Capps notches seventh victory of season

Three of NHRA’s Sunday race winners in Reading, Pa., are now series points leaders as the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to its final four events of the season.

Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Bo Butner (Pro Stock) retook the points lead in their respective classes while Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) strengthened his lead in the Dodge Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Capps won his seventh race of the season and the 57th of his career by beating Courtney Force in the finals. Capps’ pass was 3.968 seconds at 326.48 mph while Force ran 3.993 and 311.70. Force remains winless this season.

Butner’s victory came at the expense of Greg Anderson. Butner now has four career wins — all this season — and won this one as the No. 1 qualifier. His pass was 6.613 seconds (at 209.95 mph) to Anderson’s 6.660 seconds (206.95 mph).

Krawiec defeated LE Tonglet for his fifth win of the season and the third in succession.

Brittany Force won her first Top Fuel race since the stop in Epping, N.H., in June. In her third straight finals appearance at this venue, Force beat Steve Torrence after dispatching reigning series champion Antron Brown. Force’s pass was clocked at 3.756 seconds at 326.24 mph.

NHRA heads to Gateway Motorsports Park next weekend for the third of six Countdown races.