NAPA DODGE KNOWS HOWfiles.ctctcdn.com/e965e2b5001/dc682ef1-644d-47ca-a0ad-ad...standings in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The 28th annual event in Baytown, Texas, was highlighted

NAPA DODGE KNOWS HOW Capps wins second of year, leaves Houston with DSR teammate Schumacher holding Mello Yello points leads heading to Atlanta

The Don Schumacher Racing teams that arrived at the NHRA SpringNationals near Houston on April 24, 2015, sitting atop their respective nitro categories in championship points battles did not leave Sunday with their leads. The silver lining to that cloud – of which there were many in the skies near Houston over the weekend – is that their teammates are the ones who replaced them atop the Top Fuel and Funny Car standings in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The 28th annual event in Baytown, Texas, was highlighted for DSR by Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS 2015 Dodge Charger R/T team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler and assistant Eric Lane winning their second title in six races. DSR nearly celebrated the 48th time it has won more than one title at a Mello Yello event but Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team led by Mike Green and assistant Neal Strausbaugh lost in the championship round to Doug Kalitta after a part failure. The win by Capps is the 44th Funny Car trophy of his career that moves him into sole position of the No. 2 spot on the all-time wins list in the category. “No. 2 all-time is crazy,” said Capps who has 44 Funny Car titles to go with the first and only one he earned in Top Fuel for an NHRA career total of 45. “I’m not that good so it all goes to the guys who have been on our teams.” The California native living near San Diego also took over the championship points lead for the first time since the fifth event of the 2013 season. “We have a long season ahead of us but it means that everything Tobler and our NAPA guys have been doing has us going in the right direction. We won at Gainesville with our old car and Tobler had the NAPA Know How to decide to switch to our new one at the last race.” But the U.S. Army team was able to take over the points lead from teammate Antron Brown, who lost in the quarterfinals to Schumacher in the Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster.

Ron Capps and the NAPA Dodge Charger R/T get past teammate Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero team in the championship round at Houston.

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Ron Capps and crew chief Rahn Tobler are in festive moods after winning at Houston and taking the points lead.

“We’re off to a tremendous start to the season,” said Schumacher, who holds a 33-point lead over his DSR teammate Spencer Massey and is 37 ahead of Brown. “I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by an incredible team. Mike and I won our first race together here back in 2009 and we nearly did it again today. We went after it in the final and just pushed it past the point of no return.” The seven DSR teams won opening-round races but usually that means teammates will meet early in eliminations and six DSR teams battled in the quarterfinals. In Top Fuel, Brown lost to Schumacher in the quarterfinals. In Funny Car, four Dodge Charger R/T teams faced off in the quarterfinals. Jack Beckman, who qualified No. 1 in the Infinite Hero Dodge, eliminated Tommy Johnson Jr. (Make-A-Wish); and reigning world champion Matt Hagan, who arrived at the SpringNationals with his Rocky Boots/Mopar team leading the points, was sidelined by Capps. DSR also left the Houston area with three of the track’s four records. Spencer Massey and the Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher/Sandvik Coromant team lead by Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler earned the pole with a time of 3.734 seconds at a record speed of 330.07 mph.

Beckman with crew chief Jimmy Prock also was the Funny Car pole winner with a track record time of 3.988. Capps set the track speed mark of 319.67 but that was topped by Hagan with crew chief Dickie Venables that reached 320.81 in Sunday’s first round of eliminations. The Mello Yello series resumes near Atlanta next week.

Spencer Massey drove the Red Fuel/Sandvik Coromant dragster to the pole and track record at Houston.

Matt Hagan and the Rocky/Mopar Dodge Charger R/T left Houston with a track-record speed of 320.81 mph.

Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team advanced to the Houston championship round and left with the points lead.

