Ron Capps Reaches Quarterfinals at Brainerd, Turns Focus to Indy

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 23, 2026) – Ron Capps and the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car team advanced to the quarterfinals Sunday at the NHRA Brainerd Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, closing a challenging weekend at the Minnesota facility where Capps holds seven wins. After holding the Funny Car points lead following nine of the season’s first 12 races, the three-time world champion leaves Brainerd ranked third and firmly in contention for the regular season championship heading into the points-and-a-half NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

Capps, who NHRA recognized as one of its Top 75 Drivers this weekend as part of its 75th anniversary celebration season, went into the Brainerd Nationals with momentum after recording mid-3.80-second passes on his way to the first-ever ‘King of Nitro’ victory at Summit Motorsports Park’s 49th annual Night Under Fire earlier this month. He defeated teammate Maddi Gordon in a rare Top Fuel vs. Funny Car final round.

Qualifying at Brainerd was a challenge for Capps, who shut off near halftrack on his first qualifying attempt and ended up No. 10 going into the second session. Crew chief Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli went back to the drawing board and guided Capps to a 3.930-second pass at 322.27 mph to move the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car up to the provisional No. 5 spot. The struggles continued on Saturday, as Capps experienced traction issues in both qualifying sessions and returned to the No. 10 position for Sunday eliminations.

Two of the most experienced drivers in Funny Car met up in the opening round of eliminations when Capps paired up with fellow multi-time world champion Cruz Pedregon. Capps scored a starting line advantage and led the race from start to finish, using a 3.934-second pass at 325.14 mph to hold off Pedregon’s quicker 3.919 E.T. Another marquee matchup followed in the second round, as two-time and reigning world champion Austin Prock sat in the other lane. Capps dropped a cylinder out of the gate, which pushed him toward the center line as he went down the track. Though Capps reached the finish line ahead of Prock, he clipped the finish line timing system blocks, automatically disqualifying him.

“Brainerd is a pivotal race,” said Capps, the winningest active driver at BIR. “The U.S. Nationals is looming, everybody is shooting for the regular season championship, and on top of that, you’re getting ready for the playoffs. I’m sick to my stomach. These nitro Funny Cars are so hard to drive. You don’t have a second chance to think about it. Things happen so fast. I knew the centerline was getting close. I didn’t want to make a big move of the wheel and upset the chassis. I didn’t know where (Prock) was at – he could’ve been next to me. Everything is hindsight. I’m just gutted right now. As a seasoned driver, I feel like I let a lot of people down. But the good news is Guido and the guys gave us a great race car that we can take to Indy, which is worth points-and-a-half.”

Throughout the weekend, Capps sported increased OKUMA branding as part of a six-race collaboration with the global leader in machine tool design and manufacturing. The Ron Capps Motorsports team also welcomed new partners Core Scientific and USA Compression at Brainerd.

Capps and the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car team will close out the NHRA regular season at the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals, Sept. 4-7, at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Capps is a two-time event winner with four final-round appearances in the last five editions of the race known as the Big Go.

Qualified: No. 10 (3.930 E.T. at 322.27 MPH)

Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.934 E.T. at 325.14 MPH defeated Cruz Pedregon 3.919 E.T. at 319.98 MPH
E2: Foul, hit a timing block, defeated by Austin Prock

NHRA Brainerd Nationals

NHRA Brainerd Nationals

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Ron Capps Reaches Quarterfinals at Brainerd, Turns Focus to Indy

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