Ron Capps gets real about 300mph, big crashes and life behind the wheel

Three-time NHRA Funny Car champion Ron Capps joins Racers Unchained for a wide-ranging conversation about his remarkable racing career, from growing up around drag racing on California’s Central Coast to getting his big break with legendary driver Don “The Snake” Prudhomme.

Capps shares the story of how he went from working as a crew member and racing wherever he could to suddenly getting the call from Prudhomme that changed his career. He also talks about his love for racing everything from Funny Cars and Top Fuelers to midgets, sprint cars and go-karts, and why driving different types of race cars has made him a better drag racer.

Capps gets into what it’s really like to strap into a 13,000-horsepower Funny Car, including what happens when the tires break loose at nearly 300mph, how drivers 'pedal' a car back under control, and what it feels like when a nitromethane engine explodes just feet away.

He also opens up about the serious crashes he’s experienced, including his massive Phoenix Funny Car accident and a hard midget crash at IRP, the evolution of Funny Car safety, and the difficult realities of running a championship-caliber team.