RAPID CITY, S.D. — NHRA Funny Car champion and longtime professional racer Ron Capps made a stop in Rapid City on Friday, meeting with fans and signing autographs during a visit to NAPA Auto Parts – Parts One on Haines Avenue.

Capps said visits to the Black Hills have become something of a tradition for him. He has traveled to the area for Kool Deadwood Nites for roughly the past eight or nine years, although his racing schedule prevented him from attending the event this year. Instead, the trip gave him an opportunity to spend time with local NAPA representatives and racing fans. “We have the best fans in the world and a lot of them here in Rapid City and this whole area,” Capps said. “I love coming out here.”

It was a short trip to South Dakota for Capps, who arrived Thursday night and planned to fly out Friday evening. During previous visits, he has spent more time in the Black Hills and stayed with longtime friend and artist Scott Jacobs and his family in Deadwood.

For Capps, racing has been part of his life since before he can remember. His father raced on weekends, introducing him to the sport at an early age. While his father did not race professionally, Capps eventually turned the family passion into a career and has now been racing professionally for about 30 years.

Capps has also spent the past five years as a team owner, a role he said he never expected to have. That experience has changed some of the advice he gives children who hope to someday make a career in motorsports.

“Study your math,” Capps said. “I know we all hated math when we were younger, but now, as a team owner, everything I do is math-related. Everything you do in racing is math. It’s lap times, it’s miles per hour. They’re all numbers.” He also pointed young racers toward NHRA’s junior dragster program, which gives children an opportunity to get involved in drag racing. Capps said he met several young racers involved with the program during his visit to the area.

Capps and his racing team are preparing for the next stretch of the NHRA season. He said the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis will be the next major stop, followed by a six-race championship playoff that will conclude in Pomona, California, in November. The team also includes 22-year-old driver Maddi Gordon, who Capps said is driving the Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster.

During his Rapid City appearance, Capps spent time taking pictures and signing autographs for a line of fans. The event also included food, giveaways and prizes.

Fans who could not make it to see him can follow Capps, Gordon, NAPA Auto Parts and Carlyle Tools through their social media accounts. Capps said fans can also follow the upcoming championship run on Fox Sports and FS1 as his team attempts to add another trophy to its collection.