What's the deal with Ron Capps "redlight?"

[.]

Ron says he didn't redlight, they say the camera footage from his crew and Beckman's crew doesn't show a redlight, ESPN's footage doesn't show a redlight, but NHRA is still counting it. In this article he says weird things were going on in the left lane in other classes too.
RON CAPPS: "I DIDN'T RED LIGHT"

 

[flapjack]

I read the article. Sounds like they had issues with the lights in the left lane.

 

[mick]

does anyone remember something like this happening to the snake back
in early 90's?.......think it happened at brainerd?.....something about the
reflection of front wheel tripped beam, snake came back after that with
white shoe polish or something to cut the glare.

not suggesting this is what happened to capps; just another one of those
'it's always something' gremlins that bite you........seems like capps
got a raw deal on this one.

 

[JB3]

Ron says he didn't redlight, they say the camera footage from his crew and Beckman's crew doesn't show a redlight, ESPN's footage doesn't show a redlight, but NHRA is still counting it. In this article he says weird things were going on in the left lane in other classes too.
RON CAPPS: "I DIDN'T RED LIGHT"

Didn't really make a diffference anyway ... car let him down and it wasn't even close to being a race.

 

[mike]

Mike, there was a deal with Jim Epler back in Houston around 94, I believe it was. Jim from memory clearly redlit against Hoffman in the final, but there were problems with the lights that weekend, that's what I do remember.

Regards,

Mike

 

[*******]

He was probably very, very shallow staged and when he stepped on the gas the rear of the car squatted and the front end came up ever so slightly and just enough to settle back out of the beams? Dunn mentioned that his sixty foot was very slow on that pass. Happens all the time if you race enough. I don't know what his sixty foot was compared to normal just guessing. But if his sixty foot was several hundreths slow than that would be a plausible explanation. If his sixty foot was normal or fast than he got shafted by a mechanical glitch in the electronics. Like he said,it wouldn't have mattered because he smoked the tires anyways.

 

[Randy]

I watched it frame by frame on my DVR from the 60' camera facing the 'tree. When the throttle blades went open on both cars the pre stage and stage lights went off simultaneously in Capps lane before either car moved. If Capps was in too shallow just the stage light would have gone off, but not both.

Obvious electronics malfunction that somehow didn't effect the outcome, I suppose.

RG

 

[kegs]

That deal with Snake at Brainard was against the Bionic B@#$t and I think the driver was a guy name Larry Camenzind. He went to the Semis if I remember correctly.

 

[clock guy]

Wrong Randy for the past 10 years or more, when the stage light goes out it locks out the Pre stage also so you dont get the flicker as you drive through the beams .
Mike is on the right track. there is more to it but it was created with being shallow staged, initial movement of car changing position and shape of front tires and a shine on start line. Tried to recreate but could not, checked everthing and all was good. It never happen again and I was watch and checking over and over.
The other problems he was referring to were bad 60' times in left lane on Saturday. A photographer placed his weight on an already weak mount for the 60' sensor and pulled the stud loose in the concrete wall. made a temp fix that didnt hold during the vibration of fuel cars. Driled and put new stud in on saturday night and remounted the sensor for sunday. Had nothing to do with what happened to Ron.

 

[Rooster]

I was standing right there, and the light went red in Capps lane but it wouldn't have mattered if it went purple.... Beckman had him covered and at that time of day the right lane was far better than the left... But, right after it happened Don S. and the Ace were having a little meeting at the water box....don't know what about, but they were pointing and talking??????

 

[FC138fan]

I liked the top end interview, TV showing Ron totally pissed he lost the race, slamming the hatch. Then Gary ..I know your upset about the redlight.. Ron (still angry over the loss) Oh, I redlit? That makes it much worse.

 

[Marco]

2003 IHRA Rockingham final that happen to us!

 

[Kelly]

He also talks about it in his blog....

Ron Capps

 

[clwill]

When was the last time you saw a red light in a fuel class that wasn't just a case of a guy, badly out gunned, taking a shot at the tree? You just don't see it.