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Ron Capps, ‘Legend of Thunder Valley,’ Powers Into Bristol Semifinals
Highlights
- Ron Capps inducted into Bristol Dragway’s Legends of Thunder Valley
- Capps reached semifinals at Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
- Capps holds eight Bristol victories, most by any pro driver
- Set quickest elapsed time twice but lost semifinals to Wilkerson
- Capps leads NHRA points midway through 20-race Mission Foods season
- Next race: Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 26-28, Ohio
Ron Capps is inducted into Bristol Dragway’s Legends of Thunder Valley and reaches the semifinals at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, consolidating his Mission Foods points lead on Sunday.
The three-time champion adds to a dominant Bristol record, where he holds eight victories, the most by any professional driver, and becomes only the third active inductee.
Eight Bristol victories make Capps the most successful professional driver in Thunder Valley history.
The formal induction occurs pre-race, with Bristol Motor Speedway president Jerry Caldwell presenting a plaque, as Capps reflects on early visits with Don Prudhomme and the venue’s enduring significance.
A resurfaced track complicates preparation. Capps battles tire smoke in Friday’s first two qualifying sessions, ending the day tenth and seeking stability with crew chief Dean “Guido” Antonelli.
Saturday brings the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, but more smoke hampers progress. A late 4.131 at 304.53 mph lifts him to seventh and earns a bonus point.
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Race day pace returns. Capps defeats Chad Green with a 3.989 at 324.44 mph and logs one of the day’s quickest elapsed times in the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car.
Capps records the quickest elapsed time twice on race day, yet falls short in the semifinal against Daniel Wilkerson.
He advances past rookie Jordan Vandergriff with a 3.980 at 327.43 mph. A dropped cylinder then slows the semifinal to 4.058 at 299.40, as Daniel Wilkerson wins with 4.023.
The performance underlines raw speed, yet highlights narrow margins. The dropped cylinder exposes reliability risk, overriding aggressive setups that twice delivered the day’s quickest elapsed times.
Antonelli leans on incremental changes to widen the window. The team credits improved track prep and a committed crowd for enabling faster conditions despite Friday’s setbacks.
Despite missing the final, the semifinal secures Capps’ 22nd career Mission #2Fast2Tasty berth and sustains his championship lead at the calendar’s midpoint.
Capps retains the Mission Foods points lead at the season’s halfway mark and clinches his 22nd #2Fast2Tasty appearance.
Focus now shifts to the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Norwalk, June 26–28, where Capps targets conversion of evident pace into a decisive victory.
Visual Summary
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8 WINS
Ron Capps is crowned a “Legend of Thunder Valley” after conquering Bristol for a record 8th time, racing into the semifinals and holding the NHRA points lead.
Points Lead: 10 races down, still on top!
Halfway
“Legends are made when the thunder rolls.”
Capps remains the king of Bristol’s mountain
Capps remains the king of Bristol’s mountain
Nicholas Rivera delivers NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car news, including eliminator-round results and reaction-time stats. He brings track-side interviews, contender profiles, and championship-point breakdowns straight from drag-racing’s biggest national events.
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