NHRA ROOKIE SENSATION MADDI GORDON ROLLS TO FIRST TOP FUEL WIN IN NORWALK

NORWALK, Ohio, June 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- It was a dream weekend for 22-year-old NHRA Top Fuel star Maddi Gordon, as the rookie sensation picked up her first career professional victory on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park, defeating Antron Brown in the final round of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Gordon, a Paso Robles, Calif. native, won in just her 10th professional start in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, going 3.786-seconds at 333.16 mph in her 12,000-horsepower Carlyle Tools dragster to power past Brown in the final round.

Brown left first on the starting line, but Gordon quickly tracked him down to get the victory, finishing off a memorable day. Her boss, Ron Capps Motorsports team owner Ron Capps, picked up his 80th career Funny Car win, as the three-time world champion and current points leader defeated Jack Beckman in the final round to give the team its first-ever Top Fuel and Funny Car sweep.

Gordon's father, Doug, also won in the sportsman ranks on Sunday, culminating in the biggest weekend of her young career.

"It literally doesn't get any better than this," Gordon said. "I remember backing up from the burnout, and I wanted that win so bad, so bad. For my dad to win, and then Ron to win, it's like the pressure is on, right? I'm just so grateful for this opportunity. This is truly the best day of my life.

"They say people usually stick out an arm or a leg for you; well, Ron catapulted out of a cannon for me. He believed in me. He could have thrown any driver in there, but he chose me, and I'm forever grateful for this opportunity. Never in my life did I think I would be driving a Top Fuel dragster, but Ron made what felt like the impossible become a reality. He changed my life in every way except for where I live."

To reach her first career final round, Gordon defeated Spencer Massey, racing legend Tony Stewart and Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon, who had previously advanced to six straight final rounds. Gordon became the eighth female in NHRA history to win in Top Fuel and moved to fourth in points in her debut season.

It also continues Gordon's rapid ascent after being named as the driver of Capps Top Fuel dragster a year ago. Gordon, who became NHRA's 100th different female winner with her sportsman victory in 2024, has impressed at every turn, advancing to the semifinals in her first two starts.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action July 17-19 with the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge at Sonoma Raceway.

About NHRA
NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA's Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA's streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

SOURCE NHRA