Capps Fined $10,000 a Bit Excessive
Written by David Lamm · May 11, 2006
Many people ask me ‘Why isn’t the NHRA as popular as NASCAR?’. Typically I tell them ‘NASCAR has done a better job of marketing the drivers and the natural rivalries’. So whether you agree with it or not, the NHRA has levied a $10,000 fine against Funny Car driver Ron Capps for an incident that occurred in Atlanta that reportedly resulted in Whit Bazemore receiving stitches for a busted lip.
CompetitionPlus.com: News & Dirt
Nitromater.com: Capps punches Whit?
NHRA.com: NHRA fines Funny Car racer Capps $10K for Atlanta incident
Like a scene out of the classic TV show ‘Dragnet’, here are the facts ma’am. Some sort of an altercation happened in Atlanta on Saturday between Don Schumacher Racing teammates Ron Capps and Whit Bazemore. The incident was severe enough that the NHRA deemed it necessary to levy a $10,000 fine against Capps for his actions. The details of what exactly transpired during the incident are still fuzzy seeing how the ESPN2 cameras did not capture it and it occurred back in the Don Schumacher pit area.
The best recap of what transpired can be found at Competitionplus.com. In a nutshell this incident finally came to a head in Atlanta but started smoldering in Gainesville, Fla. and heated up in Bristol, Tenn. Apparently Bazemore took the reaction Capps had to gaining lane choice over John Force in the final at Bristol as Capps celebrating that Bazemore was beaten by John Force. (I am not sure why Whit was so worked up about losing to Force in the first place. John holds a 42-10 win/loss record against Bazemore. It is not like losing to Force is a new occurrence for him.) In Atlanta the situation came to a head when Capps was already out of his Funny Car at the top end and the track side video screen showed Bazemore drove a bit too close for Capps’ comfort. The discussion started at the top end of the race track and apparently ended back in the Don Schumacher Racing pit area. Capps allegedly punched Bazemore in the mouth resulting in Bazemore needing three stitches.
Obviously I was not there and did not witness all of this. This is what I have gathered from other media sources and most seem to be coming up with the same story. Capps even issued a statement through his publicist expressing his disappointment with the fine but did not acknowledge as to what his actions were to receive such a hefty fine. This all begs the question, why does the NHRA feel it necessary to levy a fine for this?
We are all in agreement that NASCAR dominates the motor sports landscape. We all agree that we have seen the fist fights and the helmet throwing incidents and even flipping the bird at other drivers either on the track or in the pits. So why is the NHRA who is desperately in need of some national exposure trying to sweep this under the rug? USA Today had a great article on this very subject. The article suggests that more on track incidents are happening in Nextel Cup because the drivers are not allowed to settle their disputes while in the pits. That adds drama to the sports and bring in fans. I am sure the NHRA will take the high road and say it wants to gain fans by offering them tight competition and fast racing but that does not do it along. Any movie you watch or any sport you watch has good versus evil. A classic example is the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The fact that both teams’ fans do not like each other only adds to the drama. Think a three game series with the Kansas City Royals in June will get the Yankee fans as fired up as the same weekend series up in Boston? I doubt it. Rivalries make sports great and drag racing should be no different. The casual fan may have started watching NASCAR because they wanted to see a 12-car pile up. It’s a sad commentary on today’s society but we all know it is true. We all have friends that cite the crashes for getting them to start watching racing. It was the rivalries and the characters of the drivers that turned the casual fan that is only interested in ‘The Big One’ at Talladega into an avid fan that buys a Little E coffee mug.
The fine on Capps was a bit excessive in my opinion and it looks as if the NHRA wants to send a statement of zero tolerance. I can understand the NHRA’s position of trying to portray itself on the up and up but that needs to be tempered with some extra incentive for fans to tune in. I am not suggesting orchestrating fights or making up drama like professional wrestling. Allow it to unfold in the heat of competition and not be afraid to capitalize on it. Racing is an emotional sport and in drag racing that is magnified. The emotions run the gamut in under five seconds and therefore can boil over to the top end or back at the hauler. This was an issue that was between teammates that occurred away from the racing surface and away from the prying eyes of the fans in the pits. The NHRA should have handed down a lesser fine publicly and privately smiled as the ESPN2 ratings for their next race double in two weeks.
