National Dragster: Capps takes top honors at Charity Karting event

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Capps takes top honors at Charity Karting event

Fifty lucky race fans traded high-- speed thrills and lots of smiles with top stars from the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series March 29 at Infineon Raceway's Karting Center in the inaugural NHRA Tour de Charity. The first-time event, which pitted race fans against NHRA drivers for a day of karting on the 16-turn, three-quarter-- mile track located in Northern California's wine country, raised $12,000 for Speedway Children's Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway. All proceeds will benefit needy youth organizations in Sonoma County. Race fans traveled from as far as Maryland and Indiana for the event, and they did not leave disappointed. More than 300 people attended, including the 50 fortunate fans who raced.

NHRA drivers Gary Scelzi, Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon, David Baca, and Tony Pedregon took part in the event, which Capps won. Capps turned the best lap among the five NHRA drivers over the 16-turn, three-quarter-mile track: 55.511 seconds. He was followed by Tony Pedregon (56.951), Cruz Pedregon (56.990), Scelzi (57.238), and Baca (57.756).

The Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, which operates the karting center, provided the karts, race suits, classroom instruction, and on-track pointers for all competitors. Everyone competed in 100cc sprint karts capable of 70-mph top speeds.

Drivers, paired with race fans during the day's racing, signed autographs and donated memorabilia for a raffle. They also competed in a 10-lap feature race at the end of the day to determine the King of the Track.

"I'm King of the Track among the drag racers; that's pretty neat," Capps said. "I didn't hold anything back out there, and neither did anyone else. We were out here for a good cause, but we also get pretty competitive. This facility that Infineon has built up here is one of the best I've ever seen. It seems each time I come here something new is happening."

Said Tony Pedregon, "I'm ready to go another 20 laps, but that's just my mind talking. I don't think my body can take it. This can tire you out."

Race fans also had their own 10-lap feature race at the end of the day. Ron Perkins, of Roseville, Calif., took top honors. For his win, Perkins will receive the "NHRA Experience," which includes an Infineon Raceway jacket, framed picture of his favorite NHRA driver, a meet-and-greet session with NHRA's top stars at the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway Aug. 1-3, and the rare chance to stand on the starting line for one pass during the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals.

Race fans made a $250 donation for the day of karting, which included a catered lunch, T-shirt, and raffle with prizes donated by NHRA and many teams on the NHRA POWERade circuit.