Las Vegas 1 Pre-Race Report
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
Event 4 of 22
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas
April 1 – 3, 2022
RON CAPPS: Driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car
Las Vegas 1 Event Highlights:
2009 LV1 event champion
Two-time event runner-up (2006, 2007)
Note: The Las Vegas 1 four-wide format was first introduced in 2018
2021 Las Vegas 1 Recap:
Qualified fourth; Semifinal finish (defeated Bob Bode, Jim Campbell in E1, Robert Hight, J.R. Todd in E2; defeated by Bob Tasca, Matt Hagan in E3)
Last Event (Gainesville):
Qualified 10th; Semifinal finish (defeated Bob Tasca in E1, John Force in E2; defeated by Blake Alexander in E3)
Career Statistics:
589 races; 68 event wins (one Top Fuel); 30 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics:
Three races; one runner-up; one No. 1 qualifier
Noteworthy:2009 LV1 event champion
Two-time event runner-up (2006, 2007)
Note: The Las Vegas 1 four-wide format was first introduced in 2018
2021 Las Vegas 1 Recap:
Qualified fourth; Semifinal finish (defeated Bob Bode, Jim Campbell in E1, Robert Hight, J.R. Todd in E2; defeated by Bob Tasca, Matt Hagan in E3)
Last Event (Gainesville):
Qualified 10th; Semifinal finish (defeated Bob Tasca in E1, John Force in E2; defeated by Blake Alexander in E3)
Career Statistics:
589 races; 68 event wins (one Top Fuel); 30 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics:
Three races; one runner-up; one No. 1 qualifier
Has found previous success competing in the unique four-wide style of racing, having clinched a victory at the 2017 Charlotte event
In the first three races since embarking on his team ownership journey, the defending world champ has already raced to both a runner-up and semifinal finish, and clinched a No. 1 qualifier award
Quotable:
“This is the point in the season where things get kind of shaken up. Personally, I love the four-wide races for a couple of reasons. When you’re a driver and you have a great car like our NAPA AutoCare team does, you look forward to races like this where you have a little bit of an unknown, but at the same time, you know you’ve got a great horse to ride and a chance to pick up what we consider to be a pretty special Wally trophy. The key to this weekend and our upcoming four-wide event in Charlotte is staying focused.
“We’ve got a great relationship with the SAHARA in Las Vegas, so I’m looking forward to getting out there tomorrow. We’ve got quite a few fun things planned there for our NAPA customers during the weekend so, I’m definitely excited to get to the SAHARA and see all of our wonderful Vegas supporters.”
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.Capps, who serves as both the owner and driver of his namesake operation, is the second-winningest Funny Car pilot in NHRA history with 67 wins in the category, and 68 overall (1 Top Fuel). The 2022 NHRA season marks Capps’ 28th year competing in the sport’s professional ranks.