Mopar legend Tom Hoover, 1929-2015 Tom Hoover, the man widely known as the “father” of the 426 HEMI racing engine that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014, died April 30 after a long illness. He was 85. “Tom Hoover was an exceptional human being and an engineering genius that always wanted to go faster. Today, at Mopar, we continue to live and honor Tom’s vision. He’ll be missed,” says Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO of Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care. Hoover spent 25 years working at Chrysler Corp., leaving in 1979 to pursue his interests in locomotives and trains. During his time here, he had an impact on some of the most-storied performance milestones in Fiat Chrysler’s history. He was a founding member of the Ramchargers, a group of Chrysler engineers who were thrilled by the growing sport of drag racing and used their skills to boost the company’s performance image. He led development of the Max Wedge big-block racing V-8, building upon Chrysler’s RB engine to create a powertrain that dominated drag strip racing in the early 1960s. A drag racer at heart, Tom Hoover helped develop the Pro Stock and Funny Car racing classes. As racing program coordinator, he helped lead the small team that developed the 426 HEMI racing engine. The 426 HEMI debuted at the 1964 Daytona 500, where driver Richard Petty lapped the field in taking the win. And when NASCAR blocked the 426 HEMI’s use in 1965, Hoover’s team took it drag

‘Father’ of the 426 HEMI:

Tom Hoover

Bob Gant of the NAPA Dallas distribution center celebrates with Ron and the NAPA team.

racing – where it’s legacy lives on today as many modern professional drag race engines still use the basics of that motor.

“Tom was the true technical engineer driving the details of the original 426 HEMI design, preparing it for the success on the street and in racing to this day,” says Bob Lee, who heads powertrain development for FCA in North America and is global coordinator for powertrains. “He was one of the best ever.” Tom was also honored with the Mopar President’s Award at the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in July 2014 near Denver where he served as the grand marshal for the weekend event.

Downfield block by NFL, Olympic star takes out Antron in Toyota Celebrity-Pro road race at Long Beach Grand Prix Antron Brown traded his Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster at Don Schumacher Racing for the chance to compete in the April 18 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., before the next day’s Grand Prix of Long Beach. The Pro/Celebrity race is scheduled to air on the CBS Sports Network 6 p.m. (ET) May 10 (Sunday) and 11:30 a.m. May 16 (Saturday). Antron started at the back of the pack along with drivers categorized as professionals and finished 11th after getting caught up a crash involving former Olympic and NFL star Willie Gault on the eighth lap when three of the celebrities went into a corner ahead of Gault and he was squeezed into a guard wall. “I saw his car bounce right back into the track,” Antron said. “I tried to squeeze past but I had nowhere to go. Then I saw Willie bounce farther. I looked at him and just said ‘Lord, have mercy.’

Antron discusses race strategy with U.S. Olympic medalist Dara Torres and actor-singer James Maslow.

Tom Hoover with the Mopar team last year at Denver.

“I’m a fan of every kind of racing, but my sport is more of a reaction sport,” he said of drag racing. “I had a blast. I wish I

could have finished clean because I think I could have come up through the field some more and finished near the top. I had the fastest lap of the day and was making progress.” Antron and the other 17 participants at Long Beach raced in 210-horsepower Scion FR-S race-prepped cars, navigating high speeds and demanding turns. “From qualifying to the race, we definitely grew leaps and bounds,” Antron said. “We got bumped back to last on the first lap of the race, because they were navigating traffic a little better at first – diving into the corners on me. Then I gathered myself and came back up through the field to second in the pro class and had passed about half the celebrities. “Then came the accident.”

Houston Scrapbook 2015

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From left: Assistant crew chief Brad Mason, Kyle Weekley, Bryan Tschirhart and Red Waite work on the Matco Tools dragster at Houston.

Above, Make-A-Wish assistant crew chief Rip Reynolds, behind car, indicates directs where

Tommy Johnson Jr., should back-up after a burnout.

At right, Make-A-Wish crewmen, from left, Levi Brubaker, James Wingo and Ed Tyler, prepare their

Dodge Charger R/T for another powerful run.

Above, U.S. Army crew members, from lower left, Mark Ellis, Tom Turkal, Blake Holding and Ryan McGilvry prepare

their No. 1-ranked Top Fueler for another run. At right, U.S. Army assistant crew chief Neal Strausbaugh, left, and crew chief Mike Green crunch the numbers inside

their mobile office at Houston.

Tommy Johnson Jr. relaxes during the Houston race.

Matt Hagan signs autographs

for all ages and sizes at Houston.

