"I got a notch up on Chase Elliott": NHRA's Ron Capps pushes for NAPA glory before NASCAR standout

Three-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps hopes for a win in his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Supra before Chase Elliott competes in the NASCAR Cup Series in his Hendrick Motorsports' No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet at Texas.

The leading automotive parts brand, NAPA, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Capps, who has worked with NAPA for 18 years, looked forward to his fifth win at the American Rebel Light in Concord, North Carolina. His team, Ron Capps Motorsports, also unveiled an anniversary-themed paint scheme for this weekend's event at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. The 59-year-old commented on the new colors of his Funny Car during a recent interview with ATYL Media at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte.

"I mean...everybody drives around, you see the Napa sign, but you don't imagine somebody could be in business for 100 years, since 1925. So, it's nuts...So glad I was able to do this. It's really cool because my teammate, Chase Elliott, right? We get to run it before Chase does," Ron Capps said (01:05 onwards).

"I feel like I got a notch up on Chase and his team. They're going to run it in Texas in a couple of weeks. We got to run it here, and hopefully we can give it a win before Chase wins Texas," he added.

Elliott's car will also feature a NAPA centennial paint scheme during the Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on May 4.

"Most unpredictable thing I've ever driven" - Ron Capps on driving the Funny Car

Ron Capps has been competing in drag racing in Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars for over thirty years. He won his first NHRA Funny Car championship in 2016 and finished the last season ranked third in the championship points standings.

During the same interview, the 76-time NHRA national race winner commented on driving the Funny Car and said:

"These cars are the most unpredictable thing I've ever driven. I got to drive some pretty cool cars. This is crazy." (04:55).

Capps further explained how tractor pullers in his hometown of San Luis Obispo, California, got him interested in racing. Capps further added that his dad built engines for tractor pullers, dirt cars, and drag cars.

"I grew up in a little town called San Luis Obispo, California. And it had this uh the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It's a great college. It's very much an agricultural college. So I did see a lot of tractor pulls. But my dad my dad built engines for race cars all around our area," Capps said (00:33).

Capps also announced earlier this month that Maddi Gordon will join his team, Ron Capps Motorsports, for a full-time Top Fuel dragster ride in the 2026 NHRA season. The 20-year-old became the 100th woman to win an NHRA event in 2024, her first year in the Alcohol car.