Ron Capps made an early exit in Funny Car eliminations today at the 21st annual NHRA Mid-South Nationals, losing a tough race against John Force Racing’s Robert Hight in the opening round.
It was a big hit in the Countdown to 1 playoffs point standings for the driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T, as Hight advanced to the semifinal round and moved into third in the standings, while Capps fell to 10th after Mike Neff, in another John Force Racing entry, passed him into ninth following his semifinal finish.
It was doubly disappointing because Capps posted a strong 4.175-second run at 292.20 mph in that contest, but Hight’s winning 4.125/297.48 pass was the quickest of the round.
“Obviously, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge team wanted to have our own destiny in our own hands,” said Capps. “This time of the season, with the Countdown the way it is, you need to meet up with another Countdown car to make up some ground. And Robert Hight and (crew chief) Jimmy Prock are not who you want to meet first round, especially the way that car has been running.
“But we felt very comfortable. We were just as good a car if not better in the heat of the day yesterday (in qualifying). So, we knew it was going to be a good, close race.
“We qualified better than we did last weekend (No. 10), and that helped. But we just lost a close one. Once again we found ourselves losing to the quickest guy of the round. That’s just part of racing in arguably the toughest class out here.
“It’s been a little bit of a disappointing year, and today’s result put a crunch on our chances of winning the championship this year. But I’ve still got the best crew there is. Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) is still making great calls; we showed that yesterday. We just need a little bit of luck on our side. We’re going to try to get NAPA AUTO PARTS a win in these last three races and then concentrate on next year.”
Next up is the third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals in Richmond, Va., Oct. 10-12.
UNOFFICIAL FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS, after three of six Countdown to 1 playoffs events:
1. Tim Wilkerson, 2347 (winner today)
2. Jack Beckman, 2260
3. Robert Hight, 2258
4. Tony Pedregon, 2256
5. Ashley Force, 2240 (runner-up today)
6. Cruz Pedregon, 2217
7. John Force, 2139
8. Gary Densham, 2125
9. Mike Neff, 2118
10. Ron Capps, 2106
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