![\"NFFC-Epping-Capps2\"](\"https:\/\/nitrofccanada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/NFFC-Epping-Capps2.jpg\")
<\/a>(Ron Capps’ event winning trek included recording the second quickest FC run in history – 3.865 secs)<\/p><\/div>\n
At that event conclusion it was Ron Capps hoisting the trophy at the end of the racetrack for the 47th time in his career — for the rain-delayed Monday finish to the Fourth Annual NHRA New England Nationals.<\/p>\n
Qualifying went off without a hitch for Capps, who was situated neatly on the pole for the second time this season and 19th time overall in his steadily charging Dodge following four 3-second passes \u2013 including the second-quickest run in the history of the category (3.865).<\/p>\n
Capps was on a roll, but Mother Nature threw the NHRA teams a curveball as rain descended upon New England Dragway on Sunday and put a day-long hold on the action. Teams rallied and regrouped on Monday under sunny skies and with quite different air and track conditions.<\/p>\n
Maintaining his stranglehold on the power of his Mopar beast, Capps drove to four consecutive 3.9-second passes. It was the second win of the year for Capps, who kicked off the season with a Winternationals victory, and a repeat performance of his 2014 triumph at New England Dragway. With the win, he pulled to within 22 marks of the Funny Car points lead.<\/p>\n
In round one, Capps went head-to-head with Funny Car newcomer Dave Richards, and he handily disposed of his opponent with a strong 3.921-second pass at 322.19 mph. In round two Capps clocked a 3.956\/323.12 to send Courtney Force home on a 3.999\/323.04.<\/p>\n
<\/a>(Tommy Johnson Jr has now placed R\/UP at New England Dragway – two years in a row)<\/p><\/div>\n
Capps and Johnson Jr. again matched one another in terms of elapsed time in their respective semifinal rounds, but his opponent earned lane choice for the final lap of the day with a faster speed \u2013 Capps advanced with a 3.926\/318.69 over John Force’s 3.966\/319.14 and Johnson Jr. got ahead of Worsham, 3.926\/323.89 to 3.965\/324.44. Epping marked the second event in which the two would compete against one another for the title; they last met in the final round at the 1999 NHRA event at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading.<\/p>\n
Although Johnson Jr., in his 34th final, left the starting line first in a meeting of powerful Mopar Dodge Funny Cars there at New England Dragway, Capps edged ahead at half-track and held on to take the win, 3.923\/325.61 to 3.947\/322.11.<\/p>\n
“We were nearly perfect this weekend, and that’s the key,” said Capps, who is the second-most winning driver in NHRA Funny Car history and became the first driver in the category to make eight passes in the 3-second zone in a single race weekend. “We gathered a lot of [bonus] qualifying points, and if we had been able to gather them all, it would have been the perfect weekend.<\/p>\n
“But to win here at New England Dragway twice is cool. All of the fans who showed up today saw some great racing. There were so many side-by-side nail biters, including our last run there with Tommy. It was a fun day, and we got to knock out some big names in our sport.”<\/p>\n
For Johnson Jr., it was the second consecutive New England Nationals final, where he was runner-up last season.<\/p>\n