4 6 4
7 0 2 0 49-17
CAREER 379 65* 53 78 100
80 49 3 670-310
*49 TF/16 PSB
Career best time, speed: 3.667 (2017, Phoenix); 333.16 mph (2017, Topeka)
BY THE NUMBERS
Last event: Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Qualified No. 6, lost in semifinals to Steve Torrence
A year ago at Dallas: Qualified No. 1, won in championship round over Steve Torrence
Career at Dallas: Wins 3 (1999-PSM, 2012, 2016), Runner-ups 0, Poles 1 (2016)
LEAH PRITCHETT, Papa John's Pizza
Crew chief: Todd Okuhara; Assistant: Joe Barlam
QUALIFYING
Provisional qualifying position: No. 8
FRIDAY: 3.767 sec., 323.89 mph, (Session 1); 5.269, 132.50, (Session 2)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles
DNQ W/L
2017 7th 21 4 2 8
5 2 6 0 43-17
CAREER 91 5 3 15 18
44 7 6 77-80
Career best time, speed: 3.640 sec. (2017 Brainerd); 331.53 (2017 Brainerd)
BY THE NUMBERS
Last event: Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Qualified No. 2, lost in second round to Steve Torrence
A year ago at Dallas: Qualified No. 2, lost in second round to Steve Torrence
Career at Dallas: Wins 0, Runner-ups 0, Poles 0
FUNNY CAR
Provisional No. 1 qualifier: Ron Capps (Don Schumacher Racing) 3.872 sec., 329.58
mph
RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Rahn Tobler; Assistant: Eric Lane
QUALIFYING
Provisional qualifying position: No. 1
FRIDAY: 8.981 sec., 77.02 mph, (Session 1); 3.872, 329.58, (Session 2)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ
W/L
2017 1st 21 8 3 2
5 3 0 0 49-13
CAREER 504 58* 53 91 103
181 21 19 676-427
*57 FC/1 TF
Career best time, speed: 3.839 sec. (2017, Phoenix); 333.58 mph (2017, Phoenix)
BY THE NUMBERS
Last event: Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Qualified No. 3, won in championship round over Jonnie
Lindberg
A year ago at Dallas: Qualified No. 7, lost in championship round to Matt Hagan
Career at Dallas: Wins 1 (1998), Runner-ups 2 (2011, 2016), Poles 1 (1997)
JACK BECKMAN, Terry and Doug Chandler's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: Dean Antonelli, John Medlen, Neal Strausbaugh
QUALIFYING
Provisional qualifying position: No. 2
FRIDAY: 3.914 sec., 329.50 mph, (Session 1); 3.873, 332.34, (Session 2)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ
W/L
2017 5th 21 2 2 5
9 3 0 0 32-19
CAREER 273 26 27 50 82
81 21 7 364-240
Career best time, speed: 3.825 sec., (2016 Pomona 2); 334.15 mph (Seattle 2016)
BY THE NUMBERS
Last event: Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Qualified No. 6, lost in second round to Ron Capps
A year ago at Dallas: Qualified No. 2, lost in second round to Ron Capps,
Career at Dallas: Wins 0, Runner-ups 2 (2009, 2015), Poles 0
TOMMY JOHNSON JR., Terry and Doug Chandler's Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: John Collins; Assistant: Rip Reynolds
QUALIFYING
Provisional qualifying position: No. 6
FRIDAY: 4.149 sec., 236.96 mph, (Session 1); 3.930, 327.59, (Session 2)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ
W/L
2017 7th 21 1 4 5
5 6 1 0 31-20
CAREER 419 16* 28 58 102 170
15 44 367-359
*14 FC/2 TF
Career best time, speed: 3.837 sec. (Phoenix 2017); 332.02 mph (Sonoma 2017)
BY THE NUMBERS
Last event: Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Qualified No. 9, lost in first round to Matt Hagan
A year ago at Dallas: Qualified No. 3, lost in second round to Del Worsham
Career at Dallas: Wins 0, Runner-ups 1 (1999), Poles 0
MATT HAGAN, Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Dick Venables; Assistant: Michael Knudsen
QUALIFYING
Provisional qualifying position: No. 13
FRIDAY: 12.388 sec., 70.44 mph, (Session 1); 4.283, 211.03, (Session 2)
Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ
W/L
2017 4th 21 3 1 7
5 5 4 0 34-18
CAREER 213 25 23 35 67 61
30 4 299-184
Career best time, speed: 3.799 (2017, Indianapolis); 338.85 mph (2017, Topeka)
BY THE NUMBERS
Last event: Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Qualified No. 8, lost in second round to Robert Hight
A year ago at Dallas: Qualified No. 4, won in championship round over Ron Capps
Career at Dallas: Wins 2 (2010, 2016), Runner-ups 1 (2012) , Poles 0
COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
(Official standings through St. Louis; 21 of 24 events; DSR drivers in CAPS)
TOP FUEL
1. Steve Torrence (8) 2376 -----
2. Doug Kalitta (1) 2334 -42
3. Brittany Force (2) 2293 -83
4. ANTRON BROWN (4) 2282 -94
5. Clay Millican (1) 2235 -141
6. TONY SCHUMACHER (1) 2234 -142
7. LEAH PRITCHETT (4) 2224 -152
8. Terry McMillen 2115 -261
9. Scott Palmer 2105 -271
10. Shawn Langdon 2100 -276
FUNNY CAR
1. RON CAPPS (8) 2395 -----
2. Robert Hight (3) 2349 -46
3. Courtney Force 2287 -108
4. MATT HAGAN (3) 2238 -157
5. JACK BECKMAN (2) 2228 -167
6. John Force (1) 2197 -198
7. TOMMY JOHNSON JR. (1) 2191 -204
8. J.R. Todd (2) 2168 -227
9. Tim Wilkerson 2130 -265
10 Cruz Pedregon 2096 -299
About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., fields seven professional
NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time world champion
Tony Schumacher, the Matco Tools dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron
Brown and the 80th Anniversary Mopar/Pennzoil dragster driven by Leah Pritchett;
and in Funny Car, 2016 world champion Ron Capps in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger
R/T; 2011 and 2014 world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger
R/T, and 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in Terry and Doug Chandler's Infinite
Hero Foundation Dodge and the Chandlers' Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson
Jr.
DSR has won 316 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jeff Wolf (wolfj@shoeracing.com), 702.524.1368
Leah Vaughn (vaughnl@shoeracing.com), 618.516.1988
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