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CARLSBAD, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2007) - Ron Capps is hanging on by a thread in the Countdown to Four Funny Car point standings in this year's NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series new playoffs system. He's two points ahead of his teammate Gary Scelzi in fourth, and just nine markers ahead of No. 5 Tony Pedregon. It's a precarious position, and this weekend's O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex is a crucial point of the season, as only two races remain to determine the final four before that quartet vies for the championship in the last two races of the year.
"It's been the same way the last couple of years, as to how important Dallas has been in the points chase," said Capps, who is seeking his first Funny Car championship after three bridesmaid seasons in his career. "I know two years ago, and even last year, Dallas became a pivotal part of the season and it is again this year. After Memphis on Sunday, everything got so bunched up in the points.
"There's so many guys in the running to lock up one of the top-four spots right now," added Capps, who has driven the Brut Revolution Dodge Charger R/T to three victories this season and had led the points through 14 of the first 17 events. "Going into Dallas we're very lucky to have all three Don Schumacher Racing cars in the top four at the moment, and that's why Dallas is so crucial.
"You don't want to go to Richmond, Va. (the last race of the Countdown to Four) two weeks after Dallas and have to have a great weekend just to make the top four. You really need to go in there with a little bit of breathing room. That's why I think I can echo the eight Funny Car drivers that Dallas is really important.
"You see John Force back in seventh, and he needs to have a big weekend. And Gary Scelzi, who is only two points behind us, needs to have a great weekend. And we need to have a great weekend.
"It's a tough scenario, because the Countdown has kind of changed everybody's mentality. Yeah, we have three Funny Cars at Don Schumacher Racing, but when we roll into the starting line we're not teammates. You have to go up there and race because it could be the difference between us being in and not being in the Countdown to One.
"Looking at the Dallas weather, it's calling for a pretty warm weekend and possibly cooling off on Sunday. Despite the Dallas heat, the Brut Revolution Dodge has always done well at that race. I've gotten a chance to win there in the past (in 1998, over John Force).
"This year we have the Brut Brigade we're doing on Friday night, and the fans have really shown the support by signing up and basically helping to make is a sell-out.
"It's a big race for us. There is going to be so much pressure there. If a driver is telling you that there isn't that much more pressure and it's a driver who's in the Countdown, he's lying. Because you do not want to go to Richmond and have even more pressure.
"We felt like in Memphis we could have made up more ground," he said of his quarterfinal finish there. "It was a big win for us to beat Tony Pedregon first round and move around him in the points. But, you can't take one second to take a deep breath and reflect on what's happened, because you have to be ready for Dallas."
Capps' other successes at the Texas Motorplex include No. 1 qualifying efforts in 2005 and 1997(2).
RON CAPPS QUICK FACTS:
* Is No. 3 after two events of the Countdown to Four playoffs
* Clinched No. 1 in the Countdown to the Championship at Reading, Pa., event
* Led 2007 Funny Car point standings by as much as 154 points from the fourth race of the season. Has back-to-back wins in Gainesville and Houston, another win in St. Louis, three runner-up, two semifinal, four quarterfinal, six first-round finishes and a DNQ in first 19 races
* Has one Dallas win, in 1998, over John Force
* Qualified No. 1 in Dallas in 2005 and 1997(2)
* Has three Skoal Showdown titles: 1998, 1999 and 2002
* No. 11 qualifier in Dallas in 2006, lost second round to Mike Ashley
* Third in 2006 final point standings
* Had class-best five wins in 2006: Gainesville, Fla., Bristol, Tenn., Topeka, Kan., Houston and Englishtown, N.J.
