NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

With this weekend’s 35th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway closing out the famed three-race Western Swing for the first time since 2009, back-to-back Funny Car world champion Ron Capps is ready to put on a show at a track he has always considered special.

The longtime standout grew up nearby, camps at the picturesque facility all weekend, and has a multitude of fond memories of racing in Sonoma. That includes four event wins at the track, and he’ll try to add another this weekend in his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra.

He made the fastest run at last year’s race (334.48 mph), and Capps is after his first win on the Western Swing. To do so, Capps and his team, led by crew chief Dean Antonelli, will have to be fast from start to finish. Sonoma Raceway has long been synonymous with spectacular performances, and Capps knows he’ll need to dial up something special this weekend to earn his second victory in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and the 75th in his incredible career.

“It’s been a fun couple of weeks, but this is one of my favorite races of the year, and I'm really looking forward to it,” Capps said. “I consider Sonoma to be one of my home tracks, having grown up in San Luis Obispo and going there a lot as a kid. This event always gives us what I feel is one of the best Friday night qualifying sessions of the year. When that sun starts to go down, the Sonoma fans are gifted with a fantastic qualifying session from top to bottom.”

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the 2022 event, and this year’s race will be broadcast on both FOX and FOX Sports 1 (FS1), including eliminations coverage starting at 1 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 30 on FOX. It is the 12th of 21 races during the 2023 season, and Capps finds himself in a great position as the season heads to crunch time.

He’s swapped the points lead with Matt Hagan this year, and while Hagan grabbed it back with his Denver triumph, Capps is well within striking distance at just 17 points back. The veteran’s success in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race gives him added bonus points into the playoffs, and he won the Saturday specialty race last weekend in Seattle.

Capps isn’t in the four-car field this weekend, as Seattle winner Tim Wilkerson takes on Blake Alexander, while the other matchup features J.R. Todd and Chad Green. Add in the likes of Hagan, Robert Hight, who has dominated in Sonoma over the years, John Force, Cruz Pedregon, defending event winner Tasca, and Alexis DeJoria, and Capps will have his hands full all weekend.

That makes Friday’s thrilling throwdown session under the lights that much more important, and Capps and his team will be ready as he looks to put on a show at Sonoma Raceway in front of plenty of family and friends.
 
“I’m looking forward to one of my favorite times of the year, which is the Sonoma race,” Capps said. “That Friday night is one of the coolest Friday night qualifying sessions we will see, and we’ll be ready to throw down. Having my friends, my family, my mom and dad, people I hung out with growing up, they all come out. Everyone camps out, and I get to enjoy some good home-cooking up on the hill. I’m just looking forward to a great weekend all around.”

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:30 and 7 p.m. PT on Friday, July 28 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, July 29 at 12:40 and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday, July 30. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at noon ET on Saturday, 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations on FOX at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, fans can visit www.sonomaraceway.com or call 800-870-7223.