<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/r_capps_642736.jpg" alt="r_capps_642736" align="left"borders="0"/>
BRISTOL, Tenn. (May 17, 2008) - Ron Capps drove the brand-new NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car into the No. 9 position after four rounds of qualifying for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Capps posted his quickest pass of 4.831 seconds at 317.79 mph in the cool Friday night session. His other strong runs included a 5.082/285.53 (No. 13), a 4.861/305.70 (No. 9), quickest of the third round, and another stout 4.868/309.34 in the final session.
"Very happy," he said. "Our first run yesterday I had to pedal it, and I'm driving the first time in my career with a different gas pedal assembly. I'd always used what they call a toe pedal and 99 percent of the guys out here run a different kind of pedal. And we finally went to that pedal and I'm still trying to get used to it. I was able to pedal the car Friday and get it down there. And that got us in at the time.
"We were worried about the weather, but we got all four runs in and we had 4.86 two times in a row on Saturday, and I'm just getting a little more comfortable driving the car. Obviously, Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) and the NAPA AUTO PARTS crew are doing a great job of adapting to this car.
"You're like walking on broken glass because you don't know what the car wants at the beginning, but Ace is really feeling the car out and he's getting more and more comfortable. Just to make the show is a big deal, and to keep the streak going (Capps is tied with Tony Pedregon with the most number of consecutive events for which they have qualified, 23) is a big deal. More than anything, just being able to get qualified on Friday night and concentrate on race-day setup like we did today is even bigger.
"And now we're going to go in circles over there at the half-mile track," he added of his stint in a Late Model Street Stock car tonight at Bristol Motor Speedway's half-mile oval in the NHRA Circle Track challenge.
Capps faces Bob Tasca III in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.
CAPPS DRIVES NEW NAPA CAR TO NO. 9 IN BRISTOL QUALIFYING
BRISTOL, Tenn. (May 17, 2008) - Ron Capps drove the brand-new NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car into the No. 9 position after four rounds of qualifying for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Capps posted his quickest pass of 4.831 seconds at 317.79 mph in the cool Friday night session. His other strong runs included a 5.082/285.53 (No. 13), a 4.861/305.70 (No. 9), quickest of the third round, and another stout 4.868/309.34 in the final session.
"Very happy," he said. "Our first run yesterday I had to pedal it, and I'm driving the first time in my career with a different gas pedal assembly. I'd always used what they call a toe pedal and 99 percent of the guys out here run a different kind of pedal. And we finally went to that pedal and I'm still trying to get used to it. I was able to pedal the car Friday and get it down there. And that got us in at the time.
"We were worried about the weather, but we got all four runs in and we had 4.86 two times in a row on Saturday, and I'm just getting a little more comfortable driving the car. Obviously, Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) and the NAPA AUTO PARTS crew are doing a great job of adapting to this car.
"You're like walking on broken glass because you don't know what the car wants at the beginning, but Ace is really feeling the car out and he's getting more and more comfortable. Just to make the show is a big deal, and to keep the streak going (Capps is tied with Tony Pedregon with the most number of consecutive events for which they have qualified, 23) is a big deal. More than anything, just being able to get qualified on Friday night and concentrate on race-day setup like we did today is even bigger.
"And now we're going to go in circles over there at the half-mile track," he added of his stint in a Late Model Street Stock car tonight at Bristol Motor Speedway's half-mile oval in the NHRA Circle Track challenge.
Capps faces Bob Tasca III in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.
