Whit Bazemore’s War Stories

The Lowdown on the Setback Blower

NHRA Houston – Same Day Coverage

NHRA Houston –Photo Gallery

NHRA – AMS Pro Modified – Houston – Same Day Coverage

NHRA – AMS Pro Modified – Houston – Photo Gallery

Sorting out Torque Converter Confusion -Part 2

Project Muscle – Piecing it all together

Pete Millar – The Legend of the Cartoon Man – Part 3

Understanding Traction Control

Using Contingency to your favor

Jeg’s Fan Interaction Center

Hoosier's New Radial Drag Slick

Clutch University - Part 3

Barry Grant’s Idle-Eze Solves Camshaft Problems

Chris Vandergriff’s New Direction

A/FD vs. AA/FD

IHRA – Rockingham – Same Day Coverage

IHRA – Rockingham – Photo Gallery

Fun Ford Weekend – Atlanta Photo Gallery

NHRA – Bristol – Same Day Coverage

NHRA – Bristol – Photo Gallery

NHRA – AMS Pro Modified – Bristol Same Day Coverage

NHRA – AMS Pro Modified – Bristol Gallery

NSCA Atlanta – Same Day Coverage

NSCA Atlanta – Photo Gallery

NHRA – Commerce – Same Day Coverage

NHRA – Commerce – Photo Gallery

NHRA Nationals – Las Vegas

NHRA Las Vegas – Photo Gallery

IHRA San Antonio

IHRA San Antonio - Photo Gallery

Ron Capps is the kind of Funny Car driver any team owner would love to have in his camp. The veteran runner secured the driving gig of a lifetime by signing on with the legendary Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. He’s been around for the good times, capturing 13 national event titles and winning the prestigious Big Bud Shootout three times, but he’s also suffered through some admittedly bad seasons as well. Through it all, however, the talented driver has maintained his competitive nature and has managed top-ten points finishes for the last seven seasons. We caught up with Capps and asked him a few off-the-wall questions as well as some that are certainly on his radar. Read on to find out make makes him the man he is today and how he handles certain situations.

CompetitionPlus – What is it that makes you tick?

RC – I really don’t know <laughs>. I think it’s probably competitiveness more than anything else. I was talking to someone the other day about how it was cool that I could still get up for the challenge because I’ve been in sports all of my life. I’ve been competing all of my life in some form or another and still go to my job. I feel bad for those people that can’t go to their job and get that feeling of competitiveness. I know a lot of guys that work from 9 to 5 and have to go out and play softball after work to get that competitive fix. I’m able to do that at the highest level that one can think of. It’s what drives me. I am very lucky to be able to do it and make a living at it. There are a lot of people out there that would give their right arm to be able to do what I do.

CompetitionPlus – In taking what you said about the competitiveness, how do you respond to those critics that say a racecar driver is not an athlete?

RC – Obviously, they haven’t been close to a race. There are guys like Jim Rome that I used to listen to all the time and he had his mind changed about it. It’s ignorance. That’s what it is. It’s just people making a statement on things they know nothing about. People do that all the time. I’m sure I do it too. To be someone that goes out there and publicly say that a racecar driver isn’t an athlete…they need to sit in our seat and have the g-forces and all that goes on in a Funny Car - they’d probably pass out. To sit in a car like some of those NASCAR boys do, as well as us, demands a lot. That’s just being ignorant and people making statements that don’t know what in the hell they are talking about. That’s pretty much what you can chalk it up to.

CompetitionPlus – How do you deal with ignorant people?

RC – I’m pretty easy going. It takes a lot to make me angry. I don’t like confrontation all that much. These days you have to be so politically correct about everything. The days of guys jumping out of Funny Cars mad…if someone had burned them down or messed with them on the starting line there would be trouble. There would be a fistfight at the end of the track. They’d roll around in the grass and they’d come up with black eyes and eventually tow back to the pits and that would be that. Now we have TV, reporters and worst or best…we have the Internet. That is what really puts you in a position where there are times you want to get out of the car and knock the heck out of someone next to you and ask them what their problem is, but you can’t. You have to remember when you look down at your firesuit that you have about 18 different companies that depend on you to represent them in the way they needed representation. You really have to watch it.

CompetitionPlus – Do you think every Funny Car driver should be allowed at least one courtesy fistfight with no political ramifications?

