Ron Capps is flexing his muscles.

The reigning NHRA nitro Funny Car world champion won his third race in a row when he captured the title at the Southern Nationals in Atlanta Sunday with a hole shot in the final round.

Capps clocked a 3.991-second time at 317.79 mph to defeat a quicker Tim Wilkerson, who had a 3.978 ET at 316.60 mph. The difference was at the starting line as Capps had a .040 reaction time, while Wilkerson had a 0.110 light.

"I think the car speaks for itself," said Capps, who drives the NAPA Dodge for Don Schumacher Racing. "It's exciting to see what's going to happen next. I'm happy that Tim ran good and I'm a Tim Wilkerson fan. I don't think a fan that doesn't like Tim Wilkerson. He's a great guy and I get up to race him."

Capps now has 52 career NHRA National events - 51 in Funny Car and one in Top Fuel.

On Sunday Capps beat J.R. Todd, John Force, and Wilkerson.

"This probably is one of the more difficult race tracks to navigate," Capps said. "You really had to be ready for two to three separate bumps. As a driver with the front ends the way they are and the laid-back headers it is lifting the front end and carrying it half a football field at a time and it makes for an exciting run but at the same time you're just hoping the car stays in the middle."

Capps acknowledged nothing came easy for him at Southern Nationals, especially in the semifinals against Hight and his world championship crew chief Jimmy Prock.

"What's funny is Rahn Tobler (Capps' crew chief) and Prock go on trips together and it cracks me up because I wonder what they talk about," Capps said. "This is big to get a win like this because when they are sitting around the pool enjoying themselves I guarantee he is going to rib him a little bit. Jimmy Prock brings every bit of Rahn Tobler out. I don't see him get like that unless we race Dickie Venables or Jimmy Prock. I could walk in and not know who we are going to race and I can tell if it is Jimmy Prock and I know Jimmy approaches things the same way and it is fun for a driver. I know Robert and I enjoy it. We know those two are going to go up there and we are two lucky dudes. We have to do our jobs but we are going to have a battle. That was a big win."