Reigning World Funny Car Champ achieves major career mark while winning Minnesota…
Defending Funny Car world champion Ron Capps moved into the NHRA points lead and picked up his 75th career win at Brainerd International Raceway during the 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won at race event #14 (of 21 races) for the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Capps delivered a run of 3.887-seconds at 332.75 mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra, holding off Hight’s 3.900 at 324.90, getting his second win of the 2023 season. The back-to-back world champion also got his seventh career win at Brainerd International Raceway, which is the second-most in NHRA history at the facility to John Force’s 11 victories.
To reach the final round for the sixth time this year, Capps, the No. 1 qualifier, knocked off Jim Campbell, Tim Wilkerson and Bob Tasca III. In a matchup that featured a pair of three-time world champions, Capps led wire-to-wire against Hight to pick up a special milestone victory. His points lead stands at 21 points heading to Indy.
Ron Capps had some dazzling success at BIR – winning for the 75th time in his career and retaking the NHRA points lead as the series now heads to Indy.
“I’ve won with different crew chiefs here, there’s just something about this place,” Capps said. “We make a point of going out and celebrating with everybody in the Zoo, and we did that again last night. We’re taking the Wally out to the Zoo tonight. Everybody there helped us win, and they should get a picture.
“We have all kinds of Funny Cars that have won multiple races this year and here we are with the points lead. We had one win coming in here. That tells you the consistency. It grows my confidence, we grow each other’s confidence, and it’s just fun right now. We had a goal to get to Indy and win the regular season points. To have the points lead going into Indy, it’s just so cool.”
Hight reached his 99th career final round by defeating Bobby Bode, Dave Richards and teammate John Force.
Robert Hight had an impressive weekend at BIR – winning the #2Fast2Tasty title on Saturday and going to the final round on Sunday. He also set FC low ET at 3.881 secs.
In Top Fuel, Antron Brown capped off a dominant weekend at Brainerd International Raceway, following up his Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory on Saturday with a Sunday triumph, going 3.715 at 326.08 in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools/Toyota dragster against Leah Pruett. It gives Brown an impressive double-up weekend at a key point in the season as the three-time world champion also moved to third in points.
He knocked off Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence and Mike Salinas to reach the finals, posting another strong run in the championship round against Pruett. It’s also Brown’s 73rd career victory and his sixth at Brainerd (two in Top Fuel and four in Pro Stock Motorcycle). Brown was stellar on the starting line all weekend as he prepares for a run at a fourth world title.
Antron Brown won twice in Top Fuel at BIR – winning events both Saturday (Mission #2Fast2Tasty) and Sunday (Lucas Oil Nationals).
“Every lap we made, we were very competitive. We got in eliminations and knew it was going to be a very different day,” Brown said. “The conditions were going to be better, but that’s where Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald [co-crew chiefs] shine. The conditions change, they make an adjustment, and they know right where to put it. We started with a good lap, we were the quickest and fastest of the first session, and that set the tone for the day.
“Then you go in race mode where, you have to race smart. They stayed in that zone, and the consistency paid off. That’s what it takes to wins races and championships. I’ve always loved racing at this track. This race is the turning point that can really get you ready for the championship.”
Pruett reached the finals for the third time in 2023 and 22nd time overall by defeating Tony Schumacher, defending world champ Brittany Force and points leader Justin Ashley. In the points standings, Ashley’s lead now stands at 101 points over Torrence.
A dominant season continued for Dallas Glenn in Pro Stock, as the points leader won for the fourth time in 2023 with a run of 6.566 at 207.56 in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro to defeat KB Titan Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky in the final round. Glenn drove to his eighth career win in the process, building a points lead that now stands at an impressive 284 points over Matt Hartford.
Dallas Glenn collected his 4th win of 2023 in Pro Stock racing the RAD Torque Systems Camaro.
On Sunday, Glenn made a series of standout runs, knocking off Jerry Tucker, defending world champ Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield to reach the final round for the seventh time this year. In a matchup that featured two drivers making their first-ever Pro Stock appearance at Brainerd, Glenn got the job done, winning in Pro Stock’s first race at the fan-favorite facility since 2019.
“I feel like the car did most of the work today. It’s running so well,” Glenn said. “I was a little worried, it seems to be that the car works really good when it’s hot and humid out. It showed on Saturday when I picked up four bonus points in qualifying. But we went out there with the first run today, and I didn’t think it was that great of a run, but we were second of the session. We just went out there and made four really solid laps. It shook a little bit in the final. I think the track was just a little too good and we needed to get after it a little more, but it made it through it.
