[coverattach=1]CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 19, 2009) - Ron Capps drove the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Funny Car into the No. 6 spot in qualifying for the NHRA Carolina Nationals today, posting a 4.105-second elapsed time at 307.79 mph in the final of four qualifying sessions for the weekend.
He also earned one bonus point as the third quickest of that round (NHRA began to award bonus points for the top three - three, two, one points - in each qualifying session during the Countdown to 1 playoffs). His other passes included a 4.497/286.25 (No. 14), a 4.164/301.00 (No. 12) and a 4.133/304.53 (No. 11).
"You have to have patience sometimes when a crew chief has been working on something,” said Capps, second in Countdown points. “And I know we've gone out first round the last few races and it may have looked like we lost a little bit of our mojo from early in the season. But Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) has been really working hard on a new setup, and you just have to have patience, as he's been ticking away at it.
"He made a comment that was true. It's really nice to be able to race on a race track where you can go up from session to session and make improvements on the car and actually see the results, because the track's not going to change, it's just as good as it was, and the conditions are pretty close.
"He's getting a lot more in tune with the race car and I can tell the difference in the car. We ran a 4.10 and we were right there in the hunt with anybody.
"It's like Pro Stock right now with Funny Cars here in qualifying, and it's so tight that every little inch is going to matter on Sunday. On top of that, this is the first race of the Countdown. It's going to be a stressful morning for a lot of drivers.
"I tell you, there's nothing better than finishing all four qualifying rounds with a good run."
Capps faces Bob Tasca III in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.
He also earned one bonus point as the third quickest of that round (NHRA began to award bonus points for the top three - three, two, one points - in each qualifying session during the Countdown to 1 playoffs). His other passes included a 4.497/286.25 (No. 14), a 4.164/301.00 (No. 12) and a 4.133/304.53 (No. 11).
"You have to have patience sometimes when a crew chief has been working on something,” said Capps, second in Countdown points. “And I know we've gone out first round the last few races and it may have looked like we lost a little bit of our mojo from early in the season. But Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) has been really working hard on a new setup, and you just have to have patience, as he's been ticking away at it.
"He made a comment that was true. It's really nice to be able to race on a race track where you can go up from session to session and make improvements on the car and actually see the results, because the track's not going to change, it's just as good as it was, and the conditions are pretty close.
"He's getting a lot more in tune with the race car and I can tell the difference in the car. We ran a 4.10 and we were right there in the hunt with anybody.
"It's like Pro Stock right now with Funny Cars here in qualifying, and it's so tight that every little inch is going to matter on Sunday. On top of that, this is the first race of the Countdown. It's going to be a stressful morning for a lot of drivers.
"I tell you, there's nothing better than finishing all four qualifying rounds with a good run."
Capps faces Bob Tasca III in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.
