As the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads into a critical stretch of the regular season, three-time Funny Car world champion Ron Capps is ready to kick off the summer sprint at one of his favorite stops on tour – the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.
Capps, driver of the NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra, has enjoyed success in Epping over the years, including two event wins (2014, 2016) and a No. 1 qualifier in 2016. Last year, he reached the quarterfinals after defeating Matt Hagan in the opening round.
“It’s that time of year we all talk about. When we see the New England Nationals on the schedule, we know we’re at the point in the season where we’re going to have quite a few races back-to-back, and it all kicks off in Epping,” said Capps. “I’m so glad we get to race that event. It was re-added to the schedule several years ago and the fans up in that part of the country are just incredible. Seeing the grandstands packed there year after year just shows the appetite our New England fans have for NHRA Drag Racing.”
Capps is currently fifth in the Funny Car standings after six events, which include two runner-up finishes. With four races in five weeks on the calendar, the veteran team owner and driver sees an opportunity to climb into the top three and gain momentum heading into the second half of the season.
“This is one of those races where we always go in early,” he added. “I love getting to spend time with all our NAPA Auto Parts friends in the Boston area, and then on Thursday we’ll go up to Maine. We’re kicking off the weekend with an event at Bentley’s Saloon in Arundel and I’d love to invite all our fans to join us up there. It’ll be a great time. Getting to hang with a legendary racer like Bentley Warren is always really neat, and spending time at his place before the race weekend is something I look forward to every year.”
Capps will also be in the hunt for a unique bonus this weekend as part of a new NAPA promotion debuting in Epping.
“Something new this year during the race weekend will be the NAPA No. 1 Clawifier award for the low qualifier after Q2 on Friday night,” said Capps. “I know Guido (crew chief Dean Antonelli) and our NAPA team will be shooting for that lobster dinner for sure.”
This story was originally published on May 28, 2025. 
