NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Ron Capps made no secret that he wanted to walk away from this most grueling of Lucas Oil Winternationals with the trophy and accomplished that in style with an amazingly consistent NAPA Auto Parts Dodge, capping the win, the 67th of his career, with his third straight 4.15-second pass to defeat J.R. Todd.

"That was probably the most extreme conditions I've driven a Funny Car in, and probably the funnest car to drive," said Capps, who took over the points lead with his win. "Every run we would go up there and everybody is tearing their hair out trying to get down the track, and we had weird stuff like cylinders going out at certain spots, that [crew chief Dean Antonelli] was just leaving alone because it was running like a bracket car. We were quietly going about ourselves every run and he said, 'I could fix it. We can go a little quicker,' and I said, 'I don't know. Just keep doing what you're doing.' 

"You can't really put a price on winning Pomona on a COVID race in July at the Winternationals. I mean, it doesn't get any more special. So when I go home it's gonna be planted right in the middle of my trophy shelf. It's just a pretty special trophy."

The final round was a rematch of last year’s U.S. Nationals battle between the two former world champions, where Capps also prevailed.

The win was the fourth at the Winternationals for Capps but his first with new crew chiefs Dean Antonelli and John Medlen. The team had been the No. 1 qualifier at two of the previous three events and added his 29th career No. 1 qualifying berth here, which earned a first-round bye as a result. He then defeated points leader Bob Tasca III in the second round and 16-time champ John Force in the semifinals with a pair of 4.15s on a tricky, 140-degree racetrack.

Todd, the 2018 world champion in the DHL Toyota, began his run to the final round by fending off independent Jeff Diehl in round one with a 4.14 then defeated three-time world champ Robert Hight on a holeshot as both drivers ran 4.192. Todd reached the final round, the 38th of his career, by ending the Cinderella story of Jim Campbell, who had bested No. 3 qualifier Blake Alexander and Alexis DeJoria for his first two round- wins of the season.

Todd, who won the Gatornationals earlier this season, was gunning for his 20th career win, 10 of which have come in Funny Car, including a Pomona win at the 2018 Finals. He also previously won the Winternationals in Pomona in 2007 in the Top Fuel class.