Richmond Pre-Race Report
Virginia NHRA Nationals
Event 7 of 22
Virginia Motorsports Park
North Dinwiddie, Va.
May 13 - 15, 2022
RON CAPPS: Driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
Richmond Event Highlights:
2019 event champ
Two-time runner-up (2000, 2007)
2019 Richmond Recap:
Qualified third; Event champion (defeated Jim Campbell in E1, Robert Hight in E2, Tommy Johnson Jr. in E3, J.R. Todd in E4)
Last Event (Charlotte 1):
Qualified third; Semifinal finish (defeated Dale Creasy Jr., Chad Green in E1, Matt Hagan, J.R. Todd in E2; defeated by John Force, Robert Hight in E3)
Career Statistics:
592 races; 69 wins; 32 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics:
Six races; one win; one runner-up; three No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:Richmond Event Highlights:
2019 event champ
Two-time runner-up (2000, 2007)
2019 Richmond Recap:
Qualified third; Event champion (defeated Jim Campbell in E1, Robert Hight in E2, Tommy Johnson Jr. in E3, J.R. Todd in E4)
Last Event (Charlotte 1):
Qualified third; Semifinal finish (defeated Dale Creasy Jr., Chad Green in E1, Matt Hagan, J.R. Todd in E2; defeated by John Force, Robert Hight in E3)
Career Statistics:
592 races; 69 wins; 32 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Statistics:
Six races; one win; one runner-up; three No. 1 qualifiers
Captured his first Virginia Motorsports Park victory at the most recent Virginia NHRA Nationals event, contested in 2019
Returns to the North Dinwiddie, Va. facility as the defending event champion
Debuted the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra at the most recent event in Concord, N.C. earlier this month and powered his new ride to the final elimination quad
Quotable:
“Our fans aren’t the only ones excited to get back to Virginia Motorsports Park. I have such a long history with that track, having gone there in 1995 in my rookie season as a Top Fuel driver. To see the track have such an incredible rebirth and re-join the NHRA circuit back in 2018, and for us to win there in 2019 was just incredible. We haven’t been to the Richmond area in a few years, so we can’t wait to see the fans there. Our NAPA AUTO PARTS team has had a fantastic start to the year. We’re eager to put our new Toyota GR Supra back on the race track after a successful debut in Charlotte, and you can’t ask for a better racing surface than what we’ll see in Richmond, so Guido (Dean Antonelli) and (John) Medlen have really been chomping at the bit to get back there.”
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.
