When Ron Capps returns to Thunder Valley for the May 15-17 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, he will not have to worry about those pesky left turns.

Capps, one of the drivers who participated in the Scotts Saturday Night Special at Bristol Motor Speedway, returns to Bristol Dragway to do what he does best, rocket straight down the legendary track on a quest for victory. Seeing the win light is something he has grown accustomed to thus far in the 2009 campaign.

Capps has collected three wins in 2009 and currently sits first in the championship standings.  After snagging the first two events of the season, Capps said he felt the weight of a giant bull’s-eye on his back.  Add the competitive nature of the Funny Car category and it is easy to see why he felt the pressure.

“No one had ever three-peated [at the start of the season], and there was a lot of hoopla,” said the California native.  “One thing we found is that a lot of guys were taking shots at us on the track. There is something to be said about momentum, but a lot of those guys look at you and want to get you out of the headlines.

When Ron Capps returns to Thunder Valley for the May 15-17 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, he will not have to worry about those pesky left turns.

Capps, one of the drivers who participated in the Scotts Saturday Night Special at Bristol Motor Speedway, returns to Bristol Dragway to do what he does best, rocket straight down the legendary track on a quest for victory. Seeing the win light is something he has grown accustomed to thus far in the 2009 campaign.

Capps has collected three wins in 2009 and currently sits first in the championship standings.  After snagging the first two events of the season, Capps said he felt the weight of a giant bull’s-eye on his back.  Add the competitive nature of the Funny Car category and it is easy to see why he felt the pressure.

“No one had ever three-peated [at the start of the season], and there was a lot of hoopla,” said the California native.  “One thing we found is that a lot of guys were taking shots at us on the track. There is something to be said about momentum, but a lot of those guys look at you and want to get you out of the headlines.

“It is a compliment, but it is like being a gunfighter back in the day. When you rolled in to town and had a reputation, you had to be good every single time or you were going to be beat. We have to be on our game every single run.”

Always a contender for the championship, Capps and crew chief Ed “Ace” McCulloch have altered their previous outlook on what it takes to hoist the trophy at the end of the year.

“We have a different mindset going into this year with the Countdown,” explained Capps. “We have been close the last few years, but Ed McCulloch and I took a different approach this year. We threw out all the planning and thinking about peaking at the right time. This year, we’ve gone after it every single run and tried to be the best car every run down the track. We’re looking right in front of us instead of down the road.”

“We try to go 100 percent every race, let the points fall where they fall and do that the whole year instead of doing it just in the Countdown.”

Not only is Capps working with a different strategy this season, he has to rethink his starting line routine thanks to the new variable starting system which is designed to reward the drivers with the best reaction.  With the old system, some drivers were able to predict the green light and leave the line with a slight advantage, an advantage that makes all the difference in the NHRA.

“I think it [the new timing system] has brought the driver back into it,” said Capps. “We wanted to bring the anticipation and those butterflies you get as a driver back when you’re waiting on the tree to come down. It took time to get used to it, but it brings the guys that are good on reaction time back to the front.”

While reaction times, parachutes and extreme G-forces are Capps’ day job, left turns, spring rubbers and pit stops could be considered his hobby. Capps was excited to step behind the wheel of a late model stock car for Bristol’s Saturday Night Special in March.

“It was for charity and fun…until the helmets went on and the horns came out,” he said with a laugh. “That place [Bristol Motor Speedway] is unbelievable if you’ve never seen it live. I can see why the best of the best in NASCAR win at that track. It takes the best you’ve got. I was extremely proud to be in the first one.”

The Saturday Night Special was not his first experience with the world of stock cars, however. Through a prior relationship, Capps was able to race for car owner Bill McAnally in a Whelen All American Series event in Roseville, Calif. In his debut, he finished an impressive sixth after starting from the 15th position in the 25-car field.

“I knew Bill before and he told me whenever I wanted to come out and practice I could do so,” he said. “I learned so much and had a lot of fun; it is a pretty cool deal.”

Capps also is making a splash in the world of NASCAR, thanks to commercials with NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip. He says it has helped NHRA’s growth, as well as helping him meet a few new “friends” during his day-to-day life.

“I got into a cab in Las Vegas,” he recalled, “and the driver didn’t speak much English. But, he turned around and yelled my name because he said he knew my commercials with Michael Waltrip. It is funny how the fans have taken hold of it. I get people yelling at me in airports, at the grocery store, many that may have never seen a drag race.  To be a part of it is pretty cool.”

One thing is for sure, whether at the Dragway or the Speedway, Capps enjoys returning to Bristol. With a win in the Inaugural No Bull Showdown and two wins at the Thunder Valley Nationals (2001, 2006), Bristol holds a special place with him.

“For me, as a kid in California, I’d always read about the history of Bristol,” he recounted.  “When Bruton redid the track, and from the time I first stepped foot on that place, it has been special to me. I’ve always done well there on the track, and it is amazing how the fans around there have grasped on to drag racing. It is almost like they are starving for more drag racing; it means a lot as a driver to see that support.

“When I see it on the schedule, I’m pretty happy about it.”  

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