Topeka: Ron Capps Saturday report

CAPPS IS NO. 5 QUALIFIER IN TOPEKA TOPEKA, Kan. (May 22, 2010) - Ron Capps qualified the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger Funny Car in the No. 5 spot for Sunday's eliminations at the 22nd annual Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. He posted ...

CAPPS IS NO. 5 QUALIFIER IN TOPEKA

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 22, 2010) - Ron Capps qualified the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger Funny Car in the No. 5 spot for Sunday's eliminations at the 22nd annual Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.

He posted his quickest pass of 4.117 seconds at 305.42 mph in Friday night's cooler session, which followed a 4.669/169.59 earlier that day (No. 12). Today's attempts produced a 4.314/281.60 (No. 5), and a 4.199/290.13 under 85-degree ambient temperatures, wind gusts reaching 38 mph, and a track surface registering 115 degrees.

"That was a good run," he said of his last pass. "You always want to end qualifying on a good note, and we surely did. There was a lot of wind and you heard a lot of drivers talking about the high winds moving the Funny Cars around from about 600 feet on. It was pretty treacherous, but, as I've said before, we're kind of in a territory where Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) is still trying to get used to this new setup. That was a huge stride for us, especially in the heat, to run the 4.19. We think it's going to be hotter tomorrow, so we'll be able to use that data.

"Conversely, last year (when Capps won the event), the track temperature was 140 degrees," he added.

"All in all, a great end to qualifying. We've consistently qualified in the top five or six all year long (except for a No. 9 at season-opener in Pomona, Calif.), and that's how you start a good day on Sunday, with lane choice. We're looking forward to tomorrow."