Charlotte 1 Pre-Race Report
Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
Event 6 of 22
zMAX Dragway
Concord, N.C.
April 29 – May 1, 2022
RON CAPPS: Driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
Charlotte 1 Event Highlights:
2017 event champion
2014 No. 1 qualifier
2021 Charlotte 1 Recap:
Qualified third; First round exit (defeated by Matt Hagan, Cruz Pedregon in E1)
Last Event (Houston):
Qualified No. 1; Quarterfinal finish (defeated BYE in E1; defeated by Matt Hagan in E2)
Career Statistics:
591 races; 69 wins; 32 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics:
Five races; one win; one runner-up; three No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:Charlotte 1 Event Highlights:
2017 event champion
2014 No. 1 qualifier
2021 Charlotte 1 Recap:
Qualified third; First round exit (defeated by Matt Hagan, Cruz Pedregon in E1)
Last Event (Houston):
Qualified No. 1; Quarterfinal finish (defeated BYE in E1; defeated by Matt Hagan in E2)
Career Statistics:
591 races; 69 wins; 32 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics:
Five races; one win; one runner-up; three No. 1 qualifiers
Capps won the most recent NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas from the pole earlier this month
Capps secured his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier and third in five races at the previous event in Houston
The defending series champion and new team owner announced a partnership with Toyota ahead of the race weekend, and will be looking to become the first Toyota GR Supra Funny Car pilot to bring home the hardware.
Quotable:
“I love when we get to the part of the season where we start cranking out back-to-back races. They’re fun and something you especially look forward to when you have a great race car, and obviously we’ve had a great NAPA race car this season. We stumbled a little bit on race day in Houston, but obviously when you can win the pole position at any one of these tracks, that’s a big deal. (Crew chiefs) Guido (Dean Antonelli) and (John) Medlen have shown they can adapt to any conditions and can go out and have success on any track, whether it’s running for the No. 1 qualifying position or winning the race, and that is going to bode very well for our team heading into the Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway this weekend.
“We made a major announcement earlier today that Ron Capps Motorsports has joined the Toyota family, and this partnership is incredibly exciting and one that I am very proud of. I’m honored to be able to represent Toyota, and I can’t wait for our NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car to make its debut tomorrow. I know Guido, Medlen and our NAPA AutoCare team is ready to throw down and put on a good show for our fans, and we’re ready to make a run for that first GR Supra Wally trophy.”
About Ron Capps Motorsports
Established in 2021, Ron Capps Motorsports is a single-car NHRA Funny Car team owned and operated by reigning and two-time world champion Ron Capps. Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., the team made its on-track debut in 2022, and competes on the 22-race NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series circuit thanks to the support of NAPA AUTO PARTS, Toyota, and GearWrench.Capps, who serves as both the owner and driver of his namesake operation, is the second-winningest Funny Car pilot in NHRA history with 68 wins in the category, and 69 overall (1 Top Fuel). The 2022 NHRA season marks Capps’ 28th year competing in the sport’s professional ranks.
