During the third round of qualifying Saturday at the 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park, Ron Capps’ class-leading run of 3.977-seconds at 318.77 in the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car was disallowed by NHRA due to “use of an unapproved aerodynamic device.”

The disqualification cost Capps quickest time of the session and the subsequent bonus points associated with the run. The part in question, according to Don Schumacher Racing, was a deflector used to deflect heat away from the graphics on the side of the car.

“We ran a set of headers that we also ran during qualifying in Englishtown that has a deflector welded on them to, hopefully, deflect some of the heat away from the graphics on the body,” said Don Schumacher, owner of Don Schumacher Racing. “NHRA decided with a rule that is very vague and all-encompassing, that we cannot change anything on the cars at all. This somehow broke that rule.”

While the part in question was not used during the first two qualifying sessions on Friday, Schumacher says it was used during two qualifying runs earlier this month at the NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Those runs were not disallowed by NHRA.

“In Englishtown we ran it both qualifying sessions on Saturday. The tech people saw it and they commented on it and we told them why we had it on,” Schumacher said. “And that was that.”

Capps is currently qualified second with a pass of 3.882 at 324.90 mph ran Friday night.

NHRA declined further comment on the ruling.