[coverattach=1]POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 18, 2009) - NAPA AUTO PARTS store owner Tim DelCid, who was named the NAPA AUTO PARTS Honorary Crew Member at the NHRA national event in Las Vegas last year, was presented with a special Ron Capps autographed helmet at the recent season-opening Pomona NHRA national event.
Mike Heffley, an employee at one of the Bakersfield, Calif., NAPA stores owned by DelCid, and Fresno, Calif., NAPA wholesale manager Tony Guerrero, surprised DelCid when they gave him the helmet in appreciation.
"Tony and I got together and thought it would be a good thing to give Tim a Ron Capps-autographed helmet," said Heffley, "and we made it happen and dropped it on him at Pomona. He had no idea we were doing this. I've worked for the same NAPA store for nine years and he's a really good boss."
So, what spurred Heffley and Guerrero to make this presentation? "About three years ago we got some helmets autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and I was noticing at our recent grand opening of a new store that Tim had the Dale Jr. helmet up on the wall in front of the picture of Ron Capps," explained Heffley. "And I said, Wait a minute, that's the wrong helmet. So, I called Tony and we made it happen."
Said DelCid: "When I was on Ron Capps' crew in Vegas it was one of the highlights of my life. And getting this helmet was another highlight because I am a Funny Car fan, especially because of NAPA's involvement. For my guys who did this for me, thank you. It's a great honor, it really is. I am truly thankful and I was totally surprised.
"We have a new store in Southwest Bakersfield," added DelCid. "I have started a project there called Bakersfield Motorsport Legends and it includes a lot of the guys around the Bakersfleld March Meet days. Ron's picture is in there and I'm going to get his dad's picture in there because he used to race there too. And Don Schumacher used to race there.
"There are a lot of pictures that I'm going to be putting on the wall in there. I want to support the racing industry. We have a great store, a big store, a new store, a new building. It's really turned out well."
Capps, who won his first Funny Car national event for NAPA at Pomona, helped present the helmet. "That was pretty neat," he said. "Tim's a multi-store owner in the Bakersfield area, and I went up and did an appearance for his store at a grand opening. They actually ran out of food, that's how big a crowd we had, and it made me feel good, and it made him feel good, and that's what this NAPA sponsorship program is all about."
Mike Heffley, an employee at one of the Bakersfield, Calif., NAPA stores owned by DelCid, and Fresno, Calif., NAPA wholesale manager Tony Guerrero, surprised DelCid when they gave him the helmet in appreciation.
"Tony and I got together and thought it would be a good thing to give Tim a Ron Capps-autographed helmet," said Heffley, "and we made it happen and dropped it on him at Pomona. He had no idea we were doing this. I've worked for the same NAPA store for nine years and he's a really good boss."
So, what spurred Heffley and Guerrero to make this presentation? "About three years ago we got some helmets autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and I was noticing at our recent grand opening of a new store that Tim had the Dale Jr. helmet up on the wall in front of the picture of Ron Capps," explained Heffley. "And I said, Wait a minute, that's the wrong helmet. So, I called Tony and we made it happen."
Said DelCid: "When I was on Ron Capps' crew in Vegas it was one of the highlights of my life. And getting this helmet was another highlight because I am a Funny Car fan, especially because of NAPA's involvement. For my guys who did this for me, thank you. It's a great honor, it really is. I am truly thankful and I was totally surprised.
"We have a new store in Southwest Bakersfield," added DelCid. "I have started a project there called Bakersfield Motorsport Legends and it includes a lot of the guys around the Bakersfleld March Meet days. Ron's picture is in there and I'm going to get his dad's picture in there because he used to race there too. And Don Schumacher used to race there.
"There are a lot of pictures that I'm going to be putting on the wall in there. I want to support the racing industry. We have a great store, a big store, a new store, a new building. It's really turned out well."
Capps, who won his first Funny Car national event for NAPA at Pomona, helped present the helmet. "That was pretty neat," he said. "Tim's a multi-store owner in the Bakersfield area, and I went up and did an appearance for his store at a grand opening. They actually ran out of food, that's how big a crowd we had, and it made me feel good, and it made him feel good, and that's what this NAPA sponsorship program is all about."
