Capps and TJ are both Countdown contenders, so one of these teammates will take an early hit in the championship chase. Capps has a 13-6 record against Johnson in prior events, but that narrows to 5-4 in round one faceoffs.

TJ inadvertently lit both staging lights at the same time, so his crew chief could not make last-second changes before he staged. Might have been a factor, might not because it was a great drag race, side-by-side all the way down the track.

Ron Capps' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.003), 330 ft(-0.004), 660ft(0.003). MOV: 0.0111 seconds (approximately 5 feet).