NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Funny Car veteran Ron Capps is quick to sing the praises of Brainerd International Raceway and the loyal fans at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. As Capps and the rest of the stars of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series travel to Brainerd for this year’s annual race, his focus will be on another win at the penultimate race of the regular season.

Capps has been driving Funny Cars for 30 years, and Brainerd International Raceway is always one of his favorite stops on the NHRA tour. He has an impressive seven wins from the facility, the most of any active NHRA driver. The fan-favorite track has been so good to Capps, he has his own “Capps’ Corner” section of the famous Zoo camping facility. This year, Capps and his team are focused on capitalizing on a track they are very familiar with in their 12,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra.

“Brainerd is a unique race in and of itself, but for the teams, it’s always an event that you circle on the calendar because you want to make sure, performance-wise, you have a race car that’s ready to go for battle heading into the playoffs,” said Capps, a three-time NHRA world champion.

“By the time you leave there, you want to feel confident knowing that you have a car that can go win the NHRA U.S. Nationals. You don’t want to go into Indy and be searching for a tune-up at the biggest NHRA event of the year, but at the same time, you don’t want to overlook Brainerd because it is one of those tracks that can hold anything under good conditions. It surely can catapult you, confidence-wise, when you have a good race in Brainerd into Indy, and overall, it’s probably the most fun event we have on the circuit.”

Last year, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Blake Alexander (Funny Car), and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) all won in Brainerd, while Antron Brown, Austin Prock, and Greg Anderson took home Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge wins. The 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals is the 13th of 20 events in 2025, and the race will be broadcast on FS1 and FOX, with elimination coverage on FOX starting at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.

As a self-proclaimed rock-and-roll fan, Capps will have his eye on the unique trophy on Friday night. The event kicks off in festive fashion with the introduction of the American Rebel Light Friday Night “Battle for the Battle Axe.” The Friday night qualifying session in Brainerd will award the low qualifier in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock a bonus, as well as a unique Rebel Axe trophy.

The Rebel Axe trophy will be a fully functional electric cigar box guitar, custom-built in the shape of a 12-pack of American Rebel Light. Branded with the event and sponsor logos, the unique trophy also serves as a nod to Brainerd’s rich heritage and roots to Paul Bunyan. The top qualifier in the three Pro classes will sit on a special “Throne of the North” – made from American Rebel Light cases – until they are dethroned or they take the low qualifier of the session.

Earlier this season, Capps ended a yearlong losing streak when he won in Bristol. He currently sits fourth in the overall points standings. The 2025 Funny Car world champ, Austin Prock, once again leads the points with five wins on the season. Other Funny Car standouts to watch in Brainerd will be former champs Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman, who both have wins on the season, as well as Paul Lee, J.R. Todd, Daniel Wilkerson, and NHRA Rookie of the Year candidate Spencer Hyde.

“We have a huge contingent of NAPA Auto Parts guests that come out to Brainerd, and it’s always a blast,” Capps said. “I also like to make sure our team members have the opportunity to really enjoy the race. The NAPA folks put on a great fishing event every year on Thursday with our crew to kick the weekend off, and I love that the guys get a chance to have some fun before we get into racing."

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 4 and 6:15 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 15, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 16 at noon and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 17. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET on Friday and 7 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1, and eliminations on FOX at 3 p.m. ET Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, fans can visit www.birmn.com. Tickets will also be available for purchase on the day of the event at the gate.