NHRA Funny Car point leader Ron Capps understands the influence this weekend's Toyota NHRA Nationals could have on his bid to win a first-ever NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship. 

Forgive Capps if he smirks a little at the mention of two of his most disappointing days, and the fact they transpired at the very race track he heads into wielding a 61 point lead. Two key DNQ (Did Not Qualify) outings have shaped the position he currently holds.

Flashback to four years ago, at the 2012 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Capps missed the field. This shortcoming led to a crew chief shake-up at Don Schumacher Racing where multi-time world champion Rahn Tobler became his crew chief.

Fast forward to this season's Las Vegas spring race Capps again didn't qualify, just six weeks after winning the season-opener. In a sport where there are no provisionals, the DNQ marked only the third time in five seasons. 

The failure only inspired the NAPA Auto Parts team to dig down deep and fight their way to the top of the hill. 
 
"It might be hard for fans to understand but those DNQs are a couple of reasons why we're in this position," Capps explained. "When we didn't advance to Sunday in 2012, it led to Don deciding to move Tobler over to our team, and we've won 17 races together since then with our NAPA Know How team. This year, after we DNQ'd we stayed to test and Tobler found things with our car that have helped us to such a great season."

Capps is no scrub driver, ranking second all-time in Funny Car titles with 49 wins in 481 events over his 22-year career. He has five to his credit this season.  
 
Winning his first championship will be the icing on the cake for has arguably been his best season ever with personal bests for most final rounds (10), most No. 1 qualifying positions (4) and most round wins (51).
 
Capps has flexed his performance muscles the quickest runs of his career to date at (3.843 seconds) and (330.23 mph).
 
"We have eight qualifying sessions left and as many as eight elimination rounds so there is so much racing left that anything can happen," explained Capps, who must win his title by fending off teammates  Tommy Johnson Jr., Matt Hagan at 88 back and Jack Beckman trailing by 131.

Capps needs only a 131 point lead at the final event to clinch the title, and he can seal the deal with this kind of advantage at the end of the Las Vegas event. 
 
Capps understands the crucial nature of every single point considering he lost the 2012 title to Beckman by a mere two points. 
 
"You try not to think about the championship, but it's hard," said Capps., who has finished series runner-up four times. "I've been trying to keep busy and not think a lot about it. We're driving 330-mph Funny Cars with nitro in the tank so anything can happen.
 
"But this NAPA team has had such a great season that it would be a shame not to win it, but that's why we race."
 
Despite those two low moments at Las Vegas events in April, Capps is tied for the most Funny Car titles at the track on the strength of winning four trophies in fall races since the inaugural in 2002 race.