“ I remember being in the Pomona Raceway grandstands as a kid and watching guys like Joe Amato and Gary Ormsby line up in the final round years ago here , and to be doing this myself and to now have a second championship , I can ’ t say enough .” - RON CAPPS

TUNED UP : Tuner Josh Ledford leans over to give Paul Gargus the signal to roll forward in Scott Tidwell ’ s turbocharged ‘ 68 Camaro for a final qualifying pass at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals . Gargus ended up reaching the final round in Pro 275 , falling to Manny Buginga .

THE MOMENT : Media members , including NHRA on FOX reporter Bruno Massel ( left ), surround Ron Capps and team owner Don Schumacher just moments after Capps secured his second NHRA Funny Car world championship .

SHADES ON : NHRA Funny Car veteran Cruz Pedregon stands by to go on stage for driver introductions at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex , where he qualified third and reached the semifinals .

SELFIE TIME : David Freiburger ( right ), host of numerous Motor Trend programs , stops to snap a selfie with a fan in the pits at the NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona , California .

THE CHAMP IS HERE : Texan Fuel Altered wheelman Keith Zimmerer appears calm as he hangs out in his pit area at the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association ( OFAA ) World Finals at Alamo City Motorplex . Zimmerer ended up clinching the OFAA world championship in his Will Hanna-tuned entry , while Hanna earned Crew Chief of the Year honors .

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TARA BOWKER , CHRIS SEARS , JOE MCHUGH , DAVID BEITLER , DAVID HILNER , AND PHIL HUTCHISON

50 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 173