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NHRA: Ron Capps, Doug Kalitta one step closer to first championships

As the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship moves into its third round, Doug Kalitta and Ron Capps have one word on their mind.

Well, two words, actually, but one will equal the second.

The first word is “sixteen” – as in the number of rounds of competition that remain this season.

And, if they successfully get through most of those 16 rounds beating the guy or girl in the other lane, that second word is “one” – as in finishing the season No. 1 as champions in their respective NHRA drag racing classes: Top Fuel for Kalitta and Funny Car for Capps.

“One” has even more significance for both drivers as the have each toiled on the straight-line for 20 and 22 years apiece, yet both have never ended a season with a championship.

What’s more, Capps and Kalitta rank first and second for drivers with the most wins without a championship.

Now, with four races to go, they both feel strongly that it’s their time. They both have chances to move four steps closer to that goal in this weekend’s Dodge Nationals at Maple Grove (Pa.) Raceway.

“Each race in this Countdown is important,” Kalitta said. “There are only 24 rounds of racing (in the six rounds), so you try to excel at every track.

“We would like to end this three-race string with a race win and carry that momentum into the final three events on the schedule.”

Added Capps, “(Maple Grove has) been very good to me, but I’ve never won there. I know it will be a lot cooler and (crew chief Rahn) Tobler has shown what this hot rod can do in conditions like that.”

Capps leads the Funny Car ranks – as he has done for much of this season – and has qualified no lower than third nor finished any lower than the semifinals in each of the first two Countdown events.

He leads Don Schumacher Racing teammates Tommy Johnson Jr. by 48 points and Jack Beckman, who beat Capps in the semifinals and went on to win the Funny Car class Sunday at Gateway Motorsports Park, by 70 points.

“We have such a great, competitive field of drivers and you can’t take anything for granted,” Capps said. “This is one of the most funs I’ve had, but it’s hard to enjoy it because you’re so engulfed in this Countdown. Fans are having a blast.”

Capps has 50 career Funny Car wins, including five this season. He also has finished runner-up in the standings four different seasons.

“It’s just one race at a time, and that’s all we’re focused on,” Capps said. “It is fun to be able to do that and have a racecar that I can trust will be as quick as anybody on raceday. It’s going to be a lot of fun the rest of the way.”

And then there’s Kalitta, who like Capps, would also like nothing better than to finally win his first championship.

Kalitta moved closer to that goal this weekend at St. Louis. He’s now just 13 points behind Top Fuel standings leader and defending champion Antron Brown, who is also seeking his third championship in the last five seasons.

But Kalitta, who has three wins in 2016 (Houston, Atlanta and Topeka) and 41 in his career (fifth among Top Fuel’s winningest drivers), would like nothing more than to overtake Brown and hold on for the championship.

“At this point we can control our own destiny, so we are just taking each race as its own and doing our best,” Kalitta said. “Every race we have left is a little different, and you just have to be prepared.

“I have the best team and group of people surrounding me, and I am excited to see what we can do.”

Like Capps, Kalitta knows all too well what it’s like to finish runner-up to someone else in a season, having finished second three times in his career.

“My team is incredibly focused,” Kalitta said. “This Mac Tools/DeWalt FlexVolt Toyota is running strong and we are limiting mistakes. We are right there and know we have what it takes to compete with all of the other teams out here that are chasing that title.

“You just have to stay focused on your job. I have a great crew and their job doesn’t change, and neither does mine. You have to be ready to go regardless of conditions.”

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DODGE NHRA NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: 32nd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals, the 21st of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the third of six races in the NHRAMello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Drivers in four categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle - earn points leading to 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: Maple Grove Raceway, Mohnton, Pa. Track is located off the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Exit 298), 10 miles south of Reading, Pa.

COURSE: Championship drag strip; Track elevation is 548 feet above sea level; Track direction is north to south.

WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 29-Oct. 2

SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY, Sept. 29 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

FRIDAY, Sept. 30 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, Oct. 1 - LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 11:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

SUNDAY, Oct. 2 - Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at noon.

TELEVISION: Friday, Sept. 30, FS1 will televise one hour of live qualifying coverage at 6 p.m. (ET).

Sunday, Oct. 2, FS1 will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 2 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, Oct. 2, FS1 will televise three hours of live finals coverage starting at2 p.m. (ET).

2015 EVENT WINNERS: Antron Brown, Top Fuel; Jack Beckman, Funny Car; Chris McGaha, Pro Stock; Andrew Hines, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MOST VICTORIES: John Force, FC, 7; Angelle Sampey, PSM, 6; Tony Schumacher, TF, 5; Jeg Coughlin, PS, 4; Warren Johnson, PS, 4.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel - 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ’12; 334.15 mph by Shawn Langdon, Oct. ’12

Funny Car - 3.897 sec. by Jack Beckman, Oct. ’15; 329.34 mph by Robert Hight, Oct. ’15

Pro Stock - 6.465 sec. by Erica Enders, Oct. ’14; 214.59 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. ’15

Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.728 sec. and 198.73 mph by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel - 3.671 sec. by Steve Torrence, July ’16, Sonoma, Calif.; 332.75 mph by Spencer Massey, Aug. ’15, Brainerd, Minn.

Funny Car - 3.822 by Matt Hagan, Aug. ’16, Brainerd, Minn.; 335.57 mph by Hagan, May ’16, Topeka, Kan.

Pro Stock - 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.

PS Motorcycle - 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.88 mph by Hector Arana Jr., March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.

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POINT STANDINGS:

TOP FUEL: 1. Antron Brown, 2,258; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,245; 3. Tony Schumacher, 2,204; 4. Shawn Langdon, 2,181; 5. Brittany Force, 2,167; 6. Steve Torrence, 2,161; 7. J.R. Todd, 2,152; 8. Richie Crampton, 2,127; 9. Leah Pritchett, 2,107; 10. Clay Millican, 2,084.

FUNNY CAR: 1. Ron Capps, 2,273; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr., 2,225; 3. Jack Beckman, 2,203; 4. John Force, 2,199; 5. Del Worsham, 2,189; 6. Matt Hagan, 2,177; 7. Robert Hight, 2,159; 8. Courtney Force, 2,149; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 2,144; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 2,068.

PRO STOCK: 1. Jason Line, 2,310; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,247; 3. Bo Butner, 2,223; 4. Vincent Nobile, 2,185; 5. Shane Gray, 2,167; 6. Chris McGaha, 2,135; 7. Allen Johnson,

2,127; 8. Drew Skillman, 2,126; 9. Jeg Coughlin, 2,084; 10. Erica Enders, 2,052.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Andrew Hines, 2,260; 2. Angelle Sampey, 2,258; 3. Chip Ellis, 2,243; 4. Jerry Savoie, 2,218; 5. Eddie Krawiec, 2,184; 6. LE Tonglet, 2,138; 7. Hector Arana Jr, 2,115; 8. Hector Arana, 2,107; 9. Cory Reed, 2,105; 10. Matt Smith, 2,096.

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