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MOHNTON, Pa. (Aug. 18. 2007) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car points leader Ron Capps is smiling today after placing his new Brut "Test Drive" Dodge Charger R/T chassis in No. 4 in qualifying for the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals.
He registered his quickest pass of 4.838 seconds at 312.28 mph in today's third of four weekend qualifying rounds, which was then followed by a tire-smoking final pass of 9.517/88.06, part of the team's ongoing testing plan. His other laps included a 4.911/314.17 and a slow 10.228/81.85 Friday night.
"It's great," he said. "It's just amazing how much difference a car can make. It's a new car and after we talked to (chassis designer) Murf McKinney last week, Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) made a change.
"Ace made a great call. As soon as we lost first round in Brainerd, we pulled this car down from the upstairs level of the hauler. We have another one on the way to the shop. In the first pass Friday it went right down the track, and it was back to driving the way that I was used to before Topeka.
"I'm just so happy to have a hot rod back. And it's perfect timing. Because obviously going into to Indy we want to be peaking," he said of the next phase of the new Countdown to the Championship beginning at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
"We've tested a lot of things, and I've told the fans that, and they've been very patient. But, it's time to get back to business. It's race time again, it really is. With one race left you have to go into Indy with a very, very big head of steam. It feels so good, I can't tell you.
"The .83 first pass Saturday was a great run. And it really feels like we have the old Brut car back. We're going back to Indy with the Brut Revolution blue colors on the car, and everything feels really good right now."
As for the tire-smoking run in the final session: "We were trying to step up. We wanted to test the track. If we can get through some rounds tomorrow and get to run later in the day, we'll know what the conditions would be, so we wanted to test the waters and see what that (left) lane would hold this time of day, and it didn't."
Capps faces Kenny Bernstein in first round of eliminations on Sunday.
CAPPS DRIVES NEW CAR TO NO. 4 IN READING QUALIFYING
MOHNTON, Pa. (Aug. 18. 2007) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car points leader Ron Capps is smiling today after placing his new Brut "Test Drive" Dodge Charger R/T chassis in No. 4 in qualifying for the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals.
He registered his quickest pass of 4.838 seconds at 312.28 mph in today's third of four weekend qualifying rounds, which was then followed by a tire-smoking final pass of 9.517/88.06, part of the team's ongoing testing plan. His other laps included a 4.911/314.17 and a slow 10.228/81.85 Friday night.
"It's great," he said. "It's just amazing how much difference a car can make. It's a new car and after we talked to (chassis designer) Murf McKinney last week, Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) made a change.
"Ace made a great call. As soon as we lost first round in Brainerd, we pulled this car down from the upstairs level of the hauler. We have another one on the way to the shop. In the first pass Friday it went right down the track, and it was back to driving the way that I was used to before Topeka.
"I'm just so happy to have a hot rod back. And it's perfect timing. Because obviously going into to Indy we want to be peaking," he said of the next phase of the new Countdown to the Championship beginning at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
"We've tested a lot of things, and I've told the fans that, and they've been very patient. But, it's time to get back to business. It's race time again, it really is. With one race left you have to go into Indy with a very, very big head of steam. It feels so good, I can't tell you.
"The .83 first pass Saturday was a great run. And it really feels like we have the old Brut car back. We're going back to Indy with the Brut Revolution blue colors on the car, and everything feels really good right now."
As for the tire-smoking run in the final session: "We were trying to step up. We wanted to test the track. If we can get through some rounds tomorrow and get to run later in the day, we'll know what the conditions would be, so we wanted to test the waters and see what that (left) lane would hold this time of day, and it didn't."
Capps faces Kenny Bernstein in first round of eliminations on Sunday.
