Capps glad to be back at sea level

Seattle, prerace: Ron Capps left the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver last weekend as the only NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series professional class points leader to remain atop the points standings - despite losing in the first round.

The driver of the Brut Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car is now 26 points ahead of 13-time champion John Force and is glad to get off the 5,800-foot mountain and back down to sea level at this weekend's Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

"It just shows you how tough this Funny Car category is right now," said Capps, who also receives support from Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels. "We watched the pair in front of us run in Denver, which was (teammate Whit) Bazemore and Force and we really felt like the Matco Tools team was going to take Force out. We felt like both cars were very safe going down the race track and both ended up smoking their tires."

As it turned out, eventual event winner and Capps' other teammate Gary Scelzi was the one who finally knocked Force out, in the second round, allowing Capps to maintain the points lead.

"Keeping the points lead is a huge deal," added Capps. "We know that we're going to battle the Force team all year and we know we're going to have to go back to going rounds like we were earlier in the year. We just flat out need to get back to the consistency that we had. And I feel like we have it. Every team is going to have those bad weekends. Not every team - for that matter, any team - out there every weekend is going to do well in every single race.

"With that being said, that is the very reason that we worked hard and did so well at the beginning of the year. Everything worked out for us and we racked up and banked those POWERade points.

"Right now, John Force is showing that that he and his team are human at times. Several years ago you couldn't have said that. And you couldn't hand him a first-round exit when you're battling for the championship, because it would cost you the championship.

"At this point we're just going to stay in it and get back to our consistency. We are actually coming to tracks that Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) and I have done very well at in the past, which gives me a lot of confidence and I'm excited about that."

Capps' record in Seattle includes a 1995 Top Fuel win - his first professional victory - a 1998 Funny Car victory over Force, a runner-up to Whit Bazemore in 2001, and a No. 1 qualifying start in 1997.