BRISTOL, Tenn. — NHRA Funny Car legend Ron Capps became the 24th member of the prestigious Legends of Thunder Valley Sunday as he was inducted into Bristol Dragway’s hall of fame. He is only the third driver to be inducted while still a full-time driver.
Capps, 60, joins the exclusive club that also includes Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, NHRA founder Wally Parks, John Force, Don Schumacher, Shirley Muldowney, Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher, Scotty Cannon, and last year’s inductee Del Worsham, to name a few.
During pre-race ceremonies, Capps was presented with the customary Legends of Thunder Valley plaque by Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway president and general manager Jerry Caldwell.
“It’s very rare that we induct an active driver, but you’re in rare company when you’re with Ron Capps,” Caldwell said. “The other two that have been inducted as active (full-time) drivers are John Force and Tony Schumacher.
“So we are thrilled to be able to induct someone who it’s kind of long overdue, but you’re also trying to see how much he’s going to accomplish and how many things he’s going to do. And eventually you have to say, ‘He’s going to keep going, but we need to induct him.’”
Capps has earned an incredible eight NHRA Funny Car victories during NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals competition over parts of three decades. The Carlsbad, Calif. driver claimed wins in 2001, 2006, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2025.
In addition to recently making the move to become his own team owner, Capps previously drove for a pair of the sport’s legends: Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Don Schumacher. Both Prudhomme and Schumacher are already members of the Legends of Thunder Valley. His roster of all-star crew chiefs over the years have included Ed McCulloch, Rahn Tobler, John Medlen and Dean Antonelli.
In addition to his Bristol victories, Capps has also earned a Bristol runner-up finish to Matt Hagan in 2015 and a No. 1 Qualifying Award at Bristol in 2016. Capps also holds the Bristol Dragway track ET record at 3.884 seconds, set in June of 2016.
In his career, Capps is a three-time NHRA Funny Car champion and has scored 79 career Funny Car victories. He has career-best performances of 3.821 seconds (2024 Pomona, California) and 339.28 mph (2019 Reading, Pa.). With two victories this season, coming at Phoenix and Charlotte, Capps is the current Funny Car points leader in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
“I read about Larry Carrier, all the history,” Capps said. “For me as a kid, I read more about the Pro Modified, Modified Production and Pro Stock history because back in that day that was big out here. It was all I read about as a kid.”
