EPPING, N.H. — The 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season marked the start of Ron Capps’ 20th season in Funny Car. There have been plenty of memorable moments across the country, leading to 46 career victories, but racing at historic New England Dragway the past three seasons certainly ranks near the top.

The iconic track, which sits about an hour north of metro Boston, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016 and plays host to the fourth annual NHRA New England Nationals, June 3-5. It’s also an event and an experience Capps, who won the race in 2014, has come to enjoy over the past three years.

“There’s not too many places on the circuit where you go in a whole week to do pre-race activities,” Capps said. “Epping sort of set the bar. We’ve got a whole week of activities with NAPA and it’s so much fun. We’ve got appearances all week up and down the coast and it’s just a blast. I look forward to it. I’m a kid from California, but it feels like a second home in that area. The whole week is just a lot of fun.”

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the event. The race will be televised on FOX Sports 1, including live qualifying on Saturday and finals coverage on Sunday. The race kicks off a stretch of four straight race weekends and is also the ninth of 24 events during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

It comes at an important time as the season nears the halfway points and Capps feels good about where the team and his 10,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T is headed. Competing at New England Dragway also means a thrilling atmosphere and a massive crowd, two points Capps, who is currently fourth in Funny Car series standings, has noticed over the first three trips to the track.

“For me, it’s a unique race knowing the history and the fact that we weren’t in that area for so long,” said Capps, whose 45 career Funny Car wins are second-most in NHRA history. “When we first won there, I couldn’t believe how many people showed up. The track is such an intimate, old-school place. Getting that win there two years ago was awesome. Knowing it’s a track with that much history on the East Coast, it was really cool.”

The goal now is a second victory at New England Dragway and Capps is confident his team can get it. The year started strong with a season-opening win in Pomona and runner-up showing in Gainesville, but Capps has also rebounded from struggles this season.

The team failed to qualify in Las Vegas, but Capps and crew chief Rahn Tobler are encouraged by recent races, including a consistent performance and quarterfinal appearance at the most recent event in Atlanta.

“A good start gives you the luxury to try some things you may want to learn when you’re getting ready for the (Mello Yello) Countdown (to the Championship),” Capps said. ““We had a great start and we searched around a little bit for three to four races. But we went to the clutch package we did last year in Atlanta and we were very encouraged.

“We had six runs and we went down the track all six runs and had a lot left in it. Going down the track every run is big, especially under conditions that aren’t prime. When you’re going down like we did, that’s big for the tracks we have coming up.”

That includes Epping and into the upcoming four-race stretch as race conditions change for the summer months. Getting behind at this point in the season becomes detrimental, as the time to find solutions before the Countdown to the Championship is minimal.

With a talent-rich field in Funny Car, it could lead to a quick descent in the points standings, and it’s something Capps and his Don Schumacher Racing team want to stay ahead of. But he has utmost confidence in his team, which have often shown their mettle through this busy stretch.

“I love going through the summer stretch and I love seeing how a team can show how good they are when there’s pretty adverse conditions with the weather,” Capps said. “It’s a long stretch to see what you’re made of. We’ve got a good car and I think we can show our stuff. But you can easily get caught up in doing well and then all of a sudden you’re struggling.”

Capps hopes to avoid that in Epping against a star-studded field that includes defending event winner and 16-time world champion John Force and his daughter Courtney Force, who is the current points leader and also has a win at the track. Several other pre-race favorites in the dynamic class include two-time season winner Tim Wilkerson, Gatornationals winner Robert Hight, defending world champion Del Worsham, Las Vegas event winner Alexis DeJoria, Matt Hagan, who won in Atlanta, and national record holder Jack Beckman.

“I feel very good about the way we approach a race,” Capps said. “I go up there and try to do everything the same way. If we do have a problem with the car, the guys can find it pretty quick and it doesn’t take long to get back on track. That’s where the advantage is, but it takes teamwork from everyone.”

In Top Fuel, eight-time world champion Schumacher beat three-time world champ Larry Dixon in the finals a year ago. Schumacher, who is after his third consecutive win at New England Dragway, is seeking his first win of 2016. Others to watch include Doug Kalitta, the current points leader after back-to-back wins, two-time 2016 winner Brittany Force, two-time season finalist Steve Torrence who has claimed four No. 1 qualifiers this season, defending world champ Antron Brown, Clay Millican, J.R. Todd, Shawn Langdon and Terry McMillen.

Four-time Pro Stock world champion Anderson raced his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro to his third victory of season a year ago. Anderson has opened the 2016 season with three victories and only trails his teammate, two-time world champion and current points leader Jason Line, who has appeared in all seven final rounds and has four wins. Others to watch in the 200-mph factory hot rod category are two-time and defending world champion Erica Enders, Bo Butner, Chris McGaha, 2014 top rookie Drew Skillman, 2012 world champ and 2013 New England winner Allen Johnson, five-time world champion Jeg Coughlin, Vincent Nobile, Shane Gray and Alex Laughlin.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand how the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

The event also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, June 3 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, June 4 at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 5.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call (800) 884-NHRA (6472) or visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas with a paid adult. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.

Before heading to New England Dragway, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will make a stop at Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas for the NHRA Kansas Nationals, May 20-22. Keep up with all the NHRA action on FOX Sports 1.

* * *

NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: Fourth annual NHRA New England Nationals, the ninth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Drivers in three categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock – earn points leading to 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The race also will feature competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series.

WHERE: New England Dragway, Epping, N.H., the track is on Route 101 off Exit 8, an hour north of Boston and just 20 minutes from Manchester and the New Hampshire sea coast. From I-95, take Exit 2 in New Hampshire. Travel west on Route 101 to Exit 8, then turn right. From I-93, take Exit 7 in New Hampshire. Travel east on Route 101 to Exit 8, then turn left, and the track is straight ahead. From I-495, take Exit 51-B to Route 125 north. Travel east on Route 101 to Exit 8, then turn left, and the track is straight ahead.

COURSE: Championship drag strip; Track elevation is 90 feet above sea level. Track direction is southwest to northeast.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, June 3-5

SCHEDULE:        

FRIDAY, June 3 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 4:30 and 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, June 4- LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m.

SUNDAY, June 5 – Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:      

FRIDAY, June 3, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at Midnight (ET)

SATURDAY, June 4, FS1 will televise one hour of live qualifying coverage at 2:30 p.m.  (ET)

SATURDAY, June 4, FS1 will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at Midnight (ET)

SUNDAY, June 5, FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 4 p.m. (ET)

2015 EVENT WINNERS: Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel; John Force, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock.

TRACK RECORDS:            

Top Fuel – 3.742 sec. by Tony Schumacher, June ’15; 327.66 mph by Spencer Massey, June ’15.

Funny Car – 3.988 sec. by Robert Hight, June ’14; 323.35 mph Courtney Force, June ’14.

Pro Stock – 6.485 sec. by Shane Gray, June ’14; 214.72 mph by Greg Anderson, June ’15.

NATIONAL RECORDS:    

Top Fuel – 3.680 sec. by Antron Brown, Aug. ’15, Brainerd, Minn.; 332.75 mph by Spencer Massey, Aug. ’15, Brainerd, Minn.

Funny Car – 3.879 sec. by Jack Beckman, March ‘16, Gainesville, Fla.; 331.45 mph by Matt Hagan, Nov. ’15, Pomona, Calif.

Pro Stock – 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.;  215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.

TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also available online at www.NHRA.com/tickets.

Story and photos courtesy of the NHRA