The NHRA Funny Car division has plenty of star power in the mix heading into the final three races of the Countdown to the Championship.
Among those is two-time world champion Ron Capps.
The first-year team owner has found himself in a position to win back-to-back titles — something that hasn’t been done in Funny Car since John Force in 2001-’02.
With only 46 points separating first-place driver Robert Hight and Capps, the top spot is there for the taking.
Though experience has taught Capps to be stoic through the paths and valleys of the playoff race, remaining focused until the final run passes at Pomona (Calif.).
“I remember last year going into Pomona, and even 2016 when we had a pretty good lead going in to win our first championship, I was so cautious, telling everybody who said, ‘Man you got this,’ I’m like ‘Shut up, this is not done, anything can happen,’” Capps said.
“Pomona, you can’t even breathe well, because Pomona’s points and a half. That throws a whole different thing into everything as far as the points. You’ve got to get to Vegas. You either have to be in contention to have a shot at it if you’re not in first, or try and be in first if you’re going to Pomona.”
A catch with the remaining three events, is an added fourth round of qualifying runs, something that hasn’t been part of the program during the regular season.
“There’s another chance to get those additional qualifying points,” Capps said. “Which if you sweep that, you’re talking almost a round at Pomona.”
With the whirlwind of points and competition at an all-time high, Capps can’t help but be excited as the spotlight beams brighter.
“This is the fun part, man, it’s just like any football or baseball team. Look at baseball right now, just get into the playoffs and anything can happen,” Capps said. “Just a lot of fun to be in the position to be talked about.”
A key talking point heading into the season, was Capps’ new role as a team owner.
Many wondered how the defending champion would fair after numerous successful seasons under the Don Schumacher Racing umbrella.
As he weighed the positives and negatives internally, a burst of laughter erupted from the 57-year-old, reminiscing about past conversations regarding the positives of balancing both.
“Having my team manager not talk business to me on Sunday,” Capps chuckled. “It’s funny, because I’ve heard from Cruz (Pedregon) and all the team owners in the past talk about it, I knew there’d be additional stuff, but it’s getting the business part of things out of your head as a driver on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but mainly Sunday.”
The Toyota driver also mentioned some of the hurdles that come with tackling both roles, stating he lost focus at times early in the season that he feels cost the team a couple races.
Despite the hurdles of team ownership, Capps has adjusted and earned four victories, including the prestigious U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
“Overall, it’s been fun. It’s been a lot of fun to take on all these challenges and go back to school on a lot of business stuff,” Capps said. “I’m just taking it day-by-day right now. I’ve got great people. I talk about it time and time again with Guido and our team. Great sponsors with NAPA and Toyota and all them. It’s been fun, and I can’t even imagine our first year being in this position, I really can’t. We’re blessed, but we’re not letting the pedal up at all.”
As Capps looks to knock Hight off the top step, he believes pouring on the pressure is the best way to get the John Force Racing driver to bobble.
“You got to get them out of their comfort zone and we did that for the final round (in St. Louis),” Capps said. “I failed a little bit, and we lost on a holeshot. It wasn’t much. You go up there, my light was a .050-something, he had a .041, and that’s just the caliber of what we’re going to see the next three races. Our car had lane choice going in. Guido (Dean Antonelli) and (John) Medlen and our guys have just consistently thrown a good car out there. We put him in that other lane, which I thought was going to give us the benefit of not having to push too hard.
“I could stand back and look at that run over and over, what I could’ve done different, what I should’ve done different, and I’m not sure I could’ve done anything different. I went up there and tried my best. But we had the car performance-wise going through into the final and they stepped up, that’s what champions do.”
Capps recalled when he was in a similar position entering last October’s race at the Texas Motorplex.
“We won Dallas, I think I came off a weird holeshot loss to Force last year in St. Louis,” Capps said. “I could not wait for the Dallas race. I think we ended up winning on two holeshots on Sunday in Dallas, maybe three. But it was one of those days I look back as just one of those epic days for us for a win. We battled ourselves right back into it.”
With the NHRA heading to Texas Motorplex this weekend, Capps may be in line for a similar outcome, as he chases a second-consecutive championship.
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