It’s been a good 12 months for NAPA Auto Parts’ sponsorship in motorsports.
NAPA made a last-minute deal to become the primary partner for Alexander Rossi in last year’s 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Rossi subsequently paid them off with the legendary, Bryan Herta-aided strategic “clutch-and-coast” gem where Rossi drove beyond his years for the victory in the No. 98 Honda.
Then at the other end of the experience spectrum, longtime NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car star Ron Capps secured one of the most popular championships in recent memory, finally breaking through in 2016 for his first title in the NAPA Dodge Charger.
And with Chase Elliott on the verge of his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race win - he’s won stages and kicked off 2017 with his second straight Daytona 500 pole in his No. 24 NAPA Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, the company is on the verge of getting back to victory lane there.
Elliott was obviously busy at Texas Motor Speedway on NASCAR duties this weekend but with a break in the NHRA schedule this weekend, Capps made his maiden voyage to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach this weekend as a guest of Andretti Autosport and Rossi.
The two of them had met at the NAPA Owner’s meeting in Orlando just before the Verizon IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg earlier this year.
This weekend, Capps got a first-hand look into the world of IndyCar, and got a two-seater ride with Mario Andretti.
“Getting to ride with Mario in the two-seater is something I never in a million years thought I would do, and what a ride it was,” Capps said. “It was one of the most thrilling things I have ever gotten to do.”
Capps recapped the rest of the weekend, as it was a break in-between NHRA’s most recent round of the season at Las Vegas and a couple weeks before the next three-in-a-row stretch, starting at Houston on April 23 (more below, starting at the 2:52 mark, during this week’s IndyCar Paddock Pass with Anders Krohn).
“I don’t have very many ‘off weekends’ with our (NHRA Funny Car) schedule,” explained Capps, “so, to be able to not only attend the Grand Prix of Long Beach for my first time, I was able to take my family for the weekend and take in everything that had made the Grand Prix of Long Beach what it is today.
“I was pretty excited when I heard Alexander Rossi was going to represent our great sponsor, NAPA Auto Parts, but the weekend showed me why Michael (Andretti) and everyone at Andretti Autosport is successful on and off the race track. It was fun to be a part of the great NAPA Racing crew during the race as they executed race strategy that I knew was going give them a great chance to win. And, to watch Alexander drive such a consistent, fast pace all day was exciting for me. I felt devastated for the team when they had the problem near the end of the race. I can’t wait to go to our next IndyCar Series event!”
Rossi was on pace for a likely podium finish at least in his No. 98 NAPA Auto Parts/Curb Honda, probably second or third behind eventual race winner James Hinchcliffe, before a mechanical issue took him out of the race.