Ron Capps and his NAPA Auto Care Funny Car team made the most of challenging conditions Sunday afternoon as they raced to a quarterfinal finish at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals. Capps in his NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra was one of just a few drivers to get down the hot Virginia Motorsports Park track surface in both elimination rounds, but his second-round effort came up short to Austin Prock. The three-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series world champion leaves Virginia ranked seventh in the Funny Car points standings.
Capps kicked off the single day of qualifying on Saturday by going to the middle of the pack with a 4.21 E.T., he then improved to a 4.13 E.T. in the second session to move up three spots to sixth. He repeated with a consistent 4.133-second pass at 303.57 mph in the third and final session to lock into the No. 11 spot for race day.
On Sunday, the third-year driver and team owner paired up with fellow Toyota driver Alexis DeJoria in NHRA’s Funny Car Marquee Matchup during the opening round of eliminations. DeJoria had issues on the burnout and was unable to make the run, giving Capps a freebie into the second round. Still, Capps and crew chief Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli used the opportunity to see what the track would hold, running a 4.094 E.T. at 317.94 mph, which stood for the third-quickest pass of the round. In the second round, Capps and No. 3 qualifier Austin Prock left the starting line together before Prock started pulling away. Capps crossed the finish line second with a 4.127-second pass at 282.84 mph to Prock’s 4.036 E.T.
“Those were probably the hottest conditions we’ve seen in a long time, if not ever,” Capps said. “The crew chiefs definitely had their work cut out for them. I’m proud of Guido. We fought some little things here and there in qualifying, but we still made great runs. We went down the track every single run, and not everybody could say that. The consistency is getting there. Thankfully, we’ve got a quick turnaround and we’re off to Norwalk. I’m excited to see how we continue to progress”
In just a few days, Capps and the Ron Capps Motorsports team will roll into Norwalk, Ohio, for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 28-30, at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. Capps won the Norwalk event in 2016 and is a three-time runner-up at the Ohio facility.
This story was originally published on June 24, 2024. 
