CARLSBAD, Calif. — Ron Capps of Carlsbad is currently the best Funny Car driver in the world where he’s the 2-time defending world champion. Recently he was thrown into a different car and to race on an oval dirt track against world-class racers like Tony Stewart.
Capps recently sat down with CBS 8's John Howard on Zoom to talk about his recent participation in the SRX race in Ohio. Here is a transcript of their conversation discussing the race on one of the fastest dirt tracks in the world.
John: Okay Ron, how was the SRX experience?
Ron: I got to go race with Tony Stewart and some of the best racers in the world, from IndyCar, NASCAR on one of the fastest dirt tracks in the world and be the first representative from drag racing to do it. So it makes the hair on my neck stand up even talking about it. It was one of those experiences I'll never forget.
John: Let's talk highlights. You got to start on the pole position. How was that?
Ron: I'm already nervous, but I want to start at the back right, and don't get in anybody's way until I get used to the car. And now here I am in front of God and the world, on Thursday night, on ESPN leading a whole pack of some of the best racecar drivers into turn one. And oh and by the way, Tony Stewart right behind me in row two.
So yeah, my my anxiety just went up through the roof for about three days thinking how am I going to handle this but they dropped the green flag and I did pretty good point flag were racing. I was shocked. You know that I just didn't want to make a fool of myself. I just kept driving the car and staying in control. And every lap kept going by and nobody passed me. And I thought, "What's going on"?
John: Later in the race you made a brilliant pass of Brad Keselowski. Talk us through that.
Ron: I was pretty impressed with myself when I went around him. I thought man did I just do that? That was cool.
There's nothing that prepares you for throwing a car like that sideways into a turn around other drivers. Trying to keep control over it is the most unnerving feeling you can have because you never feel like you're quite in control.
John: And in the main event, you went into the wall and what happened you just got a little too aggressive.
Ron: I just ran out of talent. I got a little aggressive and I probably started getting a little too cocky with myself and I started getting up high like Tony and some of the good drivers ended up jumping on the cushion and gotten in the wall. So yeah, I was really bummed myself at the end of the race that I did that
John: I got a kick out of the hood off and you came back out with a naked engine.
Ron: When I came out, I had a standing ovation from the crowd. I could hear them over the engine cheering that I was getting back out behind the pack. It was cool to hear the crowd as I pulled out
John: Okay, Ron that's all we have for now. Best of luck the rest of the season. We appreciate your time as always.
Ron: Thanks, man.
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