Capps misses field for Sunday's eliminations of Northwest Nationals
Ron Capps: "This hurts because we had a chance to leave Seattle with the points lead."
Ron Capps
NHRA
KENT, Wash. - Ron Capps suffered a setback Saturday in his quest for a first NHRA Funny Car world championship when he did not qualify for elimination rounds in the rain-shortened Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle.
Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T team lost traction on their first qualifying attempt Saturday afternoon and then were unable to gain traction just past the starting line to end up qualifying ranked 17th for Sunday's 16-car field."That's how this sport goes sometime, especially when you only get two chances to qualify," said Capps, who last DNQ occurred in April 2012 at Las Vegas. Rain on Friday afternoon cancelled the first two qualifying sessions marking the fifth Mello Yello Series event this year when sessions were lost to inclement weather.
Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team were coming off their second title of the season after winning Sunday at the Sonoma Nationals near San Francisco. The win moved Capps up to second in the championship standings and only 27 points behind Matt Hagan, one of his Don Schumacher Racing teammates.
"This hurts because we had a chance to leave Seattle with the points lead, but I know how good our NAPA Dodge is and we'll be ready for the next race."
Capps and his team will have next weekend off before the series resumed April 16-18 at Brainerd, Minn.
"We had so many of our friends from NAPA out here with us and letting them down is what's most disappointing to me," Capps said.
"I know we're still in the hunt for the championship but it would have been very special to have all of my NAPA family in the winner's circle with me."
Don Schumacher Racing
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