Capps Scores Funny Car Victory At Sonoma Nationals

In an exciting Funny Car final, Ron Capps raced to his second win of the season Sunday and continued his recent domination at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event, the 15th of 24 in the 2013 season.

Capps powered his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger to his fourth win at the scenic Bay Area track with a holeshot performance of 4.085 seconds at 307.79 mph to hold off the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang of 15-time world champion John Force in the final round. It marked the 40th career win for the California native.

“You’re not just racing any car in the final – you’re racing John Force,” said Capps, who has won at Sonoma Raceway three of the last four seasons. “It can be intimidating to a lot of people.”

“This place has a lot of great memories,” he added. “We have a big NAPA presence here and were the only Don Schumacher Racing car in the final. No pressure, right? I try to stay humble. I have a lot of great people behind me to keep me focused. I think we can accomplish that goal of getting to the top.”

Capps outran Del Worsham, Jeff Arend, and Courtney Force to reach the final round. He leaves the event No. 2 in the Mello Yello points standings, his highest ranking since he left the Gainesville event tied for first in mid-March. Event top qualifier Matt Hagan, who was upset in the opening round by Alexis DeJoria, continues to lead the series standings by 27 points over Capps.

In Top Fuel, points leader Langdon claimed his fourth win of the season and fifth of his career by defeating former high school classmate Morgan Lucas in the final round. Langdon powered his Al-Anabi Racing dragster to a performance of 3.920 at 240.47 to hold off Lucas’ GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster, which slowed near mid-track.

“This is a dream season,” Langdon said. “To get four wins at this point in the season feels like we have a strong car. Racing Morgan was pretty cool because we grew up together and went to high school together. A lot of memories racing with friends.”

With the win, his first at Sonoma, Langdon extends his series points lead to 102 over second place Spencer Massey. Langdon outran Houston winner Bob Vandergriff, veteran Doug Kalitta and defending world champion Antron Brown to advance to the final round.

In Pro Stock, Nobile and his Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger team picked up their second win of the season. In the final round, Nobile drove to victory with a performance of 6.572 seconds at 208.58 mph against four-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. whose JEGS.com/Mopar Avenger shook the tires and shut off.

“This was an interesting day for sure but we were long overdue for a win,” Nobile said. “In the final, our engine was hurt in the water box and I thought I was a sitting duck. That’s a helpless feeling. Jeg is someone I’ve always looked up to when I was little. He is still one of the best, if not the best driver out here.”

The victory is Nobile’s second of the season and seventh of his career, moving him to fifth in points. Nobile defeated Jason Line, points leader and event top qualifier Mike Edwards and Greg Anderson to reach the final round.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana Jr. claimed his fourth win of the season, riding his Lucas Oil Buell to a performance of 6.878 at 195.45 to beat event top qualifier and Viper Motorcycle Company Buell rider Matt Smith in the final round. It is Arana Jr.’s seventh career victory and first at Sonoma.

“It was nice to have a little momentum to get back to the top,” Arana Jr. said. “It had been a while for us. After I won those three races, I started to think about winning the race before winning the first round. Not anymore.”

Arana Jr. beat Scotty Pollacheck, Jerry Savoie and Katie Sullivan to reach the final round. With the victory, Arana Jr. remains the series points leader. With the runner-up finish Smith clinched a berth into the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race postseason playoffs that begin Sept. 13-15 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, NC.

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues Aug. 2-4 with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle.

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Sonoma Raceway – Sonoma, CA
NHRA Sonoma Nationals – July 28, 2013

Final Finish Order

TOP FUEL
1. Shawn Langdon; 2. Morgan Lucas; 3. Spencer Massey; 4. Antron Brown; 5. Doug Kalitta; 6. Khalid alBalooshi; 7. David Grubnic; 8. Tommy Johnson Jr.; 9. Bob Vandergriff; 10. Clay Millican; 11. T.J. Zizzo; 12. Brandon Bernstein; 13. Terry McMillen; 14. Steve Torrence; 15. Brittany Force; 16. Tony Schumacher.

