As a student of the game, Ron Capps knows the inherent dangers of driving a nitro-burning Funny Car. Sunday, outside of Seattle, Wash., the three-time NHRA Funny Car driver was given a reminder.

During the first round at the NHRA Northwest Nationals, Capps’ NAPA Auto Parts-sponsored Toyota Funny Car exploded an engine, sending it first into the right retaining wall and then across the track, where it made contact with the left wall. 

Capps was alert, exited the car under his own power, and was examined onsite by the NHRA Medical Team before being released.

“I’m fine,” Capps said. “Thank God we got all of the new safety stuff in there because four, five, six years ago, that probably would have been – who knows – especially the head padding.”

Capps gave a shoutout to 17-time Funny Car champion John Force, who a month ago suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury [TBI] in an accident at the NHRA Virginia Nationals that was eerily similar to the one Capps experienced.  

“What John and his team have done have surely made that less on my body,” Capps said. “We were up staging the car and there were some drops, and I was like ‘oh, boy.’ But I thought it wasn’t bad enough that we couldn’t run, and I know that Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) was trying to throw down pretty good. 

“It shook loose. I was trying to pedal it and couldn’t get it going. I heard Gary (Densham) over there, and I knew he was a little bit in trouble, but then he started going again. I was looking out of my window and just trying to get it going again – nothing crazy, and as I rolled in, that last pedal – I’ve been there before. The explosion, the concussion, and then the body is going.”

Capps, who has seen his share of accidents over the decades where drivers have hit inanimate objects, quickly drew notice of the nearby trees.

“When I’m seeing these trees around the track, it is not a good thing in a Funny Car and then I was just hanging on,” Capps explained. “I don’t think I’ve ever had an accident like that – hitting walls. It is something I don’t think I’ve ever done in my career that bad. I was just hanging on, trying not to hit hard – and then after I hit the right wall, I knew it was going to go left. I was going to go head-on into the other wall, so I was able to brace for it.”

Capps said his team goes the extra mile to ensure the driver, who is also the team owner, is protected in the event of a crash like the one he experienced on Sunday. 

“Guido and the guys are great about the padding around my legs,” Capps said. “I think they got it from INDYCAR and stuff, and that surely probably kept my legs from getting hurt bad. I just wanted to get out of the car and let my wife know I’m okay. I’m sure she is at home watching on NHRA.com, my family – I love them.”

Capps, who finished runner-up at the recently completed NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, lamented the loss of a car that was starting to hit its stride. 

“I just hate it,” Capps said. “NAPA – we’ve finally turned the corner and are running great, and just felt so good about today and how we are doing. It will set us back a bit, but we have great race cars. Precision guys will get working on another car – we have got to get to Sonoma and get through me, but it definitely hurt the budget. The owner in me is really bummed, more than the driver.”