CAPPS CLINCHES SPOT IN COUNTDOWN TO 1
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/r_capps_642736.jpg" alt="r_capps_642736" align="left"borders="0"/>
MOHNTON, Pa. (Aug.17, 2008) - Ron Capps clinched a berth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs today, despite his first-round loss to John Force at the 24th annual NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, outside of Reading, Pa.
Capps ended the weekend No. 8 in the point standings, with one event remaining before the top 10 compete for the Funny Car championship in the final six national events of the season. Mathematically, Capps could still achieve his goal of moving into the top five. With 118 points available in a weekend, Capps is 82 markers out of that top five.
In the opening round today, Capps struck the tires early in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, while Force cruised to the victory by 1.7801 seconds with a 4.241-second elapsed time at 296.57 mph to Capps' losing 6.007/110.95.
"We're not sure yet what happened," said Capps, who was the No. 12 qualifier. "Basically, we just overpowered the track a little bit. Obviously we didn't have lane choice but we were comfortable with the 4.16 we ran yesterday in the last session of qualifying (third-quickest of that session) and we actually ran it in the same (right) lane. The lane of choice became the left lane today. I thought it was free and clear where it got in trouble and the track just wouldn't hold it. We were trying to run a high teen.
“Now that we've clinched a place in the Countdown, we can continue to implement some of these things we've been trying to test for later in the season. It's part of getting better and trying to find that edge. You can't find that edge if you don't step over it once in a while, and that's what we have to do.
“I feel very good going into the U.S. Nationals in two weeks. We're in the Showdown $100,000 bonus event that weekend, and we have a very tough match-up first round with (points leader) Tim Wilkerson there. I feel like we have a great car going into Indy." Capps is a three-time Showdown champion.
Next up is the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29-Sept. 1.
UNOFFICIAL FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after 17 of 24 events:
1. Tim Wilkerson, 1189
2. Tony Pedregon, 1066
3. Robert Hight, 1000
4. Cruz Pedregon, 948
5. Ashley Force, 922
6. John Force, 871
7. Gary Desham, 859
8. Ron Capps, 840
9. Jack Beckman, 836 (winner today - Frank Hawley was runner-up)
10. Mike Neff, 796
11. Del Worsham, 675
12. Bob Tasca III, 674
13. Gary Scelzi, 596
14. Melanie Troxel, 591
15. Jerry Toliver, 544
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/r_capps_642736.jpg" alt="r_capps_642736" align="left"borders="0"/>
MOHNTON, Pa. (Aug.17, 2008) - Ron Capps clinched a berth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs today, despite his first-round loss to John Force at the 24th annual NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, outside of Reading, Pa.
Capps ended the weekend No. 8 in the point standings, with one event remaining before the top 10 compete for the Funny Car championship in the final six national events of the season. Mathematically, Capps could still achieve his goal of moving into the top five. With 118 points available in a weekend, Capps is 82 markers out of that top five.
In the opening round today, Capps struck the tires early in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, while Force cruised to the victory by 1.7801 seconds with a 4.241-second elapsed time at 296.57 mph to Capps' losing 6.007/110.95.
"We're not sure yet what happened," said Capps, who was the No. 12 qualifier. "Basically, we just overpowered the track a little bit. Obviously we didn't have lane choice but we were comfortable with the 4.16 we ran yesterday in the last session of qualifying (third-quickest of that session) and we actually ran it in the same (right) lane. The lane of choice became the left lane today. I thought it was free and clear where it got in trouble and the track just wouldn't hold it. We were trying to run a high teen.
“Now that we've clinched a place in the Countdown, we can continue to implement some of these things we've been trying to test for later in the season. It's part of getting better and trying to find that edge. You can't find that edge if you don't step over it once in a while, and that's what we have to do.
“I feel very good going into the U.S. Nationals in two weeks. We're in the Showdown $100,000 bonus event that weekend, and we have a very tough match-up first round with (points leader) Tim Wilkerson there. I feel like we have a great car going into Indy." Capps is a three-time Showdown champion.
Next up is the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29-Sept. 1.
UNOFFICIAL FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after 17 of 24 events:
1. Tim Wilkerson, 1189
2. Tony Pedregon, 1066
3. Robert Hight, 1000
4. Cruz Pedregon, 948
5. Ashley Force, 922
6. John Force, 871
7. Gary Desham, 859
8. Ron Capps, 840
9. Jack Beckman, 836 (winner today - Frank Hawley was runner-up)
10. Mike Neff, 796
11. Del Worsham, 675
12. Bob Tasca III, 674
13. Gary Scelzi, 596
14. Melanie Troxel, 591
15. Jerry Toliver, 544
