The heat is on at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals as Ron Capps, the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, gears up to chase his third consecutive event championship. Following back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2022, Capps returns to Dallas with a storied history at the Texas event, including three event championship titles and two No. 1 qualifier positions.
Looking back at the 2022 Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Capps showcased immense skill and determination, qualifying third and then defeating top-tier contenders such as Jeff Diehl, John Force, Robert Hight, and Matt Hagan, to claim the title.
Coming in hot from the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, Capps, though qualifying seventh, powered through to be the event runner-up. This performance sees him entering the Texas event ranked fourth in the Countdown to the Championship.
Now in 2023, Ron Capps’ impressive statistics speak volumes. Having competed in 18 races, he has secured three wins, four runner-up finishes, and two No. 1 qualifiers. As the defending event champion and the second-year team owner/driver, Capps begins this weekend with aspirations of not only achieving a hat-trick Dallas victory but also inching closer to his third consecutive Funny Car championship and a coveted fourth overall.
The race for the championship intensifies as Capps is a mere 33-point margin behind the current playoff leader, Bob Tasca. That’s less than two round wins, ensuring fans are set for an electrifying championship race.
Speaking on his aspirations and the upcoming races, Capps commented, “I think (the championship) is going to come down to a few teams rolling into Pomona that are going to have a shot at it. Dallas was a gut check for our team last year. We went into the final round and beat Hagan. We had great runs, and I really got up on the wheel. As a team, we came together and won the race. It was a huge springboard going into Vegas and Pomona. No matter what, Pomona has the points-and-a-half format, so I think everybody is trying to garner as much as you can going into the NHRA Finals because anything can happen. It would be nice to gain some more coming out of Dallas, but I really see it just continuing to tighten up because there are so many good cars that can make a run the last three races.”
This story was originally published on October 12, 2023. 
