Third-generation Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Maddi Gordon completed a dream weekend at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in early April. After months of rumors and hints, three-time NHRA Funny Car world champion driver and team owner Ron Capps announced in a pre-race press conference that Gordon will drive a Top Fuel dragster for his Ron Capps Motorsports team in 2026. Gordon, who finished second in the national points standings in her Top Alcohol Funny Car rookie season last year, bookended the event by driving her family’ s Beta Motorcycles Chevy Camaro to the winner’ s circle. It was Gordon’ s second national event win, and it likely won’ t be her last before trading the methanol-burning Funny Car for a nitro-burning dragster. Gordon, a past DI 30 Under 30 honoree and 2024 DI Women of Power Issue cover star, continues to prove that she has a bright future in the sport while also earning this issue’ s PEAK Performer title.

Photograph by Rick Belden