LVMS upsets leave Ron Capps in Funny Car driver’s seat

It was the 1,000th lawsuit successful nonrecreational resistance racing history, and earlier Sunday’s Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals elimination runs astatine Las Vegas Motor Speedway determination seemed to beryllium astatine slightest that galore Funny Car title constituent scenarios.

But erstwhile 3 of the rubric contenders mislaid successful the archetypal round, it opened a doorway that Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon wasted small clip driving through.

Capps, who began the play with a one-point borderline implicit Matt Hagan successful the title conflict but trailed Hagan, the three-time champion, by 3 points astatine the commencement of the day, mislaid successful the finals to upstart Pedregon. But with 1 contention remaining, Capps present finds himself with an 85-point borderline connected Pedregon, his caller closest pursuer.

“We’re conscionable gonna effort to support going,” Capps said earlier some helium and Pedregon broke down successful the finals. Pedregon coasted crossed the decorativeness enactment to triumph with a 4.27-second tally astatine a pedestrian 225.03 mph.

The triumph vaulted Pedregon into the Countdown for the Championship storylines aft Hagan, 16-time champion and 72-year-old John Force and JR Todd were eliminated successful the Round of 16.

“When I woke up this morning, I didn’t cognize if we would get past a mates of rounds,” said Pedregon, the two-time Funny Car champion who drew wrong 83 points of 2016 rubric victor Capps heading into the bid finale astatine Pomona, California, successful 2 weeks.

That’s batch of points to overcome. But by winning astatine LVMS Sunday, Pedregon volition astatine slightest person a warring accidental astatine the last contention wherever circular victories are worthy 30 points alternatively of the accustomed 20.

“Pretty dim, to beryllium honorable with you,” helium said successful assessing his title chances. “But (with bonus points astatine Pomona), this keeps it open-ended and we’re backmost successful it.”

Torrence stretches Top Fuel lead

There volition beryllium adjacent little play erstwhile the Top Fuel cars deed the way successful California. Steve Torrence (3.717 seconds astatine 329.50 mph) bested Mike Salinas successful the last astatine LVMS, and challenger Britanny Force mislaid by a heartbeat to Salinas successful the semifinals.

“Brittany going retired successful the semis was an accidental we needed to capitalize on,” Torrence said aft winning his 10th contention of 2021 and stretching his pb connected Force to 105 points arsenic helium closes successful connected his 4th consecutive Top Fuel crown. “Grubnic (Force’s unit chief, David) is hammering everybody close now, but we’re truly bully astatine focusing with what’s nether our ain awning.”

Force, who was the fastest qualifier for the 12th clip this season, rocketed down the portion with a 3.682 walk astatine 330.39 mph successful her semifinal showdown with Salinas but was beaten connected absorption clip (.058 to .027) disconnected the starting line.

“It’s truly frustrating; that was our changeable to summation a circular connected (Torrence),” said Force, the 2017 Top Fuel champion. “I yet drawback a bully airy and we can’t drawback a break.”

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson retained a 32-point title borderline connected Erica Enders, who mislaid to teammate Dallas Green successful the final. Steve Johnson defeated 3 pistillate racers en way to the Pro Stock Motorcycle victory, edging Karen Stoffer connected absorption clip successful last eliminations.

Contact Ron Kantowski astatine rkantowski@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski connected Twitter.