March 15, 2003
SpeedZone's Exclusive..... interview with FC points leader
(to March 15th) Ron Capps Mark King and myself ganged up on Ronn while
in Deepstage's chat room 10 days ago. Here is one on the most entertaining
interviews I have done in a long time. Hope you enjoy. (photos
courtesy Rich Carlson, Guy Van Syckle, Mark King and NHRA online)
SZ
The points leader after two events heading into Gainesville, awesome!
Did you expect to be in this position after two races?
RCapps Well ,you always expect it, and plan for it, but it
doesn't always work out......It's something that we as a team really
worked hard at over the winter time and Ace has ALWAYS has a game
plan.
SZ You and TJjr are running Chevy Camaro bodies that are basically
a couple of years old and behind in the aerodynamics. What are you
guys doing to keep up with the Force's and Schumacher's in the aerodynamics
department?
RCapps Well, we aren't really sure that we are behind.....Our
Camaro body that we are running now is kind of a Camaro / Firebird
hybrid and it is a bunch better than last years car, BUT, Snake has
really been on GM to help us with body design a little more than the
last couple of years and to honest with you, I believe that our body
is better than the Dodge, but gaining on Forces stuff...
SZ I hear ya......But you guys really did not test all that
good looking back, why are you going rounds, what did you do different
to start at Pomona?
RCapps Well, that is why they call it testing, and that is
why Ed McCulloch is nicknamed the "Ace", we actually tested
very well, but he had me shutting the car off
early,
if theses cars make it to 900 feet or so, chances are they are going
to make it the rest of the way without problems, and we were testing
some new stuff with the body as well, so the testing over in Phoenix
can be very deceiving....
SZ Is "Snake" the NHRA pimp daddy supreme?
RCapps Yeah
SZ I have watched that guy for 35 years. He is "THE"
man!!!
SZ Mark Tony Pedregon on his on air interview during the ESPN
Television Show voiced his displeasure with what he deemed excessive
celebrating by yourself in the pits. What are your thoughts on this?
RCapps I just read that thread ….Well, That was kind of
pumped up from the TV guys....
SZ I think the TV guys are bringing some spice into it this
year. It is great
SZ Mark I was just going by what I saw Tony say in the interview.
RCapps I didn't do any flagrant celebrating on the far end
and, the TV guys made it sound like our trailers were right next to
theirs, which they weren't. But I had gotten a
bunch
of phone calls on Monday from people that saw the show and told me
what he had said, then I got home and watched it, and this is how
I look at it, he has had THE best car out there since the middle of
last year, he had the best car at the finals , but lost the championship
on that hole-shot by John, and I ALWAYS praise that team and their
performance and I did when we beat them, so if he really has a problem
then it's going to be a long, long year for him, because we are going
to race each other alot this year, along with everyone else and he
has to realize that he has a target on his back when they run that
good, and it should be a compliment when someone gets real excited
over beating them. But I really didn't take anything he said as derogatory
toward us...
SZ Force would take humor in the animation I think.
RCapps Yep, he sure would, and does
RCapps A class act
SZ Do your crew chiefs for the three cars powwow on a regular
basis?
RCapps They do alot more now than they did a few years ago,
it's very exciting to see Ace and Lahaie up at the starting line talking,
and Mike Green bring a different aspect to the table as well.
SZ Which racer(s) are you closest to away from your team
RCapps Beside TJ?
SZ Ya
RCapps Probably Force and Scelzi..... Force and I get out and
have a few Miller Lites, and he is one of those guys that you can
call a good friend, no bs. Scelzi and I like the same stuff, and get
along great as well, we all hate to lose, that's what we have in common
SZ Very cool, two of the great guys in my opinion.
SZ Why did Green (Mike) get let go and then get hired back,
That really seems to be an odd scenario?
RCapps Well, Snake had to make a move, when you have sponsors
that you have to call on Monday and explain why you had the weekend
that you had, he is the guy that everything falls on in the end, and
the car was struggling through testing and didn't run good in Pomona
and to be honest ,I was as shocked as everyone else, but that is what
makes Snake who he is, he was impressed with what Mike did over at
Gwynn's and believed that he could run a funny Car well and gave him
another shot.
SZ Mark You had a horrific top end explosion and crash that
saw the body lay over on top of you. What have you and Ace done to
correct this so that it doesn't happen again?
RCapps We had Murf McKinney build a safer cockpit, he added
another big bar to go over my knees and built a kind of "cowl"
that also surrounds my hands and legs
SZ The future of the sport is at a serious point, when you
look out there and the rich teams seem to get richer. (Force, you
guys, Shoe, Worsham,), Where is it headed?
RCapps Well, I really believe that the sport is in great hands
with Tom Compton and all the people that he has hired around him,
I think with ESPN and all the people involved, NHRA Drag Racing is
getting stronger and I believe that, yeah the big budget team are
going to stay in that direction, and it's for a good reason, they
know what they are doing and they know how to give their sponsor their
moneys worth, as far as some of the lower budget teams, they can get
stronger and the sport is there for them to do that, I just think
that some of them don't realize how important it is to pay attention
to some of the small things, things that Bernstein, Snake, Force and
Schumacher all seem to have paid attention to, it's not always just
slapping the sponsors name on the side of the car and going racing.......
SZ Mark What are your thoughts on the ongoing feud between
the A Fuelers and the Blown Alcohol Dragster in the TAD Class over
parity between the two?
RCapps I think it's great, I have driven both and worked on
both......it's never ending, and the BAD guys have always given the
A/FD guys crap over the years, but at that time, all the A/FD guys
could do was to make a killer run once in a great while, BUT now,
the A/FD guys have figured out, mostly by running them like a Top
Fuel car and now they are much more consistent......it makes for good
racing I think, but someone will ALWAYS be whining.......
SZ Do you think Pro Mod should be a pro class? And what about
Pro stock bike, or should the Nitro Harleys be there ?
RCapps I really really dig the Pro Mods, I was a huge Fuel
Altered fan when I was a kid and I really think they are exciting
to watch.....as far as the Harley's, that should definitely be at
every National event.........
SZ And finally...... its time for nine questions by the sixty
foot clocks. Rapid Fire!!!! Ready set......Favorite track?
RCapps Vegas
SZ Favorite sport other than…..?
RCapps Supercross
SZ Favorite pro sports team?
RCapps
niners
SZ Favorite past time?
RCapps BBQing
SZ Favorite movie?
RCapps Hollywood nights
SZ favorite daily driver?
RCapps 69' Z-28
SZ Favorite food?
RCapps Sushi
SZ Favorite color?
RCapps Blue
SZ And finally……What class you would drive in, if
not the two nitro classes?
RCapps Pro Mods, then Nitro Harley's
SZ Thanks man , I'll see ya at the races!
RCapps Thanks guys…
SZ You are the NEXT man…But Sushi… What's with that?!!!
