John Capps won’t be at Sunday’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Neither will his grandchildren, Taylor and Caden.
Although Ron Capps’ father and children will be home on the West Coast, he will cherish Father’s Day for what his dad gave him and how that has enabled him to provide good lives for his wife and kids.
“My dad is the reason why I’ve been in drag racing my whole life,” said Capps, who recalled traveling to all the fabled West Coast dragstrips when his dad raced a Fiat Topolino altered.
“We were regulars at all the California tracks. He was a track champion at Santa Maria and we’d go to Bakersfield, Irwindale, Fremont, Famoso.
“I’ve been going to drag races since I was born, whether he raced or we went there to camp. It was part of my childhood.”
Capps will be in Tennessee at Bristol Dragway on Sunday where he qualified fourth in his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T tuned by crew chief Rahn Tobler. Capps, who ranks second in points in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, has won 34 NHRA pro titles and owes his career choice and success to his father.
“My dad instilled in us that you didn’t have to have the most expensive cars, trailers or any of that; you just had to be the best on the track. Whatever we raced growing up we were one of the best because he taught us how to approach racing.
“My need for speed came from my dad.”
Capps recalls winning two NHRA titles on a Father’s Day, but has never shared either with his father. He also has never been home with his children on the special day.
“That bums me out a little. I’ve always been racing back East on Father’s Day. They’re able to listen on the Internet so they can share the day with me, and then we celebrate when I get home regardless of how we did.”
After returning home from a race weekend he often prefers not to talk about racing, but then he knows he’ll get a call from his father.
“He’ll want to know what went on at the track. I might not want to relive the weekend, but I will because it’s him and because what I learned from him is how he is able to kind of live his racing dreams through me now.”
John Capps always will be appreciative of the gift he received on the special day in 1965. Ron was born on June 20 that year which happened to be on Father’s Day.
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