Ron Capps drove the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Funny Car into second place in qualifying for the ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Capps set his quickest pass of 4.041 seconds at 310.55 mph in Friday evening’s second qualifying session, which held through two more rounds of qualifying today. His first attempt on Friday produced a 5.578/126.09. A 5.934/111.35 and a similar 5.809/117.67 pass today completed his tries to set a national elapsed-time record to garner 20 bonus points. He earned two qualifying bonus points for posting the second-quickest pass in the third session.
“We obviously knew we were well enough in the show that we could go after it with the conditions we were offered,” he said of his run in the final session. “Out there looming are those extra points to reset a national record. And we knew we had already run the .04. I can tell you that Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) was trying to run a 4.02 or a 4.01. And the .04 would have been a backup for it.” Capps’ run earlier this year of 4.023 seconds is the record everyone is aiming to beat.
“So, at this time of the season, as far back as we are (63 points behind in fourth place), having to make up a lot of ground and seeing the ladder with Robert Hight and Ashley Force Hood (one and two in points) running each other first round, we have to take advantage of it. And part of that would have been a national record.
“The track was great tonight. Not a lot of guys got down that left lane, but we still felt like we could negotiate it. It was just too much power too soon. But that’s OK. We have to get ready for tomorrow. Ace has got that stern race-day face on and it’s not even race day yet, and that’s what I love to see. He’s a great leader and the NAPA team is in a position to really make a run here and I can’t wait to go to bed and wake up in the morning and get back out here.”
Capps faces Gary Densham in the opening round of Sunday’s eliminations.
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