* Had three wins, four runner-up finishes in 2005 (St. Louis was his first
win for DSR in '05), won at Chicago 2 at Route 66 Raceway and Las Vegas 2
* 2005 Funny Car championship runner-up, eight points short of title
* Qualified No. 1 once in 2005, in Dallas; first time since Brainerd 2000
* Has seven career No. 1 qualifiers, none in 2006 or 2007 so far
* A perennial fan favorite, Capps has driven and won in both Top Fuel and Funny Cars since he began his pro NHRA career in 1995
* His best season points finishes were seconds in Funny Car in 1998, 2000 and 2005
* He has 25 event wins in 51 final rounds to his credit (24 national event wins in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel)
* His career-best elapsed time (established during an event) is 4.694 seconds, set in 2005 in Dallas
* His career-best speed is 331.61 mph (Pomona 1, '07)
* Capps' career record against 14-time champion Force is 17-38 in round wins. He's won nine of the last 11 meetings against Force, and has won the last four first-round match-ups over Force
* Age 42 (June 20, 1965); born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Shelley and daughter Taylor (11) and son Caden (6)
* Is featured, along with son Caden and the Brut Revolution racing crew, in a number of Brut ads appearing in mainstream magazines, such as People, Sports Illustrated, etc.
* New to Don Schumacher Racing in 2005 after eight years with Don Prudhomme.
* Has tested for IROC Series and competed in Skip Barber Formula Ford, Dirt Late Models, Mini-Sprints and Go-Karts
* Is the subject, along with teammate Tony Schumacher, in the behind-the-scenes TV series, American Dragster, airing on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Sept. 21, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 3:45 and 6:45 p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 22, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 23
Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Sept. 23, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will telecast an hour and a half of qualifying highlights at 12:30 p.m. (ET)
Sunday, Sept. 24, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will telecast NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 24, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, Sept. 21, 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) – Galaxy 11/Transponder 13K (11940 MHz, horizontal) analog
Saturday, Sept. 22, 8:15-8:45 p.m. (ET) – Galaxy 11/Transponder 13K (11940 MHz, horizontal) analog
Sunday, Sept. 23, 7:15-7:45 p.m. (ET) – Galaxy 11/Transponder 13K (11940 MHz, horizontal) analog
COUNTDOWN TO FOUR FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS (following Memphis):
1. Robert Hight, 2233
2. Jack Beckman, 2180
3. Ron Capps, 2156
4. Gary Scelzi, 2154
5. Tony Pedregon, 2147
6. Mike Ashley, 2144
7. John Force, 2115
8. Jim Head, 2041
IT'S A TOUGH SCENARIO, SAYS CAPPS OF THE COUNTDOWN COMING INTO DALLAS
CARLSBAD, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2007) - Ron Capps is hanging on by a thread in the Countdown to Four Funny Car point standings in this year's NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series new playoffs system. He's two points ahead of his teammate Gary Scelzi in fourth, and just nine markers ahead of No. 5 Tony Pedregon. It's a precarious position, and this weekend's O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex is a crucial point of the season, as only two races remain to determine the final four before that quartet vies for the championship in the last two races of the year.
"It's been the same way the last couple of years, as to how important Dallas has been in the points chase," said Capps, who is seeking his first Funny Car championship after three bridesmaid seasons in his career. "I know two years ago, and even last year, Dallas became a pivotal part of the season and it is again this year. After Memphis on Sunday, everything got so bunched up in the points.
"There's so many guys in the running to lock up one of the top-four spots right now," added Capps, who has driven the Brut Revolution Dodge Charger R/T to three victories this season and had led the points through 14 of the first 17 events. "Going into Dallas we're very lucky to have all three Don Schumacher Racing cars in the top four at the moment, and that's why Dallas is so crucial.
"You don't want to go to Richmond, Va. (the last race of the Countdown to Four) two weeks after Dallas and have to have a great weekend just to make the top four. You really need to go in there with a little bit of breathing room. That's why I think I can echo the eight Funny Car drivers that Dallas is really important.
"You see John Force back in seventh, and he needs to have a big weekend. And Gary Scelzi, who is only two points behind us, needs to have a great weekend. And we need to have a great weekend.
"It's a tough scenario, because the Countdown has kind of changed everybody's mentality. Yeah, we have three Funny Cars at Don Schumacher Racing, but when we roll into the starting line we're not teammates. You have to go up there and race because it could be the difference between us being in and not being in the Countdown to One.
"Looking at the Dallas weather, it's calling for a pretty warm weekend and possibly cooling off on Sunday. Despite the Dallas heat, the Brut Revolution Dodge has always done well at that race. I've gotten a chance to win there in the past (in 1998, over John Force).
