RON CAPPS LEAVES THE EXPLOSION INCIDENT

As a connoisseur of the sport, Ron Capps knows the dangers that come with driving a nitro-burning Funny Car. On Sunday, the three-time NHRA Funny Car driver was reminded of that outside Seattle, Washington.

During the first lap of the NHRA Northwest Nationals, the engine of Capps’ NAPA Auto Parts-sponsored Toyota Funny Car exploded, sending the car flying into the right retaining wall and then across the track where it struck the left wall.

Capps was conscious, exited the car under his own power and was examined on site by the NHRA medical team before being released.

“I’m OK,” Capps said. “Thank God we put in all the new safety stuff, because four, five, six years ago it probably would have been – who knows – mostly the head padding.”

Capps paid tribute to 17-time Funny Car champion John Force, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a crash at the NHRA Virginia Nationals a month ago that bore an eerie similarity to Capps’.

“What John and his team did was certainly less stressful on my body,” Capps said. “We were setting up the car and there were a couple of drops and I was like, ‘oh man.’ But I thought it wasn’t that bad that we couldn’t run and I know Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) was trying pretty hard to get it done.”

“It came loose. I tried to pedal but it wouldn’t start. I heard Gary (Densham) over there and knew he was in a bit of trouble but then he started going again. I looked out the window and tried to get it going again – nothing crazy and as I rolled in, the last pedal stroke – I know that. The explosion, the concussion and then the body goes off.”

Capps, who has witnessed many accidents over the decades in which drivers have collided with inanimate objects, quickly noticed the trees nearby.

“When I see those trees around the track, that’s not good in a Funny Car, and that’s when I just hung on,” Capps explained. “I don’t think I’ve ever had an accident like that – hitting walls. That’s never happened to me in my career. I just hung on and tried not to hit hard – and then when I hit the right wall, I knew it was going to go left. I would have hit the other wall head-on, so I was able to prepare for that.”

Capps said his team is doing everything it can to ensure the driver, who is also the team owner, is protected in the event of an accident like Sunday’s.

“Guido and the guys are great about padding my legs,” Capps said. “I think they got it from INDYCAR and stuff, and it probably saved my legs from getting badly injured. I just wanted to get out of the car and tell my wife I’m OK. I’m sure she’s home watching NHRA.com, my family – I love them.”

Capps, who finished second at the recently concluded NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, lamented the loss of a car that was just starting to get going.

“I just hate it,” Capps said. “NAPA – we finally got it right and we’re running great and I just felt so good today and the way we’re doing. It’s going to set us back a little bit, but we have great race cars. The guys at Precision are going to work on another car – we have to go to Sonoma and get past me, but it definitely put a dent in the budget. The owner in me is really disappointed, more than the driver.”