Funny Car champ Ron Capps gets third win at NHRA Northwest Nationals

KENT — Defending Funny Car world champion Ron Capps captured to his third win in the NHRA Challenge bonus race Saturday, defeating J.R. Todd in the final round at Pacific Raceways as part of the 34th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.

In the NHRA Challenge, Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the bonus event. Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each qualified No. 1 at the 11th of 21 races during the NHRA Drag Racing Series season.

Capps went 3.951 seconds at 322.65 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Toyota GR Supra to slip past Todd’s run of 3.967 at 323.81, giving the back-to-back world champ his third specialty event win in the past four races.

Force put on an impressive show to close out qualifying, jumping to the No. 1 spot for the first time this season with a run of 3.915 at 327.35 in his 11,000-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro SS. It’s also the 166th career No. 1 qualifier for the 16-time world champ as he looks to win at Pacific Raceways for a 10th time. Bob Tasca III took second with a 3.949 at 322.81 and Capps qualified third.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, the day belonged to Herrera, as the current points leader won the NHRA Challenge and qualified No. 1 in the category’s first appearance at Pacific Raceways

Eliminations for the NHRA Northwest Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday at Pacific Raceways. It will be broadcast at 1 p.m. on Ch. 13.

Golf

• Joshua Koo of Cerritos, Calif. defeated Ben Borgida of Shoreline 1-up in the 36-hole final match to win the 121st Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur Championship, held this week at Chambers Bay in University Place.

Minors

• Heliot Ramos homered in the bottom of the ninth inng as the Sacramento River Cats walked off with a 3-2 win vs. the Rainiers.

• Jimmy Joyce gave up a run on three hits over seven innings as Everett beat visiting Tri-City 3-1.