It worked so well the last time.
For the second consecutive NHRA U.S. Nationals, two-time NHRA Funny Car champion will roll to the Indianapolis Raceway Park starting line with a Funny Car paying homage to his former team owner and admitted hero Don Prudhomme.
In a throwback to Prudhomme’s old red, white, and blue Army cars, Capps has adjusted the livery to promote his longtime sponsor, NAPA Auto Parts. The scheme is a proven winner as Prudhomme won four consecutive NHRA titles, starting in 1975.
Capps’ win in the ‘Snake’ Hot Wheels tribute car at last year’s U.S. Nationals came on the 50th anniversary of Prudhomme’s win at the 1973 U.S. Nationals. Few celebrated the victory more than Prudhomme, who also warmed up the car on the first day of the event.
“Running the Hot Wheels Don Prudhomme tribute car at the U.S. Nationals, having ‘Snake’ there, and then winning the race was certainly one of the highlights of my career,” Capps said. “It’s been talked about since last year, and ‘Snake’ has told me it’s one of the coolest things that he’s been around, and that’s saying something coming from Don Prudhomme. It’s hard to top that, but there’s only one car that’s cooler than that car, and that’s the Army car that Don ran.”
Prudhomme’s Army sponsorship ran from 1974 until 1980 and delivered one of drag racing’s most successful partnerships.
“I don’t think a lot of fans nowadays understand just how successful that race car was,” Capps said. “Almost half of his Funny Car wins were in that livery. All four of his Funny Car world championships were in the Army car. I had the Army model from Revell that I built as a kid. Shoot, I wanted to join the Army just because of that Funny Car. But going back to 1975, Don Prudhomme in the Army car won all but two national events the whole season. In 1976, he won all but one of the national events on the NHRA tour. It’s pretty amazing.”
Capps and Prudhomme raced together from 1997 until 2004, and together, they won 13 national events.
“Don Prudhomme gave me my start in Funny Car,” Capps said. “He saw something in me, and I never had to bring money to the table. It was something I’ll never forget. Being able to drive for one of the coolest guys in the sport, let alone in motor racing, is pretty neat. But to be able to give back like we did last year and run such a historic car was great.”
Last year, the Hot Wheels tribute car won the Best Appearing Car award, and the uniforms won the Best Appearing Crew title. The team’s partners all signed off on the one-race look, which was a tribute to Prudhomme and a unique element for the fans at the 70th running of the NHRA U.S. Nationals.
“Thanks again to NAPA for helping us do something so cool,” Capps said. “I hope our fans will visit one of their thousands of auto parts stores and auto care and collision centers for all of their aftermarket needs.”