“I know Kyle really, really wanted to win that one especially here for Lucas Oil but that’s one thing I love about KB Titan Racing, there are never any team orders. We put the absolute best tune-up in the car and we let the drivers figure it out. When I won the semis and it was an all-KBT final, that’s when the real emotion of winning comes out because no matter what, the trophy is coming home with us.”
Koretsky reached the finals for first time in 2023 and seventh time in his career, getting past Camrie Caruso, No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson and Deric Kramer.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action Aug. 30-Sept. 3 with the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
#2Fast2Tasty Triumpant
Saturday’s final results from the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway were:
Top Fuel Challenge — Antron Brown, 3.840 seconds, 292.01 mph def. Brittany Force, 4.468 seconds, 228.46 mph.
Funny Car Challenge — Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.988, 315.05 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.043, 311.20.
Pro Stock Challenge — Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.700, 203.95 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.696, 205.07.
Erica Enders scored the #2Fast2Tasty Pro Stock Challenge event held on Saturday.
Pro Mod 1stX Winner!
Jason Lee earned his first career victory in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports scoring a win over Jason Scruggs and moving into the points lead.
The Brainerd event, which was powered by Stinar, was the seventh of 10 races during the 2023 season in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports. It was also first race in the category’s Road to the Championship.
FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series racing produced a first time winner – Jason Lee in his Pro-charger Camaro.
Scruggs’ car broke before the run, handing the victory to Lee, who went 6.932-seconds at 117.17 mph in his Chevrolet Camaro in the championship round. Lee, who qualified 10th, knocked off J.R. Gray, Dmitry Samorukov and Stan Shelton to reach the finals for the first time in his career. With the victory, Lee also made a huge move into the points lead with three races remaining in the season.
“I feel like we should have won three times this year but had nothing but bad luck,” Lee said. “It’s just awesome to get this one. It’s really for the guys. They’ve worked really hard and without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do it this weekend. I’ll take lucky over good any of the week and now I’ve got to figure out how to make this thing go faster.”
Scruggs advanced to the final round for the second straight race with victories over Mason Wright, Justin Bond and defending world champion Kris Thorne. After the first race in the Road to the Championship, Lee’s lead is 28 points over Bond, and 29 points over Thorne.
The FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports returns to action Aug. 30-Sept. 4 with the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Lucas Oil Lowdown
(Final Round Results)
Top Alcohol Dragster — Matthew Cummings, 5.237, 275.22 def. Mike Lewis, Foul – Red Light.
Top Alcohol Funny Car — Doug Gordon, Chevy Camaro, 5.438, 267.85 def. Bob McCosh, Camaro, 5.489, 265.12.
Competition Eliminator — Bruno Massel, Toyota Solara, 6.957, 185.41 def. Brett Speer, ’23-T Ford, 7.218, 181.96.
Super Stock — Mike Mans, Pontiac Firebird, 8.728, 153.93 def. David Goldie, Ford Mustang, 11.477, 110.51.
Stock Eliminator — Ben Line, Ford Mustang, 10.268, 117.79 def. Scott Dugdale, Chevy Chevelle, 11.414, 115.28.
Super Comp — James Glenn, Dragster, 8.913, 163.12 def. Trene Cressonie, Dragster, 9.015, 149.17.
Super Gas — Donnie Durenberger, Chevy Nova, 9.935, 144.84 def. Don Westra, Chevy Corvette, 9.968, 157.89.
Top Sportsman — Steve Stockton, Chevy Malibu, 6.796, 198.67 def. Rob Meservier, Chevy Chevelle, 6.993, 194.46.
Top Dragster — Clinton Geise, Dragster, 6.607, 196.76 def. Bob Fuller, Dragster, 7.181, 185.95.
Pro Mod Snowmobile — Mitchell Moeller, Proline, 5.062, 132.36 def. Courtney Moeller, Sidewinder, 5.141, 127.46.
Defending NHRA Lucas Oil World Champion Doug Gordon was his 5th national event of 2023 and 25th of his career.
Racing his CC/AT Chevy Cobalt – Bruno Massell was the Competition eliminator winner at the Brainerd event.
Posted with files by NHRA Communications & Bruce Biegler
Photos courtesy of NHRA
DragRaceCanada file photos by Dave DeAngelis