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11 Responses to “Capps Fined $10,000 a Bit Excessive”
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I agree and also don’t get the fine, since it looks to be in the pits away from the racetrack. Arguments are not uncommon in drag racing though I have to say there’s not a sport with more camaraderie, at least that I’ve seen (& I’ve been around all types).
Is the NHRA trying to get free press with this? Maybe. This hasn’t been their style. It’s childish, but does anyone is drag racing really blame Ron or not understand how Whit could cause someone to belt him - probably half the guys in the pits would have liked to.
I think the fine is ridicuious. It was Whit who was jumping to conclusions and didn’t bother to get Ron’s side of the story - as usual Whit lays the blame for his short-comings on someone else. This prima donna has been asking to be “popped” by any number of guys. All NHRA fans should send Ron Capps a check for a long overdue service.
Bazemore has had this coming for sometime. He has had many run-ins with both NHRA, and fans alike. Lee Beard should have decked him last season. Nitwhit Blazemore is nothing more than a spoiled crybaby who as far as I am concerned is just a waste of time and money.
Whit the Twit finally ran into someone who didn’t take his BS. I have disliked Bazemore since he drove the Smoking Joe Camel car. Early 90’s I’d say. And it was all over a “Hello Whit, My wife sure likes your car” in the pits at SIR in Kent, WA. Hos retort was quite unprofessional for a person in the publics eye. I applaud Capps and would like an address to send my contribution to help defray his fine.
$10K to smack Bazemore,that’s sounds like a bargin to us ,Is there a waiting list we have to get on ? Put my wife and I down for 1 poke each.
Good thing ESPN didn’t film it, They gave that shove that Millican gave Hubert and Force getting in Beards face more air time than the last Tyson fight.
$10K to smack Bazemore,that’s sounds like a bargin to us ,Is there a waiting list we have to get on ? Put my wife and I down for 1 poke each.
Good thing ESPN didn’t film it, They gave that shove that Millican gave Hubert and Force getting in Beards face more air time than the last Tyson fight.
Ron Capps gives new meaning to the phrase ‘Track Smack’. Hopefully the found a bandaid big enough to cover Bazemore’s mouth as well. Bazemore is more irritating then a pair of wool pants on a hot sticky day. I’ll bet there is a ‘punch bowl’ going around between the other drivers to help cover Ron’s fine.
Twit Blazemore has had it coming for a long time. I love drag racing and have been going to races since 1964 and never have I ever disliked someone as much as him. Keep up the good work Ron!
I thought that when Whitney became a father, he might start acting like a man and stop crying about Force this or that. His non stop crying really made me and other NHRA fans I know dislike the man. Nobody likes a crybaby.
Now as this Capps incident was undoubtedly Force related, he gets hit in his big mouth. Good for him, too bad he didn’t have to have his jaw wired shut, it would give everyone some relief for a spell.
Though thought to be excessive, the NHRA “pits” are still part of the sanctioned track. If it was such a non public event, how did so many people find out and talk about it so quickly? The idea that we should let boys be boys, shows the mentality of the boys involved in the conversation. A little history lesson for you “die hard fans” many people in the sport have been fined or suspended for performing acts less severe. To ignore it would make NHRA look like they condone the violence, not too pleasing to a youth oriented sport. How about we have some of those Jr. Dragster kids smack each other around? When in the lime light your actions must be congruent, there are reasons that drivers like Capps, Force and others can be deemed as role models, this clearly isn’t one of them.
Whit has needed this for years. anyone that has ever talked to Ron and tried to talk to Whit, knows that Ron had to be pushed real far before this happened . Where do we send the money to help pay Ron’s fine ?