Long after the engine noise dies down, Ron Capps can often be found behind his Funny Car, methodically packing his own parachutes—a task most current drivers leave to their crew.

“The No. 1 reason is, I don’t think my guys need to be doing my job,” Capps said.

For Capps, the ritual dates back to his childhood and is rooted in family tradition. “I grew up packing them when we worked on my dad’s car,” he said. “My mom drove race cars when I was a kid, but she also packed my dad’s parachutes on his race car. I learned from her when I was old enough, so I’ve just always done it.”

Before becoming a driver, Capps was a crew member and brought the same hands-on mentality to the cockpit. “Throughout the years that I was a crewmember on different cars, I’ve always done it. And then fast-forward to being a driver, I just kept going.”

Capps sees parachute-packing as a matter of personal responsibility. “If something goes wrong, you don’t want to turn around and try to blame somebody else, you know what I mean?” he said. “If you’re jumping out of an airplane, wouldn’t you wanna pack your own chute?”

While many drivers opt to delegate the task, Capps insists it’s essential. “There are drivers and owners that don’t ever pack their chutes. It’s just the way it is, and that’s their prerogative,” he said. “I’ve just always felt like it’s part of my job. It’s important to me—as important as putting my firesuit and my helmet on, in a sense.”