Photos by Dave Kommel
With his brother racing to the final round of the NHRA Gatornationals Funny Car division, Jon Capps was ready to deliver what would have been the first brother Funny Car victories in the same weekend.
Jon lived up to his end of the deal, stopping the seemingly unstoppable Shane Westerfield in the Nostalgia Funny Car portion of the Bakersfield March Meet in Bakersfield, CA. Ron came up short in his bid to make history, losing to Chad Green in the final round.
Joining Capps in the Bakersfield winner’s circle was Pete Kaiser in the Top Fuel and Kyle Hough (Fuel Altered).
Capps, just like the rest of the AA/FC field, spent most of their time chasing Westerfield in the Bardahl Funny Car.
Starting from the No. 2 spot, Capps was a monster on race day, living in the 5.50s right up to the final. He had a solo in the first round and laid down a 5.544 when Todd Plate couldn’t make the first round. He then ran a 5.568 to stop Cory Lee in the second round. He gained lane choice in the final round, stopping Geoff Monise in a side-by-side 5.5-second race.
In the final round, Westerfield went .032 red, handing the win to Capps.
“This is amazing. I won my Alcohol Funny Car race. The first race, Funny Car race, I ever won was here,” Capps said. “My first Midget race was over in Oildale. Bakersfield is a special to me. I grew up as a kid running around the pits here, so this is amazing. I don’t even know what to say right now. “
In the final round, Westerfield went .032 red, handing the win to Capps.
“This is amazing. I won my Alcohol Funny Car race. The first race, Funny Car race, I ever won was here,” Capps said. “My first Midget race was over in Oildale. Bakersfield is a special to me. I grew up as a kid running around the pits here, so this is amazing. I don’t even know what to say right now. “
Kaiser thundered to the Top Fuel win, starting eliminations as the No. 3 qualifier, and lived in the 5.70s all day, first with a 5.733 to beat Adam Sorokin and then a 5.718 to beat Brad Thompson. In the final, he saved his best for last and needed every bit of his 5.705, 254.38 to beat No. 1 qualifier Tyler Hilton in the final round. Hilton lost with a much-quicker 5.641, 261.70.
“I was looking over about last 1,000 feet waiting for him to come by me,” Kaiser said. “He didn’t come by me. This is awesome, man. This is really great.
“We came back from a lot of trying new things, and we said, “Let’s just go back to what we know for Sunday. And this is amazing.”
Hough’s Fuel Altered win was one for the ages and emotional for him.
Hough qualified No. 4 and beat James Generaldo Jr. and Bill Windham before outrunning Mark Whynaught in the final round.
“Tomorrow is two years since I lost my grandfather, and this is an emotional one,” Hough said. “This is my grandfather and John Olloman. They go way back to the ’70s, and John asked me to drive this thing this year. I couldn’t be more excited to give him this trophy and give him this win. It was a hard-fought weekend, but well deserved for this group.”
