Capps defeated Hagan’s Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T from the left lane with a pass of 3.924 seconds at 321.42 mph after a .054-second reaction time. Hagan turned in a pass of 3.985 at 318.92 with a .057 reaction time off the starting line. Capps and team had lane choice for the final, and made a last-second decision to move to the left lane just before the cars were fired. The race was a re-match of this year’s Funny Car final round at the Arizona Nationals, which represents the only final round in which Capps has appeared but not won in 2017. Capps’ win is the seventh for Mopar HEMI® power in the Funny Car category this season.
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series reached the one-third mark of the 2017 schedule with this weekend’s Heartland Nationals, and neither Ron Capps nor his Mopar teammates in the Nitro categories are showing signs of slowing any time soon. Capps took home the Wally trophy in Funny Car for the 53rd time in his career and fourth race in a row, driving his Dodge Charger R/T to the victory over his Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) teammate Matt Hagan. Hagan meanwhile became the quickest and fastest driver in Funny Car history during event qualifying.
Capps’ win, his fourth at the Topeka track, also extends a streak of at least one Mopar HEMI car winning a Nitro category to nine consecutive events, dating all the way back to the season-ending event at Pomona to end 2016.
The 2016 Funny Car champion, moved his HEMI machine past Cruz Pedregon in the first round despite needing to shut off at half-track as Pedregon struggled at the starting line. Capps went on to knock out Courtney Force in a clean, side-by-side race in the second round, setting up a showdown with Robert Hight, who had been quick and fast throughout the weekend. Hight lost traction early in the run as Capps made another clean pass, putting him the Funny Car final for the fourth consecutive event. Capps’ march to the victory was made even more impressive by the fact his team changed a fuel pump on Sunday morning before eliminations.
The quickest and fastest driver in Funny Car history, Matt Hagan, after Topeka qualifying with a lap of 3.802 seconds at 338.85 mph, began his march to the final with a defeat of Jack Wyatt in the first round. Wyatt had a cylinder out and drifted towards the center line during his run. Hagan next drove his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T past J.R. Tood as Todd was forced to pedal when the light turned green. Hagan next defeated his DSR Mopar teammate Jack Beckman in the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T. The race was a rematch of last year’s Topeka final, won by Hagan, and also broke a head to-head tie between the two drivers with Hagan now leading 19-18. Hagan’s victory set up the final round match-up with Capps.
Jack Beckman began his day with a holeshot win over Chad Head, despite smoking his tires down track and just defeating Head’s car at the line, which had a cylinder out. Beckman next turned on the win light against Del Worsham to set up an all-Mopar matchup against Hagan, where Beckman’s day ended as he again smoked the tires just past half-track.
There's nothing funny about the Dodge Charger R/T. It is a very serious muscle car in the truest sense. You'll know exactly what the Charger is all about if you take one for a test drive on the streets of St James, Smithtown, Northport, Ronkonkoma and all over Long Island.
The 2017 Dodge Charger R/T is available at Port Jeff Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram. Visit us online click here or call us at (888) 526-9403.