Ron Capps scored in fuel FC for the 2nd time in a week

Ron Capps and the NAPA Brakes Dodge Charger R/T team won the first two stops of last year’s “eastern swing” on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour, and Funny Car points leader will get a shot to sweep the three-race “southern swing” after he won for the second straight week.

Don Schumacher Racing’s Capps won his second NHRA title in eight days on Sunday when his NAPA team Powered by Pennzoil and led by crew chief Rahn Tobler won the Four-Wide Nationals and took over the championship points lead after the sixth event of the year.

“Tobler and our NAPA AutoCare crew have given me a great race car,” said Capps, the reigning world champion. “There’s people in this room that could drive that race car that aren’t race car drivers. I’m joking a little bit but I really feel that way. It’s an incredible race car. I just try to rise to the occasion and not be the weak link.”

In the final round “quad” Capps was the winner with a 3.933, 322.65 followed by Jack Beckman, 3.959, 320.05 (for runner-up) and then JR Todd 4.103, 307.72 and Matt Hagan, 8.820, 93.67.

The 52nd win of his career (51 in Funny Cars) moved him into a tie with hall-of-fame driver Joe Amato.

The win was the 303rd for DSR that has won five of six Funny Car trophies so far this year.

NHRA’s fuel Funny Cars competed 4-wide for the one and only time this season.

Event Essentials:   NHRA Four-Wide Nationals (April 28-30th 2017) 

Courtney Force qualified #1 – but then made hard contact with the guard wall in round #1.

In an unanticipated event development (due to personal reasons for Alexis DeJoria)
Chad Head was a fill-In driver for the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patron Toyota at Zmax

Posted with files by Jeff Wolf & Bruce Biegler

Photos by NHRA, Gary Nastase, Harold Hinson and Garry Eller