MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Reigning NHRA Funny Car champion Ron Capps couldn’t wait to strap into his new Toyota Supra-bodied, NAPA-backed machine during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Capps had been working on the deal since the end of last season. Even though the deal with Toyota was signed, Toyota couldn’t get Capps and his new team a Supra body any earlier than the Charlotte round of the series that was run April 29-May 1.
According to Slugger Labbe, who heads the drag racing program for Toyota Racing Development, Toyota ordered 12 new Funny Car bodies for its teams for this season. Capps’ new body was No. 9 of the 12. The bodies, which are all carbon fiber, are made by Roush Industries in Michigan and take up to 30 days to build.
Capps unveiled the new car during a press function at zMAX Dragway prior to the event.
He sat in the car for the first time that afternoon. He said one of the biggest changes was the view from the cockpit. With his previous Dodge-bodied machine, he said it was hard to see over the dash.
Capps explained, “You had to wait for the tires to grow to raise me up high enough to really see where I was going.”
That is not the case with the Supra, as the view from the cockpit is much more expansive and lets in a lot more natural light. An observation echoed by Capps’ Toyota teammates Alexis DeJoria and J.R. Todd.
• Speaking of Todd, he was eager to discuss American Flat Track racing since I’ve been the play-by-play announcer on FOX Sports’ coverage of the sport this season.
Todd is a huge fan of flat-track motorcycle racing due to the fact that his dad, Mario, raced flat track when he was younger. Mario Todd earned the national number of 82. It is a significant accomplishment to be awarded a national number.
The elder Todd never allowed his son to race flat track even though J.R. loved the idea of sliding the big bikes around a dirt oval.
• When asked about his biggest surprise since becoming an NHRA Top Fuel team owner, three-time series champion Antron Brown said it was all of the bills.
“They just never stop coming, when you are just starting up the team,” said Brown, who acknowledged that he couldn’t wait to get the season started so his team could get on the road and start earning prize money.
• This is an important year in the world of politics with the mid-term elections coming up this November. If you live in California and you are a race fan, you might recognize a name on the ballot for the gubernatorial race.
Ken Clapp, chairman of the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame and a former senior vice president for NASCAR on the West Coast, has been receiving a lot of encouragement and support from those in the Golden State’s political circles to throw his hat in the ring.
With his lengthy and very successful career in motorsports, it would be a good thing for California race fans if Clapp decides to run for Governor.
• It was very sad to hear of the recent passing of good friend Tony Ross, who was very influential in the racing career of Danny Lasoski. Ross was also heavily involved in supporting Tony Stewart as he got his World of Outlaws teams up and running. Our thoughts are with Tony’s family. RIP, Tony.
• I am constantly reading books about all kinds of racing. I love to learn about the sport and the racers and machines that have pushed the performance limits throughout history. Recently, a new soft-cover book from the Images of America series showed up on my doorstep. It was titled “Northern California Drag Racing.”
Having grown up in Sacramento, drag racing was a big part of my early introduction to motorsports. Sacramento Raceway, Baylands Raceway Park and Sonoma Raceway were a few of the region’s most popular drag strips that our family visited as fans.
Authored by Steve Reyes, who grew up going to the races in NorCal, the book captures the incredibly rich history of NorCal Drag Racing in hundreds of fantastic images of quarter-mile racing during its early days.
Even though Southern California is thought of as the birthplace of the sport of drag racing, this book highlights the massive impact that Northern California had on the development of the sport.
I couldn’t get enough of the spectacular action shots of these primitive nitro-breathing beasts. It’s a tremendous addition to our ever-growing library. Get your copy for $23.99 from arcadiapublishing.com.
• The famed Ferrari 250 GTO is not only one of the world’s most beautiful cars but also one of the most expensive. We saw one sell at auction a few years ago in Monterey, Calif., for $46 million. The record was set during a private sale when another reportedly sold for $70 million.
However, we have a new record holder and it’s not a 250 GTO.
Mercedes-Benz, during a private auction, sold one of two 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes for a staggering $142 million.