CAPPS IS OUT EARLY IN LAS VEGAS
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/r_capps_642736.jpg" alt="r_capps_642736" align="left"borders="0"/>
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 2, 2008) -- The NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car experienced a rare supercharger explosion in driver Ron Capp's opening round of eliminations over Ashley Force at the Las Vegas NHRA Nationals today, eliminating him from the event. He did have an opportunity, however, to test NHRA's newly-mandated Electrimotion Safety Shutoff Controller during that run.
Capps, who qualified 13th, took off in the lead shortly after he and No. 4 qualifier Force launched with nearly identical reaction times, but it was Force first at the finish line, with a winning 4.207-second lap at 293.54 mph to Capps' losing 4.655/173.25.
Capps is now eighth in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series point standings, with one national event remaining.
"We were actually ahead of Ashley, according to the time slip," explained Capps, "and for some reason it struck the tires loose in a very weird spot, pretty far out during the run, which just doesn't seem to happen very often.
"It was so quick. It struck the tires and then exploded the supercharger right after that. If there is a bright side, we have the new shutoff controller on it, so when an explosion happens like that it shuts the fuel off and puts the parachute out.
"As soon as it blew up, I reached down to shut the fuel off, because you're trained to do that as a driver, and it was already off. So the ‘chute was out and everything did its job. If something like that happens and you get knocked out or something goes very wrong with the car, having that system is a good thing. It worked.
"It's going to be a rough weekend off getting ready for the last race in Pomona (in two weeks), and obviously Pomona is a place where we need to get a win and we want to go there to try to do better on Sunday, for sure."
Next up is the 44th annual NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., Nov. 13-16.
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/r_capps_642736.jpg" alt="r_capps_642736" align="left"borders="0"/>
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 2, 2008) -- The NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car experienced a rare supercharger explosion in driver Ron Capp's opening round of eliminations over Ashley Force at the Las Vegas NHRA Nationals today, eliminating him from the event. He did have an opportunity, however, to test NHRA's newly-mandated Electrimotion Safety Shutoff Controller during that run.
Capps, who qualified 13th, took off in the lead shortly after he and No. 4 qualifier Force launched with nearly identical reaction times, but it was Force first at the finish line, with a winning 4.207-second lap at 293.54 mph to Capps' losing 4.655/173.25.
Capps is now eighth in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series point standings, with one national event remaining.
"We were actually ahead of Ashley, according to the time slip," explained Capps, "and for some reason it struck the tires loose in a very weird spot, pretty far out during the run, which just doesn't seem to happen very often.
"It was so quick. It struck the tires and then exploded the supercharger right after that. If there is a bright side, we have the new shutoff controller on it, so when an explosion happens like that it shuts the fuel off and puts the parachute out.
"As soon as it blew up, I reached down to shut the fuel off, because you're trained to do that as a driver, and it was already off. So the ‘chute was out and everything did its job. If something like that happens and you get knocked out or something goes very wrong with the car, having that system is a good thing. It worked.
"It's going to be a rough weekend off getting ready for the last race in Pomona (in two weeks), and obviously Pomona is a place where we need to get a win and we want to go there to try to do better on Sunday, for sure."
Next up is the 44th annual NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., Nov. 13-16.
