Pomona 1 Pre-Race Report
NHRA Winternationals
Event 1 of 22
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
February 18-20, 2022
RON CAPPS Driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car
Pomona 1 (Winternationals) Event Highlights:
Four-time event winner (1998, 2009, 2016, 2021)
2021 No. 1 qualifier
Four-time runner-up (2006, 2010, 2013, 2015)
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Highlights:
Four-time event winner
Five-time No. 1 qualifier
Five-time runner-up
2021 Pomona 1 Recap:
Qualified No. 1; Event champion (defeated Bobby Bode in E1, Bob Tasca in E2, John Force in E3, J.R. Todd in E4)
Career Statistics:
586 races; 68 event wins (one Top Fuel); 29 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:Pomona 1 (Winternationals) Event Highlights:
Four-time event winner (1998, 2009, 2016, 2021)
2021 No. 1 qualifier
Four-time runner-up (2006, 2010, 2013, 2015)
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Highlights:
Four-time event winner
Five-time No. 1 qualifier
Five-time runner-up
2021 Pomona 1 Recap:
Qualified No. 1; Event champion (defeated Bobby Bode in E1, Bob Tasca in E2, John Force in E3, J.R. Todd in E4)
Career Statistics:
586 races; 68 event wins (one Top Fuel); 29 No. 1 qualifiers
At the season-opening NHRA Winternationals, Capps will embark on his team ownership journey while beginning his 2021 NHRA Camping World Series title defense
Announced the formation of Ron Capps Motorsports, an independent Funny Car team, at the PRI show in December
Was crowned the 2021 Funny Car champion at the November season finale in Pomona
Won the rescheduled 2021 NHRA Winternationals (contested in July) from the pole position
In 2022, Capps is seeking his third Camping World Series Funny Car title and first as a team owner
As a lifelong Californian and resident of Carlsbad near San Diego, Capps considers Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to be a home track.
Quotable:
“To say this is the most excited I’ve ever felt heading into the Winternationals would be an understatement. Obviously, 1997, making my debut as a rookie driving for Don ‘the Snake’ Prudhomme was pretty exciting and overwhelming, but coming into this season as a team owner and driver, and defending our championship, and then you add in everything that’s been going on in this very short off-season, plus having the backing of NAPA AUTO PARTS and GearWrench, it just gives me a lot of satisfaction.
“Pre-season testing went great. We had tremendous success with what we wanted to try. Guido (Dean Antonelli), (John) Medlen, and our entire NAPA AutoCare team had a plan. We went to Phoenix, made the runs we wanted to make, and now we’re set for Ron Capps Motorsports to make its first official NHRA appearance and begin our Camping World Series championship defense. It’s going to be a lot of fun this year. I’m very excited to get the season started in Pomona where we won the 2021 championship just a few months ago.”
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 will make its on-track debut in 2022, and will compete 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.
For more information, follow @RonCapps28 on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
