Ron Capps tops qualifying in NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:06 p.m. ET

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BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) Ron Capps raced to the Funny Car qualifying lead Friday in the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

Capps powered his Dodge Charger R/T to the provisional top spot with a track-record 3.880-second pass at 323.66 mph. Capps is coming off victories as the No. 1 qualifier in New Hampshire and New Jersey. He has 20 top qualifiers in his career and is a three-time Thunder Valley winner.

''It's been great, but let's not get carried away,'' said Capps, the Funny Car points leader. ''You're going to a different track and you hope that you can keep it up. As a driver, you hope that your crew and crew chief can keep it up because it's been so much fun. We had an issue in the first run today and it put us back a little bit. I shut it off a little early and it could've been worse, but they bounced back. That (second run) was breathtaking.''

Steve Torrence led in Top Fuel, and Jason Line topped the Pro Stock field.

Torrence, who has appeared in the last two final rounds and sprinted to victory last weekend in New Jersey, had a 3.745 at 324.12. Torrence has five top qualifiers in 2016 and 10 in his career. The 2013 Bristol winner has two wins this season.

Line took the lead with a 6.680 at 206.92 in a Chevrolet Camaro.