"This year we have the Brut Brigade we're doing on Friday night, and the fans have really shown the support by signing up and basically helping to make is a sell-out.
"It's a big race for us. There is going to be so much pressure there. If a driver is telling you that there isn't that much more pressure and it's a driver who's in the Countdown, he's lying. Because you do not want to go to Richmond and have even more pressure.
"We felt like in Memphis we could have made up more ground," he said of his quarterfinal finish there. "It was a big win for us to beat Tony Pedregon first round and move around him in the points. But, you can't take one second to take a deep breath and reflect on what's happened, because you have to be ready for Dallas."
Capps' other successes at the Texas Motorplex include No. 1 qualifying efforts in 2005 and 1997(2).
RON CAPPS QUICK FACTS:
* Is No. 3 after two events of the Countdown to Four playoffs
* Clinched No. 1 in the Countdown to the Championship at Reading, Pa., event
* Led 2007 Funny Car point standings by as much as 154 points from the fourth race of the season. Has back-to-back wins in Gainesville and Houston, another win in St. Louis, three runner-up, two semifinal, four quarterfinal, six first-round finishes and a DNQ in first 19 races
* Has one Dallas win, in 1998, over John Force
* Qualified No. 1 in Dallas in 2005 and 1997(2)
* Has three Skoal Showdown titles: 1998, 1999 and 2002
* No. 11 qualifier in Dallas in 2006, lost second round to Mike Ashley
* Third in 2006 final point standings
* Had class-best five wins in 2006: Gainesville, Fla., Bristol, Tenn., Topeka, Kan., Houston and Englishtown, N.J.
* Had three wins, four runner-up finishes in 2005 (St. Louis was his first
win for DSR in '05), won at Chicago 2 at Route 66 Raceway and Las Vegas 2
* 2005 Funny Car championship runner-up, eight points short of title
* Qualified No. 1 once in 2005, in Dallas; first time since Brainerd 2000
* Has seven career No. 1 qualifiers, none in 2006 or 2007 so far
* A perennial fan favorite, Capps has driven and won in both Top Fuel and Funny Cars since he began his pro NHRA career in 1995
* His best season points finishes were seconds in Funny Car in 1998, 2000 and 2005
* He has 25 event wins in 51 final rounds to his credit (24 national event wins in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel)
* His career-best elapsed time (established during an event) is 4.694 seconds, set in 2005 in Dallas
* His career-best speed is 331.61 mph (Pomona 1, '07)
* Capps' career record against 14-time champion Force is 17-38 in round wins. He's won nine of the last 11 meetings against Force, and has won the last four first-round match-ups over Force
* Age 42 (June 20, 1965); born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Shelley and daughter Taylor (11) and son Caden (6)
* Is featured, along with son Caden and the Brut Revolution racing crew, in a number of Brut ads appearing in mainstream magazines, such as People, Sports Illustrated, etc.
* New to Don Schumacher Racing in 2005 after eight years with Don Prudhomme.
* Has tested for IROC Series and competed in Skip Barber Formula Ford, Dirt Late Models, Mini-Sprints and Go-Karts
* Is the subject, along with teammate Tony Schumacher, in the behind-the-scenes TV series, American Dragster, airing on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Sept. 21, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 3:45 and 6:45 p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 22, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 23
Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Sept. 23, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will telecast an hour and a half of qualifying highlights at 12:30 p.m. (ET)
Sunday, Sept. 24, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will telecast NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 24, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, Sept. 21, 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) – Galaxy 11/Transponder 13K (11940 MHz, horizontal) analog
Saturday, Sept. 22, 8:15-8:45 p.m. (ET) – Galaxy 11/Transponder 13K (11940 MHz, horizontal) analog
Sunday, Sept. 23, 7:15-7:45 p.m. (ET) – Galaxy 11/Transponder 13K (11940 MHz, horizontal) analog
COUNTDOWN TO FOUR FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS (following Memphis):
1. Robert Hight, 2233
2. Jack Beckman, 2180
3. Ron Capps, 2156
4. Gary Scelzi, 2154
5. Tony Pedregon, 2147
6. Mike Ashley, 2144
7. John Force, 2115
8. Jim Head, 2041
