On Sept. 5, 2022, Ron Capps experienced a feeling of euphoria like never before.
For the first time during his 28-year NHRA Funny Car career, Capps was a winner at the U.S. Nationals. And, he had done it in his first season as owner of Ron Capps Motorsports.
“You don’t want to go your career and not even have at least one (U.S. Nationals victory). Even if you’ve won world championships, there’s a void there,” Capps explained. “The Indy Gods decided it was our time last year.”
But 364 days later, that feeling was elevated to new heights.
It all came full circle for Capps on Monday, when he drove to a second consecutive victory at “The Big Go,” campaigning the famed Hot Wheels paint scheme of his former team owner, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. It was the 50th anniversary of Prudhomme’s 1973 U.S. Nationals triumph when he won with the same paint scheme.
“You can’t dream this big,” Capps said, stunned at his feat even as he sat in the media center at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park following his triumph.
It was an emotionally-charged undertaking from start to finish for the three-time Funny Car champion, with his personal history in drag racing reaching a zenith of sorts with the Prudhomme tribute.
Sitting alongside Prudhomme, 82, in the media center, the 58-year-old admitted he quite literally wouldn’t be where he is today if it weren’t for the four-time Funny Car champion and drag racing legend.
“I wouldn’t be here, period, if he wouldn’t have saw something in me,” Capps said. “I had never sat in a Funny Car, never driven one…
“To have him in my corner my whole life, the dad he was to me on the road, learning how to wear certain clothes, how to pack — I learned so many cool things you can’t even put a price on.”
The two Funny Car drivers have kept a close relationship over the years, with Prudhomme being one of Capps’ first calls when he decided to start his own team. The Hall of Famer was also a frequent dial throughout the 2022 season, lending his sage advice when needed.
Several months back, Capps again picked up the phone — following several discussions he’d had with Hot Wheels, Toyota and primary sponsor NAPA Auto Parts — and rung Prudhomme about running a throwback paint scheme at the U.S. Nationals.
“When he first sent me the paint scheme, it brought a tear to my eye. I was sitting in my kitchen and it came over my cell phone and I thought — this thing is beautiful,” Prudhomme said.
According to Capps, things progressed from there.
“He was like, ‘Is this deal done? Is this going to happen?’ And it was like that for three months,” Capps said with a laugh.
It became real on the Friday prior to the U.S. Nationals, when the bright yellow Toyota GR Supra first rolled into the staging lane for qualifying at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Four-time U.S. Nationals winner Prudhomme followed Capps to the starting line, treading lightly on the hallowed ground.
Meanwhile, inside the car, Capps forced himself to remain calm.
“I was just trying to focus and not look up at the screen and see him standing behind me,” Capps said. “I could see a tinge of the hood and the yellow when I was in (the car).
“I was trying to separate myself a little more and not get emotional about trying to do better because ‘Snake’ was there.”
The nerves continued to heighten over the next several days, as the Hot Wheels machine qualified fifth in the 16-car field. But “the Indy Gods,” as Capps says, granted favor to the Hot Wheels Funny Car come Monday’s eliminations.
“I think bringing (Prudhomme) in, the Indy Gods were like, ‘Hey, I remember you, Snake,’” Capps said. “From there, they were like, ‘Let ‘em on through.’”
The defending U.S. Nationals winner had his back against the wall in nearly every elimination round, facing off against Dale Creasy Jr., Matt Hagan and Robert Hight as he maneuvered his way through the bracket.
After every big round, Prudhomme was there to give Capps a fist bump.
In the final matchup against J.R. Todd, Capps blasted to the win light with a 3.986-second run (323.27 mph) to secure his second U.S. Nationals title and clinch the regular NHRA season title.
“To end up winning, 50 years after (Prudhomme) won Funny Car — just think about all the stuff that lined up,” Capps said. “It’s crazy.”
In the closing words of Prudhomme, “It’s something I’m going to remember for a long time.”