FUNNY CAR
1. Ron Capps; 2. John Force; 3. Alexis DeJoria; 4. Courtney Force; 5. Jack Beckman; 6. Robert Hight; 7. Johnny Gray; 8. Jeff Arend; 9. Bob Tasca III; 10. Tony Pedregon; 11. Cruz Pedregon; 12. Del Worsham; 13. Tim Wilkerson; 14. Gary Densham; 15. Matt Hagan; 16. Todd Lesenko.

PRO STOCK
1. Vincent Nobile; 2. Jeg Coughlin; 3. Allen Johnson; 4. Greg Anderson; 5. Mike Edwards; 6. V. Gaines; 7. Shane Gray; 8. Rickie Jones; 9. Larry Morgan; 10. Jason Line; 11. Rodger Brogdon; 12. Chris McGaha; 13. Steve Kent; 14. JR Carr; 15. Deric Kramer.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1. Hector Arana Jr; 2. Matt Smith; 3. Hector Arana; 4. Katie Sullivan; 5. Eddie Krawiec; 6. Angie Smith; 7. LE Tonglet; 8. Jerry Savoie; 9. Steve Johnson; 10. Adam Arana; 11. Scotty Pollacheck; 12. Karen Stoffer; 13. Andrew Hines; 14. John Hall; 15. Shawn Gann; 16. Michael Ray.

Final Results

Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon, 3.920 seconds, 240.47 mph def. Morgan Lucas, 4.628 seconds, 183.69 mph.

Funny Car — Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.085, 307.79 def. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.072, 311.13.

Pro Stock — Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.572, 208.59 def. Jeg Coughlin, Avenger, 7.627, 137.95.

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Round-By-Round

TOP FUEL

ROUND ONE — Antron Brown, 3.787, 322.58 def. Clay Millican, 3.795, 323.12; Shawn Langdon, 3.743, 324.51 def. Bob Vandergriff, 3.786, 320.66; Khalid alBalooshi, 3.794, 323.50 def. Brandon Bernstein, 3.872, 322.27; David Grubnic, 3.795, 324.59 def. Terry McMillen, 3.876, 321.65; Tommy Johnson Jr., 3.786, 324.51 def. Steve Torrence, 3.918, 310.63; Doug Kalitta, 3.785, 326.87 def. Brittany Force, 4.770, 163.35; Spencer Massey, 4.291, 242.71 def. Tony Schumacher, 5.380, 148.35; Morgan Lucas, 3.757, 328.30 def. T.J. Zizzo, 3.835, 321.81;

QUARTERFINALS — Massey, 3.822, 324.59 def. alBalooshi, 3.820, 323.97; Brown, 3.835, 314.31 def. Johnson Jr., 6.996, 85.31; Lucas, 4.296, 266.16 def. Grubnic, 4.323, 193.68; Langdon, 3.799, 324.67 def. Kalitta, 3.819, 326.87;

SEMIFINALS — Lucas, 3.808, 322.50 def. Massey, 3.832, 317.72; Langdon, 3.804, 324.98 def. Brown, 5.346, 114.57;

FINAL — Langdon, 3.920, 240.47 def. Lucas, 4.628, 183.69

FUNNY CAR

ROUND ONE — Johnny Gray, Dodge Charger, 4.057, 315.42 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.941, 157.25; Ron Capps, Charger, 4.066, 311.20 def. Del Worsham, Toyota Camry, 4.855, 188.94; Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.705, 185.08 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 5.228, 189.87; Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.057, 313.29 def. Todd Lesenko, Charger, DQ; John Force, Mustang, 4.073, 312.86 def. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.267, 258.22; Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.170, 287.23 def. Gary Densham, Charger, 5.081, 151.70; Courtney Force, Mustang, 4.088, 317.72 def. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.831, 168.94; Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.018, 317.49 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.105, 312.21;

QUARTERFINALS — C. Force, 4.089, 315.34 def. Beckman, 4.067, 313.51; J. Force, 4.057, 313.95 def. Gray, 4.991, 153.14; DeJoria, 4.145, 306.33 def. Hight, 4.127, 283.91; R. Capps, 4.099, 308.35 def. Arend, 6.018, 115.56;

SEMIFINALS — R. Capps, 4.048, 315.34 def. C. Force, 4.506, 186.59; J. Force, 4.086, 311.34 def. DeJoria, 4.095, 309.84;

FINAL — R. Capps, 4.085, 307.79 def. J. Force, 4.072, 311.13.

