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Capps Bows Out Early at NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte
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By Counterman
The highly anticipated Race to Charlotte Sweepstakes, hosted by
link hidden, please login to view and link hidden, please login to view, came to a spectacular finish this October 10-14, as 20 lucky grand prize winners and their guests were treated to an unforgettable VIP racing weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. This spring promotion, which began in March 2024, awarded professional technicians and shop owners across the country with the chance to win an exclusive NASCAR racing experience. Forty guests kicked off their weekend with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a performance racing team. The tour offered an insider’s glimpse into the high-octane world of professional racing. The evening continued with an exclusive dinner at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where winners dined among the legends and history of the sport and participated in a collection of interactive racing simulations.
The highlight of the weekend was a VIP race day experience at the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the race this past Sunday, according to
link hidden, please login to view. Winners enjoyed a heart-pounding day at the track, viewing the race from a unique vantage point that brought them closer to the action than ever before. Pit and garage tours, customized swag, and autographed driver memorabilia helped to make the race day experience even more rewarding. Reflecting on the experience, Kevin Benton from The Merrill Co., Benton Auto Repair in Fort Dodge, Iowa, shared, “It was an awesome trip! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Everything was fantastic; the Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper staff were so hospitable and made it the trip of a lifetime. Everywhere we visited was great, but the race itself was something else—an amazing experience from top to bottom. I know we all appreciated the team from Valvoline being with us and hosting us on race day; such a great group of people.”
In addition to the grand prize, 150 other winners received cash prizes, contributing to a total of $25,000 in additional cash prizes, which added even more excitement to the sweepstakes. Entries were earned with every qualifying $150 invoice from Auto Value or Bumper to Bumper parts suppliers, with bonus entries awarded to MyPlace4Parts users for purchases made through the platform.
“The partnership with the entire Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper family is incredibly important to the team at Valvoline Global,” said Scott Street, sales director at Valvoline. “Having this collection of professional shop owners and technicians with us here in Charlotte has been remarkable, and we were delighted to host them this week. Celebrating and spending time together like this is invaluable and only cements our lasting partnership.”
As the checkered flag drops on this year’s Race to Charlotte Sweepstakes, Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper said they are already gearing up for their next big promotion, promising more opportunities for professional technicians to win big.
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By NAPA
Ron Capps’ bid for a third consecutive Funny Car win at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals came to an end in a close second-round race Sunday afternoon at Bristol Dragway. Capps qualified third in his NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra before falling in the quarterfinals to J.R. Todd. The overall weekend performance showed Capps and his Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli-led team that the drastic changes they made in the early part of the season are paying off as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads into the hot summer races. Capps leaves Bristol No. 6 in the point standings after eight of 20 races on the 2024 schedule.
Capps was one of several drivers who struggled to find traction in the first qualifying session on Friday, but crew chief Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli got the NAPA Auto Care entry back on track for the second session. Capps laid down a 3.976-second pass at 320.74 MPH to move up from ninth to third, while also earning a bonus point for making the third-best pass of the session. Capps maintained the No. 3 spot through two more qualifying sessions on Saturday.
The NAPA team’s strong performance carried over into the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning when Capps got a big starting line advantage over opponent Buddy Hull and maintained the lead with a winning 3.962-second pass at 323.12 MPH to Hull’s 4.176 E.T. In a second-round battle with fellow Toyota driver J.R. Todd, Capps ran quicker to the 60-foot and 330-foot marks, but he started to lose ground and finished second behind Todd. Capps ran a 4.001 E.T. at 316.45, while Todd recorded a 3.977 E.T. at 319.75.
“I’m so proud of Guido and our NAPA Auto Care team to go out there and compete like we did, to qualify as well as we did, and not only that, but to do it in completely different conditions like we did,” said Capps, the winningest Funny Car driver at Bristol with seven victories. “We qualified well in the Friday night conditions that we didn’t think we’d see the rest of the weekend. We went out and made a great run in the first round and got lane choice against a really good team, our Toyota teammate J.R. Todd and his team, in the quarterfinals. The fans got their money’s worth. It was a great side-by-side race, but we came up a little bit short. We’ve got a string of hot, summer races coming up and it gives me such confidence knowing Guido’s got a combination for that. I’m just so proud of these guys.”
The next stop for Capps and the Ron Capps Motorsports Funny Car team will come in two weeks at the Virginia NHRA Nationals, June 22-23, at Virginia Motorsports Park outside Richmond.
