Capps wins in Vegas, closes gap in Funny Car standings

• Funny Car driver Ron Capps won for the fifth time this year and for the 38th time in his career
• Jack Beckamn leads the Funny Car standings by four points over Capps with one event remaining
• Bob Vandergriff Jr. won in Top Fuel and Allen Johnson raced to the Pro Stock win

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ron Capps raced to his fifth Funny Car victory of the season Sunday, winning the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals to cut Jack Beckman's series lead to four points with one event remaining.

Seeking his first season title after finishing second three times, Capps beat Beckman with a run of 4.070 seconds at 315.12 mph in his Dodger Charger for his 38th career victory.

"There was a lot of pressure. It was one of the biggest rounds of the year," Capps said. "We were taking a pistol to a gun fight. To go up there and beat (Beckman) was huge. We're fighting for that championship ring."

Bob Vandergriff Jr. won in Top Fuel, Allen Johnson in Pro Stock, and Eddie Krawiec in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

The season-ending Auto Club Finals is Nov. 8-11 in Pomona, Calif.

Vandergriff Jr. earned his second career Top Fuel victory with a run of 3.832 at 324.75, edging seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher in the final.

The 47-year-old Vandergriff jogged back to the starting line to join his team after the win.

"We had a great race. They (wins) don't come easy. We had four good runs today. I wanted to do something special (so I ran down the track). The fans seemed to like it," Vandergriff said. "Anytime you race (Schumacher), you know you'll have your hands full."

Schumacher moved to second in the standings, 65 points behind Antron Brown.

Brown lost in the first round.

"It's drag racing, but we're ready for Pomona," Brown said. "We'll hit Pomona and give it our best shot. It's a long way from over."

In Pro Stock, Johnson raced his sixth victory of the season and 15th of his career with a 6.637 pass at 208.17 in a Dodge Avenger. He has a 126-point lead over second-place Jason Line.

"Today we made our best run," Johnson said. "We feel a little easier going into Pomona. It says great things about our engine program and it says great things about our car. It's a tremendous feeling. We want to go to Pomona and win that last race. We can't let up one bit."

Krawiec won for the ninth time this season and 20th overall, finishing at 6.959 at 194.10 on a Harley-Davidson. On Saturday at the track, the series leader won the rain-delayed Mohnton, Pa., final.

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Big O Tires NHRA Nationals results

Sunday's finals

Top Fuel: Bob Vandergriff, 3.832 seconds, 324.75 mph def. Tony Schumacher, 5.543 seconds, 124.25 mph.

Funny Car: Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.070, 315.12 def. Jack Beckman, Charger, 8.455, 74.33.

Pro Stock: Allen Johnson, Dodge Avenger, 6.637, 208.17 def. Vincent Nobile, Avenger, 6.670, 204.39.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.959, 194.10 def. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.967, 192.28.

Round-by-round

Top Fuel

Round One: Shawn Langdon, 3.802, 323.19 def. Clay Millican, 8.583, 87.08; J.R. Todd, 3.826, 322.11 def. Brandon Bernstein, 3.950, 301.13; Doug Kalitta, 3.822, 326.32 def. Cory McClenathan, 3.868, 303.43; Spencer Massey, 3.809, 325.14 def. T.J. Zizzo, 4.258, 208.17; Tony Schumacher, 3.788, 326.32 def. Terry McMillen, 4.280, 197.25; Bob Vandergriff, 3.971, 258.67 def. David Grubnic, 5.025, 137.92; Steve Torrence, 4.102, 264.03 def. Morgan Lucas, 4.536, 232.63; Khalid alBalooshi, 4.470, 241.07 def. Antron Brown, 4.591, 239.27.

Quarterfinals: alBalooshi, 3.816, 312.93 def. Todd, 4.591, 155.20; Vandergriff, 3.851, 321.42 def. Massey, 3.873, 322.34; Kalitta, 4.139, 264.70 def. Langdon, 4.387, 210.31; Schumacher, 3.847, 324.67 def. Torrence, 3.859, 319.37.

Semifinals: Vandergriff, 3.841, 322.19 def. Kalitta, 3.854, 324.75; Schumacher, 3.773, 326.24 def. alBalooshi, 3.842, 324.05.

Final: Vandergriff, 3.832, 324.75 def. Schumacher, 5.543, 124.25.

Funny Car

Round One: Courtney Force, Ford Mustang, 4.139, 309.42 def. Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 4.576, 237.13; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.213, 298.80 def. Jon Capps, Charger, 10.637, 76.37; Paul Lee, Charger, 4.180, 299.13 def. Robert Hight, Mustang, 5.205, 151.61; Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 4.064, 299.66 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.157, 307.86; Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.118, 313.44 def. Jeff Arend, Camry, 4.208, 304.19; Johnny Gray, Charger, 4.110, 304.74 def. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 5.742, 122.99; Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.115, 308.21 def. John Force, Mustang, 4.152, 309.13; Ron Capps, Charger, 4.105, 310.77 def. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.625, 187.68.