RC – That would be cool <laughs>. It’s like watching a NASCAR race. The way those guys bump each other around, it would be awesome if Bill France would come out and say, ‘We’re going to have a boxing ring set up and give them gloves and let them fight it out on television.’ Drag racing isn’t that bad. Every once in a while you get some guys that get arrogant and think they are better and have to stage a certain way. Basically, what it all boils down to…these guys start to drink their own bathwater, as they say. They believe their press releases. They fall into that trap. Sure, I’d be all for the boxing gloves deal. Let it all hang out. That would be great. Who knows, the future of drag racing might come to that. You’ll want to get those ratings. It may be tough in the future to get those ratings. But, it would be great to have some way like that to have an outlet to speak our peace.

CompetitionPlus – Who’s the most arrogant driver in Funny Car?

RC – I can’t name names. <smiles> Honestly, there’s not that many.

CompetitionPlus – Please tell me you haven’t fallen into the politically correct trap, have you? How many arrogant drivers are out there? Three or less? Or more?

RC – Funny Car or dragster? <laughs> Part of that question can be answered. There’s confidence and then there’s arrogance. There’s a big gray area between the two. If you don’t go up there with a measure of arrogance that you’re going to kick that guy’s ass next to you and it’s easy to gain that when you start thinking that if you don’t beat him your kids don’t eat…or, that you will lose your job. That’s a fact. It’s a reality. That’s the way I look at it. That’s my integrity. That’s what it’s like in the car for me. I’ll tell you…Gary Scelzi is one of my best friends, but as far as I’m concerned when I stage the car all I see is red over beside me. I do that every time. I think the good drivers out here have some measure of confidence. You have to have a little bit of arrogance. Now…to get out of the car and make an arrogant statement…that’s another thing ….there’s probably more than three that would do that…I’m sure I’ve appeared that way before. When I got out of the car once and started doing the six-shooter when I won in 1998, I did it because it was four shots and four rounds that we had won. It was an exuberant thing. I went over to John Force, who I have considered a mentor, and let him know that I didn’t mean any disrespect. I did that right off of the bat. Anytime it has been perceived as disrespect I went over to the person I had beaten to let them know I wasn’t being disrespectful. When someone gets on television and makes arrogant statements that can be taken the wrong way by another driver, that’s a different story. There are usually repercussions from that. I really don’t mind getting on there and firing back.

CompetitionPlus – Do you think this team is performing up to the level that it needs to be?

RC – No. We all know it. People tend to look at it from the outside either as a fan or on ESPN2 and make judgment calls on what they think is wrong and how to fix it. There’s a lot that goes on inside within the pit areas of teams. Yet, the people inside the ropes of the pit areas can sense and know when they are so close to making something happen. For whatever reason, it comes across as your potential is not being met. That’s the hardest part. To explain to someone like Skoal on Monday why you lost in the first round or didn’t qualify. A sponsor might ask, ‘Do you need more money?’ Sometimes it would be nice to have all of the money in the world, but it won’t make a difference. It’s been proven out here. We all know it. It’s hard and it’s frustrating. We all have to stick together as a team. You have to really focus on not nitpicking. Once that starts, then teams start to fall apart. When times get tough, you could be on the road with someone and look over and they might burp or something and that could be the last straw before a fight. It all builds up. That’s the times you have to pull together as a team. When times are good…you are going rounds, then those things don’t matter. Like ‘Waterbed Fred’ said, ‘It will cure cancer, when you start winning.’

CompetitionPlus – Has “Snake” ever put any pressure on you to win?

RC – Not directly. You expect the pressure. First off, you are driving for Don Prudhomme. I used to be the guy that was working on an alcohol car and I’d see him in a restaurant or somewhere and be 100 feet away in amazement. It’s like seeing George Clooney or President Bush or someone like that. I was in awe. Driving for him, I’m still the same way. I have so much respect for what he’s accomplished. He’s a legend. People can rip on people and say this or that, but not with Snake. You expect that kind of pressure. He finds ways to motivate you. I think he would be a great football coach. He’s very good at finding what motivates each certain individual. Sometimes people take that wrong and take it as a negative. I do it sometimes too. You have to remember. He’s the boss and he’s out here for a reason. He’s one of the greatest drivers of all time. When you drive for someone like him, you want the pressure. You expect it. I can tell you that you wouldn’t drive for Don Prudhomme if he didn’t think you could stand the pressure.

