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NHRA St. Louis Pre-Race Report
NHRA Midwest Nationals
Event 18 of 21
Countdown Event 3 of 6
World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, Ill.
Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2023
RON CAPPS: Driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 3rd
NHRA Midwest Nationals Event Highlights:
Four-time event champion (1997, 2005, 2007, 2017)
Two-time runner-up (2009, 2022)
2009 No. 1 qualifier
2022 NHRA Midwest Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified third; Event runner-up (defeated Dan Wilkerson in E1, Cruz Pedregon in E2, John Force in E3; defeated by Robert Hight in E4)
Last Event (Charlotte 2):
Qualified fifth; First round exit (defeated by Dave Richards in E1)
2023 Statistics:
17 races; three wins, three runner-up finishes, two No. 1 qualifiers
Career Statistics:
625 races; 76 wins, 38 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 3rd
NHRA Midwest Nationals Event Highlights:
Four-time event champion (1997, 2005, 2007, 2017)
Two-time runner-up (2009, 2022)
2009 No. 1 qualifier
2022 NHRA Midwest Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified third; Event runner-up (defeated Dan Wilkerson in E1, Cruz Pedregon in E2, John Force in E3; defeated by Robert Hight in E4)
Last Event (Charlotte 2):
Qualified fifth; First round exit (defeated by Dave Richards in E1)
2023 Statistics:
17 races; three wins, three runner-up finishes, two No. 1 qualifiers
Career Statistics:
625 races; 76 wins, 38 No. 1 qualifiers
With four St. Louis victories, Capps is the winningest Funny Car driver at World Wide Technology Raceway
Powered to a runner-up finish in 2022 and looking to extend his St. Louis win count to five triumphs in 2023
The second-year team owner and three-time Funny Car world champion is in pursuit of a third consecutive Funny Car title and fourth overall
Won his first NHRA Funny Car race in 1997 at World Wide Technology Raceway’s inaugural event while driving for drag racing icon Don "The Snake" Prudhomme
Quotable:
“Things can shuffle pretty quickly in the Countdown when you have back-to-back weekends. We dropped to third in the points after the first two events. Here we are, two races under our belts and we’re heading to a place that I love to see on the schedule. The Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway is always a great race for me personally. It was the first race I won in Funny Car in 1997 driving for Don Prudhomme. I also love that it’s close to Indianapolis because we get a lot of the crew members’ families that come out, which is always great to have. As much as the crew guys travel, it’s great when their families can join us at the track. But, this is where we’ve got to make some ground up. We were being chased and now we’re going to have to do the chasing. St. Louis is definitely a race where I’ve had success in the past. We have the contingent of the McKay NAPA Auto Parts group that comes out and cheers us on every year. It’s always a great crowd. Chris Blair and the whole World Wide Technology staff really do a great job of treating both the fans and the racers so well. So, we’re looking forward to gaining some ground in the NHRA Countdown this weekend.”
About Ron Capps Motorsports
Established in 2021, Ron Capps Motorsports is a single-car NHRA Funny Car team owned and operated by reigning and three-time world champion Ron Capps. Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., the team made its on-track debut in 2022 and competes on the 21-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 75 wins in the category. His 76 overall wins (1 Top Fuel) rank sixth amongst NHRA’s four premier classes. The 2023 NHRA season marks Capps’ 29th year competing in the sport’s professional ranks.
