CAPPS IS SIXTH IN FIRST NASCAR LATE MODEL RACE IN ROSEVILLE
ROSEVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 26, 2008) - Ron Capps impressed team owner Bill
McAnally, his fellow Late Model competitors, and even himself by
finishing sixth in the 100-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series race, a
companion event to the NASCAR Camping World Series championship finale at
All American Speedway Saturday night.
Usually behind the wheel of the Don Schumacher Racing NAPA AUTO PARTS
Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series,
Capps started 15th in a field of 25 cars in his first stint in a
NASCAR-sanctioned event. He maneuvered his way through the pack, avoided
several incidents and brought home the NAPA-sponsored Late Model with
just one tire "doughnut" on the sheet metal.
"It was incredible," said Capps, who is more accustomed to driving a
7000-hp Funny Car to over 300 mph in under five seconds than circling a
one-third-mile oval in 14 seconds for 100 laps. "Obviously, finally
getting out with some of the other cars in traffic and having a spotter
talking to you at the same time was something I had to really get used
to.
"On Saturday, practice was pretty much all day, and the race was at
night, so we knew the conditions were going to be different. The guys on
Bill McAnally's team were first class. They knew what to do with the car,
and they were taking what I was telling them and making changes to the
car, and we were right there with everybody else.
"I knew by starting 15th (following Friday's qualifying run) it was
going to be a matter of just staying clean and trying to bring the car
back in one piece. We just kept moving up the ladder and passing cars,
missing wrecks. It wasn't until a couple of laps were left that crew
chief Chris Nelle told me I was in sixth place.
"It was such a steep learning curve, but there were a lot of things that
were comparable to what we do in NHRA racing, as far as how we approach
qualifying and the actual race.
"I really didn't get to practice at night, so racing at night was another
experience.
"I've got to tell you, everybody welcomed me with open arms and people
were coming over to me telling me how much I surprised them and how clean
that I raced.
"I had a good race with the No. 11 car (Mackena Bell). We went side by
side for two or three laps with me on the outside and I hadn't done that
all weekend. So I was telling my spotter (Late Model racer Bennie Moon)
that there was somebody on my inside. He told me race hard and get my
position back, which I did. It felt like all weekend I was reaching
different milestones in this type of series. I kept reaching the next
level, the next level, the next level. It was fun.
"Everybody was great. I think at first they thought they were maybe going
to have to baby me, but a lot of them saw that I was OK out there and
that I was actually running competitive times, so they were racing me
pretty hard.
"It was just such a thrill. There were times during the race during
cautions that I was on the radio with my spotter telling him I couldn't
believe how much fun I was having. You watch NASCAR on TV and you see how
they're fighting and digging and the spotter is talking to them and
they're side by side and literally inches from punting another car.
That's what it was like for me for 100 laps. I can't wait to do it
again."
Will he do it again? "I hope so," said Capps. "Bill McAnally has left
that door open. I'd love to race on a little bit bigger track with a
bigger groove, like Irwindale Speedway.
"The NASCAR officials came up and told me what big fans they were of NHRA
and how they follow our sport. I think we gained even more fans."
Team owner McAnally also fielded the winning Late Model car for Bobby
Grewohl, and his driver Eric Holmes sewed up the NASCAR Camping World
Series West championship Saturday night.
"Ron is a very smart race-car driver," he said of NASCAR rookie Capps.
"He did a great job. He was smart, used his head, he was patient in the
race car, he was aggressive when he needed to be aggressive. For his
first time in a NASCAR stock car he did a fantastic job.
"This was a big open show, so we had track champions here from Altamont,
Madera, Roseville. We had the best of the best shooting it out for some
big money. He stayed out of trouble on a tight, third-mile bullring and
didn't have a scratch on the car."
We're guessing that "doughnuts" are just par for the course.
"And, no, I am not jumping ship from NHRA to NASCAR," declared
Capps. "I am very happy where I'm at. I really do believe every
time I do different forms of racing it helps me in the seat of my NAPA
Funny Car. There are many things you can take with you from one form of
racing to another. And I think that's why you see the better race car
drivers in the world racing in different series. I think it really helps
them."
-credit: dsr
