2-Steppin' At
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2-steppin’ at DSR Capps gets first, DSR gets 16th and sweeps nitro titles for 4th time Johnson shoots to No. 2 with Finals win for Make-A-Wish Dodge team Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team led by crew chief John Collins put a wrap on one of the most successful seasons ever at Don Schumacher Racing when the team funded by Terry Chandler won the Funny Car title Sunday to close the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season. It was Johnson’s third title of the year, which is the most ever in a year for the veteran driver. Perhaps more importantly, Collins with assistant Rip Reynolds guided Johnson to a second- place finish in points for the season, which is Johnson’s highest spot after the NHRA Finals finale at Pomona, Calif., after finishing third each of the past two years. “It's so tough out here that if you can finish second out of all these cars, you had a really, really good year,” said Johnson, who finished 72 points behind DSR teammate and first-time world champion Ron Capps. “We weren't the best, obviously that was Capps this season, but to be right behind him and be ahead of all the others, I don't know how you could be disappointed. Johnson’s victory pushed the DSR total to 293 including 14 in 24 Funny Car trophies is one short of tying the DSR record set a year ago. DSR’s 26th trip to the winner’s circle this year, also one short of last year’s team record, followed a night when DSR’s NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge team led by four-time world champion crew chief Rahn Tobler propelled Capps to his first Mello Yello world title after being runner-up a record four times.. And that came two weeks after Antron Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army team with crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald clinched their second straight Top Fuel world title at Las Vegas and third in the past five years. It marks the 15th and 16th world titles for DSR and fourth time the organization swept the nitro world championships in the same season. Capps and the NAPA Dodge team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler delivered the 16th NHRA world championship and $500,000 bonus to Don Schumacher Racing at the end of qualifying Saturday evening in the NHRA Finals at Pomona. “I really haven’t slept well since the Countdown started after Labor Day,” said Capps, who lost a lead of 202 points when he won the regular season title after 18 races and points were reset to start the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff when points were reset for the 10 championship contenders. For Tobler, it is his fourth world championship as crew chief and first with DSR; he won two with Shirley Muldowney in Top Fuel and one with Cruz Pedregon in Funny Car. “I can’t even tell you how focused Rahn Tobler has been this year,” said Capps, who was the series runner-up in 1998, 2000, 2005 and 2012. “I almost gave up trying so hard and wishing so hard, and just focused on winning races. With everything we got this year – my 50th career win, passing some people I really looked up to in the sport with wins – that’s mind-boggling for me. “This was the toughest Funny Car class ever and the 50th anniversary of the Funny Car, which was awesome. What a great, great season.” This is the fourth time since 2005 that DSR has won both nitro world championships: Brown and Capps this year, Tony Schumacher and Matt Hagan in 2014, Brown and Jack Beckman in 2012 and Schumacher and Gary Scelzi in 2005. “This is epic,” Capps said after receiving the Mello Yello champion’s jacket and dinner-plate sized gold medal that he called “My Mr. T starter kit.” With so much attention on Capps’ coronation, Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge team led by Jimmy Prock and funded by Chandler caught a bit of the spotlight a few minutes later when they produced the second quickest time ever in a Funny Car with a run in 3.825 seconds and 332.10 mph. Funny Car championship Capps-sule 2016 Mello Yello Funny Car world champion, above, holds his ‘Mr. T’ medal and shares his trophy with his family: