RON CAPPS
Driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
Countdown to the Championship Ranking: 4th (-139)
NHRA Finals Event Highlights:
- Two-time runner-up (2008, 2022)
- Five-time No. 1 qualifier (1999, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022)
In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip Highlights:
- Four-time event winner
- Eight-time runner-up
- Seven-time No. 1 qualifier
2022 NHRA Finals Event Recap:
Qualified No. 1; Event runner-up (defeated Jeff Arend in E1, Tim Wilkerson in E2, Bob Tasca in E3; defeated by Cruz Pedregon in E4)
Last Event (Las Vegas 1):
Qualified fourth; First round exit (defeated by Alex Laughlin in E1)
2023 Statistics:
20 races; three wins, four runner-up finishes, two No. 1 qualifiers
Career Statistics:
628 races; 76 wins, 37 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:
- Capps is seeking his fourth consecutive Pomona Dragstrip final-round appearance after having raced to a runner-up finish at the three most recent events
- The second-year team owner/driver is closing in on his 19th consecutive top 10 finish. Capps, who leads the Funny Car category in number of consecutive top 10 finishes, ranks fourth overall (among active drivers). 2023 highlights have included:
- Reaching the final round for the 10th time with his second-year Ron Capps Motorsports team in Phoenix; RCM also won their 50th competition round during that same event
- By winning the Bristol, Tenn. event, Capps kept his streak of winning at least one race per year alive. The streak dates back to 2009 and is the longest among any active Camping World Series competitor
- Capturing a milestone 75th victory during the Brainerd, Minn. event
- Going back-to-back in Indianapolis by picking up his second U.S. Nationals triumph to bring his total count to 76 overall national event wins
- Won the 2023 NHRA Camping World Series regular-season to start the playoffs as the No. 1 seed
- As a lifelong Californian and resident of Carlsbad near San Diego, Capps considers In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip to be a home track
- On Saturday, the Ron Capps Motorsports team will host a group of veterans and their guests in hospitality as part of the NHRA’s weekend-long Veteran’s Day celebrations
Fan Events:
- Saturday, 10:30 -11:00 a.m., Team Toyota autograph session at Toyota midway display
- Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – noon, Ron Capps/Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme autograph session at Toyota midway display
Quotable:
“The championship chase is coming down to Pomona once again, and it was another great Funny Car season for us. We were so close all year long and I couldn’t be prouder of our NAPA AutoCare team. Just such a great year looking back with the three wins we had, back-to-back Indy wins and of course, doing it in the Don Prudhomme Hot Wheels tribute car was crazy.
“The weather is looking like it’s going to be great this weekend. It’ll be a fast race track with some of the best side-by-side racing we’ve seen in a while. We want to close out the year with a win in Pomona and couldn’t think of a better way to go to the awards ceremony on Monday night, other than winning a championship, than with a Wally from the NHRA Finals. The team has done a great job, we tested on Monday after Vegas and we really learned a lot, so I’m pretty pumped about unloading in Pomona.