CompetitionPlus – What does he say to you?

RC – Sometimes he’ll come in…in his Snake way…and remind you that the next guy you run is pretty good on the tree. He doesn’t need to say that. He knows he doesn’t need to either. We all laugh about it later. We end up joking about it over a Miller. It’s just that moment. It’s like being in the Super Bowl and having Joe Montana counsel you with less than a minute to play and you have a chance to win. He looks up and sees John Candy in the stands. He’s cool in the middle of a storm. It’s that moment when he tells you that little something in the middle of the situation. We’ve had our toe-to-toe yelling matches. I remember once when I was late getting off of the line at Indy when Roland Leong was working with us. He didn’t know I was trying to shallow stage so I could get lane choice for the finals. Force had an incredible light and beat me. We were already home and at a restaurant parking lot and we got into it and the next thing I knew is he had his finger in my chest. I could have taken that negatively, but he did the right thing. He brought out the best in me and it hasn’t happened since. I could whine and mope over things like that, but his confidence that I could handle criticism is what made us even better.

CompetitionPlus – Do you ever cry over drag racing?

RC – From time to time, yes. Sometimes you have situations that feel as if someone walks up and punches you in the stomach. It makes you feel like you want to crawl in the back and cry like a kid. It’s like those times when you were a kid and something happened that devastated you and you didn’t know that it was bad to cry. There are situations that make you feel like that like not qualifying or losing. It’s all the hard work that goes into it that makes it so tough. Then there’s television where you want to cry or throw your helmet, but you can’t. You have to find ways to get the aggression out.

CompetitionPlus – All political correctness aside, how jealous do the Funny Cars get of the Top Fuel team’s success?

RC – You get a little jealous at times. It makes you want to work harder to achieve what they’ve got. True story…we had won five races and the Big Bud Shootout and were in the running for the championship…there was no feeling like being in the position to win the championship - it’s incredible. Things were running great for us. Snake would come in briefly and pat Roland on the butt and say ‘good job’ and he’d leave the trailer. The Top Fuel team was just the opposite. Dale Armstrong happened to be over with Bob Brooks on the Top Fuel car and they were trying things and the car just wasn’t responding. It wasn’t like Dale wasn’t trying. Again, they were struggling and people were questioning Larry’s ability to drive and it got to the point where Snake was over all of the time. That starts to wear on the people working on the car. That is how quickly things can turn. He’s over there because he’s worried. He wants to help. Sometimes people take it the wrong way. Here we were on the other side and we could do wrong. Now there hauling the mail over there and we are getting the questions of what is wrong. You can’t be perfect all the time.

CompetitionPlus – How tough was it to lose Ed McCulloch?

RC – It was tough on me because I got real close to him. I have been that way with just about everyone including Roland. It was tough for me to stand back and watch it unfold. Snake won’t let things go to far before he has to make a change, whether it’s a driver or a crewchief…whatever he has to do. I don’t get involved in those decisions. I could see the frustration going on behind the scenes and it just got worse. He was trying real hard and I watched him losing weight over the deal. I would come in every day and try to motivate him. I wanted to make him feel better. The toughest part was seeing the two guys who had been friends and raced together for a long time and knowing what was going to happen and hoping that friendships wouldn’t be hurt. They were friends going in and I hoped it would stay that way in the end. I’m a historian and those two guys were like Gods to me. It went on for a while and when it happened, I was devastated. Feelings were hurt and the bottom line is this is big business. If I went up there and lost several races in a row on a holeshot, he would have to call Skoal and let them know we would have to get another driver. If I don’t do my job, I will lose my job. It’s like any job out there. Results are all that matters.

CompetitionPlus – Any parting shots?

RC – We, in drag racing, have the best fans. I’ve been to a lot of NASCAR races and hung out with some top drivers and its insane what all they go through. They get mobbed. There are a lot of fans over there that aren’t very polite at times. We can be in a situation where 99% of the fans know their place. If we are working and struggling, I still get a lot of fans come up to cheer us on and send emails of encouragement. People complain about the message boards and all of that, but it’s better that those people are involved in our sport and to a certain extent, care enough to say something. I’ve a lot of fans that have stayed with us and it has been great.