IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL FOR CAPPS AS HE ADJUSTS TO NEW TUNERS, CREW

by Bobby Bennett, Photos by Roger Richards    Wed, 2021-03-10 15:48

 

While Ron Capps is far from being an old dog, he did learn a few tricks at the PRO Winter Warm-up. The NAPA Auto Parts-sponsored driver will begin 2021 with new but familiar crewchiefs and crew. After three days of adjusting to new routines, Capps is confident things will be just fine for the NAPA team under the guidance of John Medlen and Guido Antonelli, formerly assigned to the Jack Beckman Infinite Hero team.

The three-day adjustment period has been more like a reunion of old friends, Capps believes.

'It's been fun. I've talked before about how long I've known Guido," Capps explained. "We go back to my rookie year in Top Fuel. I was on the road, driving the rig with my crew chief Terry Manzerat the time. And we spent a couple of weeks in Dallas between races, and he was on John Force's crew. So, we got to be really close friends and just hung out in between races back then and since.

"And of course, John Medlen, I got to work with him, and we actually won Sonoma, I think in 2011, together, with him as my crew chief. And you couldn't really probably ask for a more emotional win, being in Sonoma with Eric's dad, and the history with what we do with Eric Medlen and the foundation with Sonoma, and all that stuff. And it's a blessing that Don kept his team together. Obviously, in hopes that Jack Beckman would get a deal and it's the same intact crew." Capps ended the Pro Winter Warm-up testing in the upper echelon of the Funny Car class with the fourth quickest run of the weekend, a 3.891, 324.83.

"Everything's different," Capps said. "It's a different cockpit, a lot of different stuff. So I felt like a rookie on Friday, and still sort of getting used to some things in the car that are just a lot different. So much different than what I'm used to, and you get this, since 2012, with Tgettinger and that team, you just sort of get into a comfort zone."

Capps isn't exaggerating about the differences.

"I've really had to adapt to a lot of different things," Capps said "I love the challenge and it's been fun. This car is so much different with a six-disc, compared to the five-disc we ran before with Tobler. And just a lot of different things in the car mechanically."

 

 

 

So, in other words, Capps is going back to school and he's just fine with the learning experience.

"I've had a smile the whole time. It's been a lot of fun," Capps said. "The car has got so much potential. We saw how it ran last year; it's the year before with Beckman driving it; it's a great race car. And honestly, I'm still learning the names of the guys on the crew. We went to dinner last night, so I'm slowly learning their names, which is another challenge. My team before all had nicknames, and I've learned that these guys don't. It's been fun. A good group of guys, though."

Capps has been in championship situations and other demanding scenarios, but on Friday, he felt like a rookie of sorts.

"On Friday I was nervous," Capps said. "We warmed it up on Thursday, and I was as nervous as I was when I was a rookie in Top Fuel. I want to make sure that I adapt and do everything because I know how good this car has been over the last few years.

"The procedure, I actually went on looking for YouTube videos to see if even they posted a video of their warmup, just to see if it was different, to study on the airplane on the way to PBIR. But I ended up, the first time we warmed it, it felt like I'd been here already. So Guido and I had a short talk before we warmed up the first time, he told me what they did, and it's been smooth since then.

"I felt like it was a rookie or a sophomore season, where I got a little bit of the jitters, but that's good. It's a good thing. This has been, as good for them, testing new parts and new things, it's been that plus some for me, to be able to get used to some things in this car. So I needed this testing as much as they did or more."

When it was time to educate his tuners on the importance of West Coast Hip Hop and wine, Capps admits his instructions didn't completely resonate with his new tuners. These were the post-racing daily routines with previous crew chief Rahn Tobler.

"A name like Guido? C'mon," Capps reasoned. "He knows his food, and he knows his wine. Same with John Medlen. If anybody doesn't know John personally, he's salt of the earth. He's one of the finest humans on this earth. You got to be prepared; if you ask him a question about something, you're going to get the Einstein answer.

With those two, they know their wine. We went to dinner last night with our sponsors, and the whole team went with us, and the sponsor asked Guido to pick the wine. And the owner of the restaurant came and actually announced to the sponsor how impressed he was with whoever picked the wine. So Guido already made points with our new sponsor, Gear Wrench."

The West Coast rap music education? That one might take a while to catch on.

"Yeah, John doesn't know who Snoop Dog is," Capps said. "He's more of a Willie and Waylon kind of guy, so that part might take a little while."

 

 

 
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