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TOPEKA, Kan. (May 31, 2008) - Ron Capps drove the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car into the No 4 spot in qualifying for the NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.
He posted his best lap of the weekend, a 4.911-second elapsed time at 287.17 mph, under cooler conditions in the second qualifying round on Friday evening. Capps was en route to potentially earning his first pole of the season on that run, but a fuel shutoff problem shut down his run early.
His first pass of the day produced a 4.980/300.80, which landed him in No. 1 for that round. Today's final runs in temperatures in the high 80s and track heat reaching 118 degrees resulted in a 5.793/166.25, and finally a 4.942/303.57, fourth quickest of the session.
"Last night when the fuel shutoff went closed, it was on pace to run pretty good," said Capps. "We still ended up fourth. It did damage one of our superchargers, but the great thing about the depth of this NAPA team and Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) is that we had a tune-up that went right back in. It went 4.94 in the heat and it was safe, very safe.
"It could easily have run a .90-flat or so. That’s good, because tomorrow's conditions are going to be a little warmer than today. We're getting into the bulk of the summer and this is kind of a battle of attrition. When we get conditions like these my NAPA team is physically and mentally in better shape, I feel, than most of the guys out here, and that's a big confidence boost for me."
Capps faces No. 13 qualifier Cruz Pedregon in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday.
CAPPS DRIVES NAPA DODGE TO NO. 4 IN TOPEKA QUALIFYING
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 31, 2008) - Ron Capps drove the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car into the No 4 spot in qualifying for the NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.
He posted his best lap of the weekend, a 4.911-second elapsed time at 287.17 mph, under cooler conditions in the second qualifying round on Friday evening. Capps was en route to potentially earning his first pole of the season on that run, but a fuel shutoff problem shut down his run early.
His first pass of the day produced a 4.980/300.80, which landed him in No. 1 for that round. Today's final runs in temperatures in the high 80s and track heat reaching 118 degrees resulted in a 5.793/166.25, and finally a 4.942/303.57, fourth quickest of the session.
"Last night when the fuel shutoff went closed, it was on pace to run pretty good," said Capps. "We still ended up fourth. It did damage one of our superchargers, but the great thing about the depth of this NAPA team and Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) is that we had a tune-up that went right back in. It went 4.94 in the heat and it was safe, very safe.
"It could easily have run a .90-flat or so. That’s good, because tomorrow's conditions are going to be a little warmer than today. We're getting into the bulk of the summer and this is kind of a battle of attrition. When we get conditions like these my NAPA team is physically and mentally in better shape, I feel, than most of the guys out here, and that's a big confidence boost for me."
Capps faces No. 13 qualifier Cruz Pedregon in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday.
