Team Mopar's Ron Capps repeated as the Funny Car winner of the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., defeating Phil Burkart in the final round. Along with Whit Bazemore's 2005 Gatornationals victory, Mopar HEMI-powered Funny Cars have captured the last three Gatornationals event titles.

Capps qualified third and drove his Brut Revolution Dodge Charger R/T to round wins over Tony Bartone, Tony Pedregon and Kenny Bernstein before dispatching Burkart in the final with a 4.773/323.27 pass. The win was Capps' first of the 2007 season, 23rd of his career and, with Tony Schumacher's HEMI-powered Top Fuel victory, the sixth for Don Schumacher Racing at the Gatornats. Capps, who posted his 500th round of racing at the event, charged into second in the Funny Car point standings, just six points out of the lead.

"This ranks up there with Indy (U.S. Nationals)," said Capps. "I haven't won Indy yet, and last year I told you this was as big as it could ever get for me. And to do it twice, I still can't believe it."

DSR's Gary Scelzi qualified his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T second, but a HEMI vs. HEMI match up against the Monster Energy Lucas Oil Dodge Charger R/T of Bernstein ended in defeat. Scelzi is now fourth in points. The round win was the first for former champ Bernstein since returning to Funny Car competition. He then defeated Eric Medlen to reach the semis before falling to Capps. The third member of the DSR trio, Jack Beckman, failed to qualify his Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T in the tough Funny Car field.

Next up is the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas, March 30-April 1. For more info on the NHRA, log on to nhra.com.

It was the best of times; it was the fastest of times-literally-for Mopar-powered World of Outlaws Sprint car driver Joey Saldana last week. Saldana set a new track record in WoO action at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas, on Friday, then dominated at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss., on Saturday, leading every lap on his way to claiming his second World of Outlaws win of the season.

At Pike County, Saldana, driver of Kasey Kahne Racing's Open Joist-sponsored entry, not only dominated qualifying, but he also won the dash event, which put him on the pole for the 35-lap A-main. On Friday night at Houston Raceway, Saldana followed up his track record run with a fourth-place finish in the A-Main. His outstanding weekend gives Saldana six top-five finishes in the young WoO season, positioning him well in his quest for the series championship.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Series will continue its road trip through America's Deep South, visiting Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., this Saturday and then hauling down the highway to Woodstock, Ga., for a March 31 stop at Dixie Speedway. For more info on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, log on to worldofoutlaws.com.

Veteran driver Larry Morgan drove his Lucas Oil Dodge Stratus R/T to the finals at the NHRA Gatornationals, leading the charge for the large Team Mopar NHRA Pro Stock contingent at the event.

Six Dodge Stratus R/Ts, led by Morgan in the No. 2 spot, qualified for the Pro Stock field in Gainesville, Fla. Morgan knocked off Tom Hammonds, Dave Connolly and Mike Edwards before losing to Greg Anderson in the final. Erica Enders continued to shine and go rounds in her RaceGirl Dodge Stratus R/T, defeating Jason Line before bowing out to Matt Scranton on a holeshot loss. Enders is eighth in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock points standings.

Allen Johnson, driver of the Mopar/J & J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T, qualified ninth, but without lane choice he lost a close opening round match against Jeg Coughlin. The loss came despite Johnson posting a career best speed of 208.65 mph during the race. He also set a career best ET during qualifying with a 6.618-second pass. His teammate Richie Stevens Jr., failed to qualify his Don Schumacher Racing Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T for the event.

"You know, as bad as everything was this weekend," said Johnson, "maybe we learned a lot and it sent us in a little different direction and we'll come out of Houston with a lot of gusto." Next up for Team Mopar is the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas, March 30-April 1. For more info, log on to nhra.com.

Dodging rain showers all week, the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe contingent at Sebring, Fla., for the inaugural SPEED World Challenge race of 2007 was keyed by the No. 5 Mopar Autohaus Motorsports Comp Coupe of Tommy Archer, who scored an eighth place finish. Archer was followed by Brian Smith in the No. 13 Woodhouse Auto Family Comp Coupe, who took the ninth spot.

"Our performance was a combination of things," Archer said. "The Comp Coupes were running well, but the SCCA is always interested in keeping these races competitive, so they put a restrictor on our engine and added 100 pounds to our weight. It's difficult to overcome those disadvantages."

A bright spot for the Comp Coupes was the performance of rookies Jason Daskalos and Jeff Robbins. Daskalos, who qualified 17th, made a strong run in his No. 05 Daskalos Development Comp Coupe, moving up to ninth-place before a last lap bobble cost him a top 10 finish. Robbins, in his No. 6 RSIG Security Comp Coupe, was excited and pleased to make it through his first SPEED World Challenge race.

"It was an exciting experience and with my teammates, Tommy Archer and Brett Pearson, giving me so much help, I'm sure we're going to do a lot better in the future," said Robbins. For more info on the SPEED World Challenge series, log on to world-challenge.com.

Mopar sponsored the induction ceremony of the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, which took place on Thursday at the Paramount Plaza Resort in Gainesville, Fla. The ceremony, hosted by the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, saw the Hall induct 11 new members.

Team Mopar inductees at the dinner, the 16th year that Mopar has sponsored the ceremony, included Team Mopar owner Don Schumacher as well as Funny Car and Top Fuel champ, and current Team Mopar Funny Car driver, Kenny Bernstein. The Hall of Fame ceremony also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 392 HEMI engine, which was a mainstay of top fuel drag racing for two decades and remains one of the most venerated drag race engines today.

For more info on the event, log on to garlits.com.

The well-known Hoffman family didn't get to be one of the most successful dynasties in the history of the United States Auto Club (USAC) by choosing slow drivers. Since Gus Hoffman founded what is now known as Hoffman Auto Racing in 1929, the team has earned an incredible eight USAC Sprint Car championships, and the team's chauffeurs have included legends like Eddie Sachs and Don Branson, and more recent USAC heroes like Mike Bliss, Ryan Newman, Dave Darland and Tracy Hines.

So when the clan needed a driver to pair with Jerry Coons Jr., in steering its Mopar-powered entries in the 2007 USAC National Sprint Car series (with Coons running the dirt tracks and his teammate running the asphalt events), the Hoffmans aimed high, as always. They hired Dave Steele, regarded by many as the premier pavement driver in open-wheel short-track racing today.

The 32-year-old Steele has won 26 career USAC Sprint Car features, two Silver Crown championships and has recorded a number of USAC National Midget Car triumphs. He belongs to an elite list of drivers who can claim better than 50 career victories in USAC's three national divisions.

A past member of Team Mopar, Steele claimed four Midget Car wins and two Silver Crown victories in 2006. His stint with the Hoffman Sprint Car begins on April 15 at Indiana's Anderson Speedway. Insiders are rubbing their hands with anticipation over the prospects of it all: a motivated Dave Steele in a Hoffman Sprinter? Sounds like a combination to be feared.