above right, brother Jon with parents Betty and John; right, son Caden, wife Shelley and daughter Taylor. Below, Capps is greeted on stage during driver introductions by his fellow Funny Car racers. NAPA Funny Car crew chief Rahn Tobler, left, and assistant Eric Lane celebrate. Above right, Tobler is joined by wife Ellen with daughter Jessica, grandson Ford and son-in-law Anthony Eisenman. Congratulations from Bruce Tatman 2016 NHRA Countdown to the Championship Standings - FINAL (Official after Pomona 2; 24 of 24 events; wins in parenthesis; DSR drivers in CAPS) TOP FUEL FUNNY CAR CHAMPIONS 1. ANTRON BROWN (7) 2663 ---- 1. RON CAPPS (5) 2606 ---- 2. Doug Kalitta (4) 2533 -130 2. TOMMY JOHNSON JR. (3) 2554 -52 3. Steve Torrence 2482 -181 3. MATT HAGAN (4) 2494 -112 4. J.R. Todd (1) 2455 -208 4. John Force (4) 2486 -120 5. SHAWN LANGDON (3) 2443 -220 5. JACK BECKMAN (2) 2477 -129 6. Brittany Force (3) 2399 -264 6. Courtney Force (1) 2414 -192 7. LEAH PRITCHETT (1) 2389 -274 7. Del Worsham (1) 2406 -200 8. TONY SCHUMACHER (2) 2387 -276 8. Robert Hight (1) 2368 -238 9. Richie Crampton 2279 -384 9. Tim Wilkerson (2) 2314 -292 10. Clay Millican 2264 -399 10. Alexis DeJoria (1) 2184 -422 AutoImagery.com photo gallery Crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham and the Infinite Hero team funded by Terry Chandler tuned Jack Beckman to the second quickest Funny Car run in history that earned the team its career-best sixth pole of the season and 11th track record of the year with a run of 3.825 seconds at 331.10 mph. DSR drivers statistics 2016 FINAL TOP FUEL red/bold = career best or ties career best 1. ANTRON BROWN: Matco Tools/U.S. Army – 2016 WORLD CHAMPION/3-TIME CHAMP Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2016 1st 24 7 4 5 6 3 3 0 55-17 CAREER 358 61 (45 TF/16 PSB) 47 74 93 81 47 3 623-294 Best Time, Speed: 3.679 sec., (2016, Brainerd; and first below 3.7, 2015, Brainerd); 331.12 mph (2015, Brainerd) LAST EVENT: Pomona 2 (Nov. 10-13) Qualified: No. 4, lost in semifinals to J.R. Todd 5. SHAWN LANGDON: Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher/Sandvik Coromant Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2016 5th 24 3 0 6 7 9 0 0 30-21 CAREER 188 14 14 38 58 62 18 3 230-171 Best Time, Speed: 3.662 sec. (quickest ever, 2015, Brainerd); 334.15 mph (Reading, 2012) LAST EVENT: Pomona 2 (Nov. 10-13) Qualified: No. 3, lost in semifinals to Steve Torrence 7. LEAH PRITCHETT: Papa John’s Pizza/Pennzoil/Mopar/FireAde 2000/Albrecht Fast Track Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2016 7th 23 1 0 4 7 11 1 0 18-21 CAREER 70 1 1 7 13 42 1 6 33-63 Best Time, Speed: 3.698 sec. (2016, Dallas), 329.75 mph (2016, Indy) LAST EVENT: Pomona 2 (Nov. 10-13) Qualified: No. 5, lost in second round to Antron Brown 8. TONY SCHUMACHER: U.S. Army Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2016 8th 24 2 3 3 10 4 3 0 34-22 CAREER 456 82 61 71 124 109 80 8 776-366 Best Time, Speed: 3.686 sec. (Seattle, 2016); 330.55 mph (2014, Las Vegas 2) LAST EVENT: Pomona 2 (Nov. 10-13) Qualified: No. 7, lost in second round to Doug Kalitta DSR FUNNY CAR red/bold = career best or ties career best 1. RON CAPPS: NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T – 2016 WORLD CHAMPION Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2016 1st 24 7 (11 final rds) 4 4 7 5 2 1 54-18 CAREER 483 50 (49 FC/1 TF) 50 89 98 178 21 19 666-414 Best Time, Speed: 3.843 sec., (Seattle, 2016); 330.23 mph, (Seattle, 2016) LAST EVENT: Pomona 2 (Nov. 10-13) Qualified: No. 5, lost in second round to John Force 2. TOMMY JOHNSON JR.: Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2016 2nd 24 3 3 4 9 5 1 0 38-21 CAREER 398 15 (13 FC/2 TF) 24 52 98 163 14 44 336-339 Best Time, Speed: 3.847 sec. (2016, Dallas); 328.46 mph (Seattle, 2016) LAST EVENT: Pomona 2 (Nov. 10-13) Qualified: No. 3, won in championship round over John Force 3. MATT HAGAN: Mopar Express Lane/Pennzoil/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2016 2nd 24 4 2 5 7 5 5 0 40-20 CAREER 192 22 20 28 62 56 26 4 265-166 Best Time, Speed: 3.822 sec.-quickest ever (2016, Brainerd); 335.57 mph (fastest ever 2016, Topeka) LAST EVENT: Pomona 2 (Nov.