SPEEDZONE MAGAZINE ONLINE

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?!!!

March 2, 2003 by Dean Murdoch

Firebird Raceway was the scene of the second NHRA National event of 2003. The desert like conditions make this a perfect spot for early season drag racing. And the weather did not disappoint! 70 degrees and mostly sunny skies meant the fans were out in droves, for the taste of nitro. Rookie Brandon Bernstein and seven other Top Fuel competitors made statements as the top eight qualifiers all ran in the 4.50’s. Brandon was #2 with a 4.517 right behind Doug Kalitta’s second #1 qualifier in a row, 4.512. From there, Brandon proved that his runner-up finish in the “Big Bud” shoot-out was no fluke for the “prince”, as he made it to the final and walloped the Miller Light “king” Larry Dixon on a 58/1000ths hole shot and won with a 4.574 to a closing 4.539. Brandon deep-staged in the final and I don’t think it was intentional especially with the new LED’s. I could be wrong, but I bet the general (Tim Richards) and dad Kenny had a good natured talk to him about deep-staging with the new lights. I don’t want to know Larry’s reaction after the race. “Team Force’s” Gary Densham also lost on a huge hole-shot in the final of Funny Car after being the best car in eliminations all day. Ron Capps won with a 4.86 to a closing 4.81 by Densham. Capps light is a telepathic 3/1000ths from perfect. Pro Stock winner was Greg Anderson over Troy Coughlin. Of note, Ron Krisher one of the slowest leaver’s in Pro Stock last year red lit for the second race in a row. No TAD or TAFC results because, well, THEY WERE NOT RUNNING, geesh!!!! Calgary’s Rick Distefano ran the quickest pass in NHRA Comp. Eliminator history when he ran 6.28 in the first round. Canadian Ray Carlson in Super Street went to the 1/4’s and Abe Loewen made it to the semis in Super Stock.

Other winners include Dean Carter in Comp Eliminator over David Rampy: Larry Zavala defeated Kevin Nicks in Super Stock when Nicks was disq. for deep-staging: Ken Passerby got by Keith Lynch in Stock: Jason Brinks defeated Gerry Nelson in Super Comp: Larry Scarth took out Jerry Denton Jr. in Super Gas and Ron Kelly Jr defeated Doug Young in Super Street.

Photos by Rich Carlson