RON CAPPS
Driver of the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car​


Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 4th (-63 points)

Last Event (Michigan):
Qualified seventh; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Chad Green in E1; defeated by Jack Beckman in E2)

2026 Statistics:
15 races; three wins, one runner-up finish, three No. 1 qualifiers

Career Statistics:

  • 683 races: 80 wins, 40 No. 1 qualifiers
  • Career-best E.T.: 3.821 seconds (Pomona 2, 2024)
  • Career-best speed: 339.37 mph (Martin, Mich. 2026)

Noteworthy:

  • The three-time Funny Car world champ begins the inaugural event ranked fourth in the NHRA Mission Food Series standings and will be looking to close the gap on the 63-point deficit separating him from the No. 1 ranked driver
  • Enters the weekend after having clocked a new career-best speed of 339.37 mph during last weekend’s Martin, Mich. event, the first of three consecutive races that kick off the six-race 2026 Countdown to the Championship playoffs
  • Capps will feature SKF branding on his car throughout the weekend as part of a NAPA supplier partnership. Since 1907, SKF has been developing innovative bearings, seals, lubrication systems, condition monitoring solutions, and services designed to reduce friction.

Fan Events:

  • Thursday, 6:30 – 7:15 p.m., NHRA NitroFest driver autograph session, Harrington Square, downtown Rockingham
  • Friday, 12:00 – 12:30 p.m., Ron Capps Motorsports driver autograph session, Carlyle Tools Outlaw trailer
  • Saturday, 10:00 – 10:30 a.m., Ron Capps Motorsports driver autograph session, Carlyle Tools Outlaw trailer

Quotable
“It’s funny how time flies and if you paid attention to any of the talk with the drivers and the teams whenever we spoke about the NHRA playoffs, we all discussed how quickly things can happen with a three-in-a-row to start the Countdown to the Championship. We saw everything thrown at us at our first race in Michigan, but low and behold, here we are coming up on the second of three. We’re headed out to Rockingham, North Carolina, which has a great amount of NHRA history, as well as history for me, personally. The first time I drove there was during my rookie year with Don Prudhomme. It’s such an iconic race, and it kind of feels like everything’s coming full circle. The weather is going to be great this weekend, and obviously no one’s been on that track in quite some time in a nitro car.

“We didn’t start things off quite like we had hoped last weekend, so we’re looking forward to getting back on track to where both teams had been all season long. We’ve got a lot of things happening around us, which keeps us busy in our Ron Capps Motorsports pit area. We’ve got a couple of brand-new partners joining us for the weekend with NAPA Auto Parts, and some great store owners who will bring customers to spend the weekend with us. It usually bodes well for our teams when we’re able to show off in front of our NAPA and Carlyle partners.”

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