NAPA EXPO

2015 Don Schumacher Racing’s Ron Capps and Tony Schumacher spent part of this week in Las Vegas for the NAPA EXPO 2015 at the Mandalay Bay where more than 17,000 NAPA AUTO PARTS and NAPA AutoCare Center owners, managers and suppliers attended. Capps, who is in his eighth season driver the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T, and the U.S. Army’s Schumacher currently are ranked No. 1 in their respective categories in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Capps was able to talk about his second win of the season that came two weeks ago near Houston, how excited he is that timing enabled him to attend NAPA EXPO and next week’s event near Atlanta where NAPA’s headquarters are located. “The only thing better would be to win one of our last two events of the year in Las Vegas or Pomona (Calif.) to clinch a world championship,” said Capps, who is second on the all-time list of Funny Car winners with 44 NHRA Wally trophies, and won his first as a rookie in 1995 driving a Top Fuel dragster for an overall total of 45.

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Ron Capps and members of the NAPA family visit the home of Count's Kustoms while at the NAPA EXPO.

DSR drivers 2015: career statistics, standings – thru Houston (6 of 24) TOP FUEL

TONY SCHUMACHER: U.S. Army Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2015 1st 6 1 2 0 1 2 1 0 11-5 CAREER 414 78 56 64 108 100 77 8 714-328 Best Time, Speed: 3.720 sec. (2015, Phoenix); 330.55 mph (2014, Las Vegas 2)

SPENCER MASSEY: Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher/Sandvik Coromant Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2015 2nd 6 1 0 3 1 1 1 0 11-5 CAREER 126 18 14 30 29 32 8 2 201-105

Best Time, Speed: 3.728 sec. (2012, Englishtown, N.J.); 332.18 mph, (2015, Pomona; 2012, Charlotte 1)

ANTRON BROWN: Matco Tools/U.S. Army Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2015 3rd 6 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 11-5 CAREER 316 48 (32 TF/16 PSB) 41 65 85 74 37 3 528-265

Best Time, Speed: 3.701 sec.-NHRA record (2012, Reading, Pa.); 328.78 mph (2012, Reading)

FUNNY CAR

RON CAPPS: NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2015 1st 6 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 11-4 CAREER 441 45 (44 FC/1 TF) 43 76 88 171 16 18 549-378

Best Time, Speed: 3.964 sec., (2012, Englishtown, N.J.); 320.89 mph (2012, Englishtown) MATT HAGAN: Rocky Boots/Mopar Dodge Charger R/T – ’14 Funny Car World Champ Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2015 2nd 6 2 0 0 2 2 2 0 10-4 CAREER 150 16 16 21 46 47 19 4 199-130

Best Time, Speed: 3.975 sec. (2015, Phoenix); 324.83 (2015, Phoenix)

TOMMY JOHNSON JR.: Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2015 5th 6 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 7-6 CAREER 352 10 (8 FC/2 TF) 15 47 84 152 10 47 263-298

Best Time, Speed: 3.999 sec. (2014, Joliet, Ill.); 322.73 mph (2014, Pomona 1)

JACK BECKMAN: Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2015 6th 6 1 1 0 1 2 1 1 7-4 CAREER 210 16 21 37 59 70 11 7 258-187

Best Time, Speed: 3.983 sec. (2015, Charlotte); 320.58 mph (Reading, Pa., 2012)

2015 NHRA MELLO YELLO CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (Thru Houston; 6 of 24 races; DSR drivers in CAPS)

TOP FUEL FUNNY CAR

DRIVER (WINS) POINTS BEHIND DRIVER (WINS) POINTS BEHIND 1. TONY SCHUMACHER (1) 474 --- 1. RON CAPPS (2) 431 --- 2. SPENCER MASSEY (1) 441 -33 2. MATT HAGAN (2) 425 -6 3. ANTRON BROWN (1) 437 -37 3. Del Worsham 401 -30 4. Shawn Langdon (1) 406 -68 4. Robert Hight 397 -34 5. Doug Kalitta (1) 390 -84 5. TOMMY JOHNSON JR. 369 -62 6. Richie Crampton (1) 374 -100 6. JACK BECKMAN (1) 353 -78 7. Steve Torrence 325 -149 7. John Force (1) 328 -103 8. Larry Dixon 318 -156 8. Alexis DeJoria 328 -103 9. Clay Millican 312 -162 9. Courtney Force 301 -130 10. JR Todd 299 -175 10. Cruz Pedregon 291 -140

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series (NOTE: order of events only correct for 2015)

