
Reigning NHRA nitro Funny Car world champion Ron Capps didn’t lose any momentum in the offseason.
Capps powered his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra to a 3.874-second elapsed time at 333.25 mph in Q4 to grab the No. 1 qualifying spot at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Saturday.
“Yeah, very cool,” Capps said. “That round (Q4), for me, it was a little bit of anxiety because I couldn't see the Christmas tree. I could barely see the pre-stage, the blue, and then I started bumping it in and I could see the bottom half of the blue stage light, light up, but I couldn't see any ambers. I just said to myself, ‘Okay man, don't mess up and leave before the tree. Just wait until Robert (Hight) hits the gas and go, which is what I did. It was hard to go down the track because he is out in front of me, and you're used to just shutting it off when that car's out in front of you. I'm like, ‘Well, he is not pulling away, we're just staying there.’ Every time I do that, my brain would say, ‘Stop looking, focus on the track.’