NHRA Gatornationals
Event 1 of 21
Gainesville Raceway
Gainesville, Fla.
March 8 – 10, 2024
RON CAPPS
Driver of the NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra
NHRA Gatornationals Event Highlights:
- Four-time event winner (2006, 2007, 2015, 2020)
- Two-time runner-up (2000, 2016)
- Two-time No. 1 qualifier (2021, 2023)
2023 NHRA Gatornationals Recap:
Qualified No. 1; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Terry Haddock in E1; defeated by Alexis DeJoria in E2)
Career Statistics:
629 races; 76 wins, 37 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:
- 2024 marks Capps’ third year as an NHRA team owner. Capps begins his campaign for a second Funny Car title as a team owner and fourth overall after winning the 2022 championship during Ron Capps Motorsports rookie season
- Looking to tie former boss Don Prudhomme’s five Gainesville Funny Car wins, which would make him tied for the second-winningest Funny Car driver in the track’s history
- Clinched the Gainesville Funny Car pole in 2023
- Reset the Gainesville Raceway Funny Car speed record in 2022 by clocking a 336.23 mph pass
Fan Events:
- Saturday, 3/9, 10:30 – 11:00 a.m., Team Toyota autograph session at Toyota midway display
- Sunday, 3/10, 8:30 a.m., Darrell Gwynn ‘Track Walk for Those Who Can’t’
Quotable:
“I’ve been lucky enough to be doing this for quite a while, and I don’t think we’ve seen the buzz or the excitement build up like we have going into this year’s Gatornationals. Mission Foods has come in as a new series sponsor, and we’ve got a few more Funny Cars that may not only give us a run for our money, but can run for the championship. With NHRA putting the Gatornationals at the start of the season, it puts a lot of pressure on teams because this is a race that you want to have on your resume. I’ve been lucky enough to win it a few times. Every time I roll into Gainesville Raceway, it’s a lot like Indy in the sense that it’s got so much history to it.
“Going into this year, it’s my third season as a team owner. Guido (crew chief Dean Antonelli) and our NAPA Auto Care team did such a good job over the off-season. We got our new Toyota bodies, and had a great test in Bradenton a few weeks ago. You could see leaving the Bradenton event that there are quite a few more cars that have a legitamte shot at not only trophies on Sunday, but championship runs. I feel great, I’m blessed to have a team around me like we have that can challenge every season for a championship but right now, everyone is focused on the Gatornationals. The excitement from the fans, and the race itself, we can’t wait to hit the track in Gainesville and try and win another trophy.”