[coverattach=1]JOLIET, Ill. (June 5, 2010) - Ron Capps qualified the NAPA Batteries Dodge Charger Funny Car in No. 6 for the 13th annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals with only three of four sessions run this weekend because of a Friday rain delay.
By the time his turn came up in the final session today, a day expected to be washed out by rain, he'd been bumped out of the field and in No. 17. A straight and quick run produced his quickest lap of the weekend of 4.172 seconds at 297.75 mph, the third quickest of the round, moving him up to sixth. In earlier passes, Capps expertly pedaled the car to No. 4 in the single evening session on Friday (4.456/294.37), then slowed to a 5.241/140.05 in today's earlier round (No. 9).
"Last night we had to pedal it because it did get in trouble and we knew rain was coming," said Capps. "We weren't sure we were going to get runs today on Saturday. The last thing we wanted to do was bring out the NAPA Batteries car and struggle to get into the show.
"Everybody said it was going to rain all day and no runs were going to be made, and, lo an behold, we got two qualifying runs in.
"It's been a strange day. You ask any of the drivers out here and they'll tell you that there's always a lot of drama here in Joliet and it's always in the last session, it seems. You look at my teammate Antron (Brown, Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster) getting in at the last second, guys getting bumped out, and us having to get back into the show on one run.
"It's a very stressful situation. On top of that, anything you feel in the car makes you think the car is going to be in trouble. But, once again, that's when it's really nice to have a veteran crew chief like Ace (Ed McCulloch), a good group of NAPA crew guys who put the car together and nothing falls off and nothing does anything funny.
"It's such high drama, but it's a little bit of a calming effect to know that I've got a good car under me and we've got a shot.
"To be honest with you, we shouldn't have been worried about whether or not we were going to run better to get in the show. We're a better team than that, but this is drag racing, and you just never know what could happen. Something freakish could happen and you don't get into the show. We have a great qualifying streak going and we don't want to lose that (73 straight).
"It's just that kind of drama that builds character, and it brings the team together."
Capps faces Jeff Arend in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.
By the time his turn came up in the final session today, a day expected to be washed out by rain, he'd been bumped out of the field and in No. 17. A straight and quick run produced his quickest lap of the weekend of 4.172 seconds at 297.75 mph, the third quickest of the round, moving him up to sixth. In earlier passes, Capps expertly pedaled the car to No. 4 in the single evening session on Friday (4.456/294.37), then slowed to a 5.241/140.05 in today's earlier round (No. 9).
"Last night we had to pedal it because it did get in trouble and we knew rain was coming," said Capps. "We weren't sure we were going to get runs today on Saturday. The last thing we wanted to do was bring out the NAPA Batteries car and struggle to get into the show.
"Everybody said it was going to rain all day and no runs were going to be made, and, lo an behold, we got two qualifying runs in.
"It's been a strange day. You ask any of the drivers out here and they'll tell you that there's always a lot of drama here in Joliet and it's always in the last session, it seems. You look at my teammate Antron (Brown, Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster) getting in at the last second, guys getting bumped out, and us having to get back into the show on one run.
"It's a very stressful situation. On top of that, anything you feel in the car makes you think the car is going to be in trouble. But, once again, that's when it's really nice to have a veteran crew chief like Ace (Ed McCulloch), a good group of NAPA crew guys who put the car together and nothing falls off and nothing does anything funny.
"It's such high drama, but it's a little bit of a calming effect to know that I've got a good car under me and we've got a shot.
"To be honest with you, we shouldn't have been worried about whether or not we were going to run better to get in the show. We're a better team than that, but this is drag racing, and you just never know what could happen. Something freakish could happen and you don't get into the show. We have a great qualifying streak going and we don't want to lose that (73 straight).
"It's just that kind of drama that builds character, and it brings the team together."
Capps faces Jeff Arend in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.