Quarterfinals: C. Force, 4.128, 312.42 def. Lee, 4.205, 283.97; Beckman, 4.174, 300.26 def. Neff, 4.825, 174.89; R. Capps, 4.095, 312.28 def. C. Pedregon, 4.119, 306.05; Gray, 4.213, 299.46 def. Hagan, 4.601, 173.87.

Semifinals: Beckman, 7.278, 91.44 def. C. Force, foul; R. Capps, 4.086, 311.92 def. Gray, 6.256, 103.94.

Final: R. Capps, 4.070, 315.12 def. Beckman, 8.455, 74.33.

Pro Stock

Round One: Warren Johnson, Pontiac GXP, 6.715, 206.20 def. V. Gaines, Dodge Avenger, 6.687, 207.30; Jeg Coughlin, Avenger, 6.696, 205.98 def. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 10.066, 90.77; Ron Krisher, GXP, 6.660, 206.92 def. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 14.030, 57.87; Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 6.640, 207.94 def. Kurt Johnson, GXP, 6.732, 206.32; Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.637, 207.85 def. JR Carr, Ford Mustang, 13.003, 65.26; Jason Line, Camaro, 6.636, 208.42 def. Shane Gray, GXP, 6.695, 206.76; Allen Johnson, Avenger, 6.630, 207.85 def. Deric Kramer, Avenger, 6.735, 204.82; Vincent Nobile, Avenger, 6.632, 207.66 def. Chris McGaha, Avenger, 6.688, 205.41.

Quarterfinals: Krisher, 6.708, 206.70 def. Edwards, 6.663, 208.04; Line, 6.996, 206.64 def. W. Johnson, 13.625, 62.43; Nobile, 6.649, 207.46 def. Enders, 6.655, 207.72; A. Johnson, 6.630, 207.98 def. Coughlin, 7.020, 166.60.

Semifinals: Nobile, 6.665, 207.46 def. Line, foul; A. Johnson, 6.631, 208.20 def. Krisher, 6.654, 207.34.

Final: A. Johnson, 6.637, 208.17 def. Nobile, 6.670, 204.39.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Round One: Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.999, 189.71 def. Chip Ellis, Buell, foul; Hector Arana, Buell, 6.988, 191.19 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.114, 188.81; Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.021, 190.92 def. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 7.016, 191.46; John Hall, Buell, 7.023, 189.68 def. Michael Ray, Buell, foul; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 14.469, 39.00 def. Shawn Gann, Buell, foul; Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.985, 192.25 def. Redell Harris, Buell, foul; Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.938, 194.02 def. GT Tonglet, Suzuki, 7.089, 189.82; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.945, 191.27 def. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 7.030, 191.19.

Quarterfinals: Hall, 7.052, 188.75 def. Hines, 7.082, 189.52; Arana, 7.001, 192.19 def. Arana Jr, 9.247, 93.99; Smith, 6.973, 191.84 def. Stoffer, 6.994, 192.14; Krawiec, 6.961, 193.90 def. Pollacheck, 7.005, 189.90.

Semifinals: Smith, 6.997, 192.41 def. Arana, 15.074, 34.51; Krawiec, 6.960, 194.02 def. Hall, foul.

Final: Krawiec, 6.959, 194.10 def. Smith, 6.967, 192.28.

Points standings

Top Fuel: 1. Antron Brown, 2,522; 2. Tony Schumacher, 2,457; 3. Spencer Massey, 2,452; 4. Shawn Langdon, 2,406; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 2,336; 6. Doug Kalitta, 2,309; 7. Morgan Lucas, 2,299; 8. Steve Torrence, 2,265; 9. Bob Vandergriff, 2,264; 10. David Grubnic, 2,225.

Funny Car: 1. Jack Beckman, 2,531; 2. Ron Capps, 2,527; 3. Mike Neff, 2,443; 4. Johnny Gray, 2,323; 5. Cruz Pedregon, 2,307; 6. Courtney Force, 2,293; 7. (tie) John Force, 2,249; Robert Hight, 2,249; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 2,241; 10. Jeff Arend, 2,211.

Pro Stock: 1. Allen Johnson, 2,630; 2. Jason Line, 2,504; 3. Erica Enders, 2,433; 4. Vincent Nobile, 2,419; 5. Greg Anderson, 2,305; 6. Mike Edwards, 2,274; 7. V. Gaines, 2,268; 8. Jeg Coughlin, 2,239; 9. Ron Krisher, 2,237; 10. Larry Morgan, 2,167.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 2,672; 2. Andrew Hines, 2,561; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 2,448; 4. Hector Arana, 2,399; 5. Karen Stoffer, 2,334; 6. Matt Smith, 2,293; 7. Michael Ray, 2,285; 8. Scotty Pollacheck, 2,262; 9. LE Tonglet, 2,217; 10. Shawn Gann, 2,208.