REGULAR SEASON 2013 DSR WINNNERS 2014 WINNERS 2015 WINNERS 1. Feb. 6-8 Pomona, Calif. TF Langdon/FC C. Force TF alBalooshi FC J. Force TF Langdon FC MATT 2. Feb. 20-22 Phoenix TF TONY/FC RON TF ANTRON FC DeJoria TF TONY FC MATT 3. March 13-15 G’ville, Fla. TF ANTRON/FC GRAY TF Kalitta FC Hight TF SPENCER FC RON 4. March 27-29 Charlotte TF SPENCER/FC MATT TF ANTRON FC Hight TF ANTRON FC JACK #100 5. April 10-12 Las Vegas TF TONY/FC Cruz TF TONY FC DeJoria TF Crampton FC J. Force 6. April 24-26 Houston TF Vandergriff/FC Cruz TF ANTRON FC Hight TF Kalitta FC RON 7. May 15-17 Atlanta (PSM) TF ANTRON/FC GRAY TF SPENCER FC Hight TF FC 8. May 22-24 Topeka, Kan. TF Langdon/FC GRAY TF SPENCER FC C. Force TF FC 9. June 5-7 Englishtown TF Langdon/FC MATT TF Crampton FC C. Pedregon TF FC 10. June 12-14 Epping, N.H. TF SPENCER/FC C. Force TF TONY FC RON TF FC 11. June 19-21 Bristol TF S. Torrence/FC J. Force TF Langdon FC TOMMY TF FC 12. July 3-5 Norwalk, Ohio TF alBalloshi/FC GRAY TF ANTRON FC J. Force TF FC 13. July 10-12 Chicago TF TONY/FC MATT TF ANTRON FC MATT TF FC 14. July 24-26 Denver TF SPENCER/FC Cruz TF Todd FC Hight TF FC 15. Jul 31-Au. 2 Sonoma TF Langdon/FC RON TF alBalooshi FC C. Force TF FC 16. Aug. 7-9 Seattle TF Lucas/ FC MATT TF Kalitta FC J. Force TF FC 17. Aug. 21-23 Brainerd TF SPENCER/FC RON TF Lucas FC RON (Indy) TF FC 18. Sep. 3-7 Indianapolis TF Langdon/FC Hight TF Crampton FC DeJoria TF FC FC Traxxas JACK TF Traxxas TONY TF FC COUNTDOWN 2013 DSR WINNERS 2014 WINNERS 2015 WINNERS 19. Sept. 18-20 Charlotte TF Lucas/FC Hight TF TONY (Dallas) FC MATT (Dallas) TF FC 20. Sept.25-27 St. Louis TF ANTRON/FC J. Force TF ANTRON FC C. Force TF FC 21. Oct. 2-4 Reading, Pa. TF Langdon/FC J. Force TF TONY FC MATT TF FC 22. Oct. 16-18 Dallas TF Kalitta/FC Cruz TF TONY FC C. Force TF FC 23, Oc. 30-Nv. 1 Las Vegas TF ANTRON/FC J. Force TF SPENCER FC Worsham TF FC 24. Nov. 13-15 Pomona TF Langdon/FC MATT TF Lucas FC MATT TF FC

DSR TOTALS: TF = 11/FC = 12 TF = 14 FC = 7 TF = 3 FC = 5

DSR 2015 SEASON TOTALS 3 - Top Fuel event titles (Tony, Spencer, Antron) 5 - Funny Car event titles (Matt 2, Ron 2, Jack 1) DSR 2014 SEASON TOTALS 2 - World championships (Tony’s 8th in Top Fuel, Matt’s 2nd in Funny Car) 14 - Top Fuel event titles (Antron 6, Tony 5, Spencer 3) 7 - Funny Car event titles (Matt 4, Ron 2, Tommy 1, Jack 0) DSR ALL-TIME TOTALS 13 - World championships (Tony 8, Matt 2, Antron 1, Jack Beckman 1, Gary Scelzi 1) 248 - NHRA Mello Yello event titles (Top Fuel 125, Funny Car 99, Pro Stock 3, Pro Stock Motorcycles 18)

ABOUT DON SCHUMACHER RACING Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered near Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Ind., fields seven professional NHRA teams in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time and reigning world champion Tony Schumacher, the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel world champion Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster driven by Antron Brown and the Red Fuel by Schumacher/Sandvik Coromant dragster driven by Spencer Massey; and in Funny Car, two-time and reigning world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots 2015 Dodge Charger R/T, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr. DSR has won 248 NHRA national event titles and 13 world championships.

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Jeff Wolf

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