PRO STOCK

ROUND ONE — Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.565, 210.70 def. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.573, 210.97; Jeg Coughlin, Avenger, 6.562, 210.54 def. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.586, 211.43; Rickie Jones, Camaro, 6.541, 211.56 def. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.563, 210.57; V. Gaines, Avenger, 6.555, 211.96 def. Steve Kent, Camaro, 6.608, 210.05; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.571, 211.36 def. JR Carr, Mustang, 6.608, 208.91; Mike Edwards, Camaro, 6.541, 212.09 was unopposed; Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.523, 212.23 def. Deric Kramer, Avenger, 6.608, 209.43; Allen Johnson, Avenger, 6.534, 211.93 def. Chris McGaha, Avenger, 6.600, 210.47;

QUARTERFINALS — Anderson, 6.559, 211.30 def. Gaines, 6.541, 212.06; Nobile, 6.559, 211.16 def. Edwards, 6.532, 212.33; Johnson, 6.534, 212.06 def. Jones, foul; Coughlin, 6.544, 211.43 def. Gray, 6.541, 211.89;

SEMIFINALS — Nobile, 6.557, 211.39 def. Anderson, foul; Coughlin, 6.556, 211.53 def. Johnson, 6.539, 211.63;

FINAL — Nobile, 6.572, 208.59 def. Coughlin, 7.627, 137.95.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

ROUND ONE — Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.824, 195.56 def. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.873, 195.00; Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.874, 195.11 def. Adam Arana, Buell, 6.838, 195.79; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.866, 193.99 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.830, 195.51; Katie Sullivan, Suzuki, 6.871, 191.08 def. Michael Ray, Buell, 7.635, 140.43; LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.858, 194.55 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, foul; Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.842, 194.83 def. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.854, 193.79; Hector Arana, Buell, 6.805, 198.15 def. John Hall, Buell, 6.884, 192.82; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.826, 196.44 def. Shawn Gann, Buell, 6.922, 194.10;

QUARTERFINALS — Sullivan, 6.928, 190.35 def. A. Smith, foul; Arana Jr, 6.851, 196.64 def. Savoie, 6.872, 195.11; M. Smith, 6.843, 196.73 def. Krawiec, 6.842, 196.87; H. Arana, 6.816, 198.44 def. Tonglet, 6.868, 195.22;

SEMIFINALS — Arana Jr, 6.856, 195.25 def. Sullivan, 6.904, 190.89; M. Smith, 6.827, 195.59 def. H. Arana, 6.891, 196.07;

FINAL — Arana Jr, 6.878, 195.45 def. M. Smith, 6.877, 195.45.

Point Standings

Top Fuel
1. Shawn Langdon, 1,210; 2. Spencer Massey, 1,108; 3. Tony Schumacher, 1,106; 4. Doug Kalitta, 924; 5. Antron Brown, 904; 6. Khalid alBalooshi, 865; 7. Clay Millican, 769; 8. Morgan Lucas, 768; 9. Bob Vandergriff, 726; 10. Steve Torrence, 688.

Funny Car
1. Matt Hagan, 1,034; 2. Ron Capps, 1,007; 3. Cruz Pedregon, 983; 4. John Force, 961; 5. Johnny Gray, 945; 6. (tie) Jack Beckman, 910; Courtney Force, 910; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 804; 9. Del Worsham, 799; 10. Robert Hight, 782.

Pro Stock
1. Mike Edwards, 1,339; 2. Allen Johnson, 1,273; 3. Jeg Coughlin, 1,147; 4. Shane Gray, 948; 5. Vincent Nobile, 918; 6. Jason Line, 902; 7. Greg Anderson, 821; 8. Erica Enders-Stevens, 743; 9. V. Gaines, 742; 10. Rodger Brogdon, 660.

Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Hector Arana Jr, 795; 2. Matt Smith, 646; 3. Michael Ray, 599; 4. Hector Arana, 553; 5. John Hall, 534; 6. Scotty Pollacheck, 523; 7. Eddie Krawiec, 465; 8. Adam Arana, 462; 9. Shawn Gann, 428; 10. Steve Johnson, 424.