Start / Finish: No. 3 / def. in quarterfinals
Points Standing / Total: No. 6 / 360 pts. (-220)
Next Race: June 22-23, Virginia NHRA Nationals
How to Watch or Listen: FS1,
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By NAPA
For the second event in a row,
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“We’ve talked about the rejuvenation of this NAPA Auto Care tune-up and what Guido has been working on with our team,” explained the third-year team owner-driver and three time Funny Car world champ. “The end game is another championship at the end of our season. We didn’t get down the track Friday night, so we weren’t able to capitalize on those primetime conditions to get us in the top half but so proud of what Guido and the team did on Saturday in those hot, difficult conditions when it went down the track both times. We’re going to see those same conditions coming up at these next few races and throughout the summer.
“We have the performance. Guido is working hard to get us where we’re used to being, consistency-wise and that’s what gave us two championships two years in a row. We’re going to get that back, but unfortunately, just a little overpowering the track in the quarterfinals here today. Luckily, we’re back to back and we don’t have to wait long to get back on track.”
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads south to Bristol, Tenn. in a few days for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, June 7 – 9, where Capps returns as the winningest driver in the facility’s history with seven Bristol wins.
Start / Finish: No. 12 / def. in Quarterfinals
Points Standing / Total: No. 7 / 360 pts. (-220)
Next Race: June 7-9, NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
How to Watch or Listen: FS1,
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes took an unorthodox path to secure a top-10 finish and extended his points lead on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). The driver of the No. 19
link hidden, please login to view Chevrolet Silverado RST earned a 10th-place finish after persevering through a trying day and now owns a 30-point advantage in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) championship standings after 11 of 16 regular season races. Eckes was instantly faced with adversity in practice after posting the third-quickest time in the session. He received significant damage to the left side of his Chevrolet after contact from another truck in practice and forced the team to make major repairs. Consequently, Eckes was scrubbed in qualifying and started from the tail of the field. The repairs did not deter Eckes as he targeted the front and rapidly charged forward at the start. He advanced from 35th to 14th by the end of Stage 1 on lap 30, despite simultaneously dealing with a low voltage issue.
Under the first stage caution, crew chief Charles Denike and the NAPA team executed an efficient diagnosis of the situation which was attributed to a disconnected alternator. The team kept Eckes on the lead lap during the pit cycle to make repairs, but he was forced to restart at the tail of the lead lap. Once again, Eckes moved forward and advanced to 20th by the end of Stage 2 on lap 60.
After pitting during the stage break, Eckes also pitted under caution on lap 75. The strategy allowed him to get off sequence with most of the lead lap trucks, and it paid off with a caution on lap 81. As the majority hit pit road, Eckes stayed on track to inherit the fifth position for the lap 88 restart. In his trademark fashion, Eckes wasted no time on the restart and immediately went from fifth to first. He paced the field for 37 laps while in fuel-savings mode until the final caution flew on lap 121. Eckes elected to stay on track in the lead as all but six trucks behind him dove to pit road for fresh tires. Over the final nine laps Eckes did his best to hold off competitors the fresh rubber, but took the checkered flag in 11th position.
Following post-race technical inspection, the No. 11 truck was disqualified and Eckes was credited with a 10th-place finish.
“We had a ton of adversity all day, for sure.” Eckes said. “We put ourselves in position to win the race and needed it to go green to the end for everything to work out like we wanted. It’s unfortunate, but really proud of the effort all these guys showed on our NAPA Auto Care, Black’s Tire Chevrolet. To get this truck repaired and turned around to race with that much speed says a lot about our team. Really proud of that and we’ll try to finish it off at Gateway next week.”
Start / Finish: 35 / 10
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 453 pts. (+30)
Next Race: Saturday, June 1, WWT Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: FOX, MRN or SiriusXM
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By Counterman
The inaugural High Performance Expo (HPX), the business and consumer show of the North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA), will be held from June 3-5, 2025, at the Charlotte Convention Center, followed by area-wide enthusiast activities. The event will bring together all segments of the racing and performance community for the first time in the heart of the auto racing industry.
link hidden, please login to view This first-of-its-kind event is focused on the automotive aftermarket and is meant for professional race teams, manufacturers of new cars and high-performance parts, retail performance shops, industry experts and enthusiasts. HPX 2025 is the gateway to the next level in the world of high-octane racing and automotive performance.
“The High Performance Expo will be a car-centric playground showcasing the best of auto racing and the automotive aftermarket like no other,” said Greg Walter, NCMA chairman of the Board, and executive vice president and general manager of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. “There is no better place to hold this annual event than Charlotte, North Carolina, home of auto racing and a community rich in history and passion for modifying and racing the automobile.”
“The North Carolina racing industry has long wanted to design an experience like HPX to more easily connect our industry and our passionate fans,” said Scott Lampe, vice chairman of NCMA and CFO of Hendrick Motorsports. “HPX 2025 will celebrate this great industry through the lens of our unique community, bringing a level of authenticity featuring VIPs, drivers, celebrities and experts, which can only be done in one place – Charlotte.”
Additional details including speakers, sponsors, seminars, displays and enthusiast activities will be released in the coming months.
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