NITRO LEADERS: WINLESS IN COMMERCE
Thu, 2009-04-16 11:30
Hard to Believe but Neither Schumacher or Capps Have Won Hot-Lanta …
Two of the current NHRA pro points leaders have one common denominator outside of the fact they drive for the same team owner.
In their years of competing at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals neither nitro frontrunner Tony Schumacher or Ron Capps has won in Commerce, Ga.
It’s hard to imagine there’s a stop on the 24-race Full Throttle tour where the five-time champion Schumacher hasn’t won considering he’s won 58 races over a 14-year span. Hard to Believe but Neither Schumacher or Capps Have Won Hot-Lanta …
Two of the current NHRA pro points leaders have one common denominator outside of the fact they drive for the same team owner.
In their years of competing at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals neither nitro frontrunner Tony Schumacher or Ron Capps has won in Commerce, Ga.
It’s hard to imagine there’s a stop on the 24-race Full Throttle tour where the five-time champion Schumacher hasn’t won considering he’s won 58 races over a 14-year span.
“There’s no doubt you would assume such a thing,” said the six-time world champion.
In actuality, Schumacher has yet to win at three tracks on the tour – Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan., Virginia Motorsports Park outside of Richmond, Va., and Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.
“It would be nice to finally get a win down there,” said Schumacher. “For some reason over the years, Atlanta Dragway has not been very kind to me.”
Capps’ drought in Commerce is surprising, as well.
He’s won 28 national events in 57 final rounds, with three of those final round appearances at the facility located 45 minutes north of Atlanta. Capps was runner-up in Funny Car in Atlanta in 2000 and 2001 and in Top Fuel back in 1995.
"When I look at the NHRA schedule now, there's not too many places left where we haven't won at. And Atlanta would be a great place to score a victory, especially this season," added Capps, who, with crew chief Ed "Ace" McCulloch, earned the pair's 20th victory together at Las Vegas two weeks ago. "You always want to do well in front of your biggest supporters and for us that's NAPA.
"It's very hard for the NAPA executives, with their busy schedules, to get to a race that often, so last year we had them out for the Atlanta race and they spent the whole day watching qualifying on Saturday. For some of them it was their first taste of drag racing, and I believe it confirmed to them why NAPA is in our sport. They had such a great time. So, to win there and have them open a newspaper on Monday morning in their backyard and see the NAPA car on the front page of the Sports section would be a great thing.
"But, to be honest, the Atlanta race is a very, very grueling race. The heat, humidity and other conditions can really play tricks on the crew chief. Sunday's eliminations can take their toll on a driver and a lot of times it's kind of the survival of the fittest for those who are still standing at the end of the day.”
Of the two drivers, only Schumacher reached the final round last year where he lost on a hole shot to Antron Brown.
Two of the current NHRA pro points leaders have one common denominator outside of the fact they drive for the same team owner.In their years of competing at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals neither nitro frontrunner Tony Schumacher or Ron Capps has won in Commerce, Ga.
It’s hard to imagine there’s a stop on the 24-race Full Throttle tour where the five-time champion Schumacher hasn’t won considering he’s won 58 races over a 14-year span. Hard to Believe but Neither Schumacher or Capps Have Won Hot-Lanta …
Two of the current NHRA pro points leaders have one common denominator outside of the fact they drive for the same team owner.In their years of competing at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals neither nitro frontrunner Tony Schumacher or Ron Capps has won in Commerce, Ga.
It’s hard to imagine there’s a stop on the 24-race Full Throttle tour where the five-time champion Schumacher hasn’t won considering he’s won 58 races over a 14-year span.
“There’s no doubt you would assume such a thing,” said the six-time world champion.
In actuality, Schumacher has yet to win at three tracks on the tour – Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan., Virginia Motorsports Park outside of Richmond, Va., and Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.
“It would be nice to finally get a win down there,” said Schumacher. “For some reason over the years, Atlanta Dragway has not been very kind to me.”
Capps’ drought in Commerce is surprising, as well.
He’s won 28 national events in 57 final rounds, with three of those final round appearances at the facility located 45 minutes north of Atlanta. Capps was runner-up in Funny Car in Atlanta in 2000 and 2001 and in Top Fuel back in 1995.
"When I look at the NHRA schedule now, there's not too many places left where we haven't won at. And Atlanta would be a great place to score a victory, especially this season," added Capps, who, with crew chief Ed "Ace" McCulloch, earned the pair's 20th victory together at Las Vegas two weeks ago. "You always want to do well in front of your biggest supporters and for us that's NAPA.
"It's very hard for the NAPA executives, with their busy schedules, to get to a race that often, so last year we had them out for the Atlanta race and they spent the whole day watching qualifying on Saturday. For some of them it was their first taste of drag racing, and I believe it confirmed to them why NAPA is in our sport. They had such a great time. So, to win there and have them open a newspaper on Monday morning in their backyard and see the NAPA car on the front page of the Sports section would be a great thing.
"But, to be honest, the Atlanta race is a very, very grueling race. The heat, humidity and other conditions can really play tricks on the crew chief. Sunday's eliminations can take their toll on a driver and a lot of times it's kind of the survival of the fittest for those who are still standing at the end of the day.”
Of the two drivers, only Schumacher reached the final round last year where he lost on a hole shot to Antron Brown.
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