RON CAPPS & MADDI GORDON celebrity for now 22-year-old Rookie of the Year front-runner Gordon. Following back-to-back semifinals performances to begin her Top Fuel career, members of the media began calling her“ Maddi the Baddi,” and noting an ever-growing and audibly enthusiastic fan base, the term“ Maddi Mania” surfaced and stuck. Some even christened her“ the next John Force,” referencing the dynamic, passionate characteristics of the sport’ s most recognized, winning, and celebrated driver. The accolades were plentiful if not excessive, and so much so soon had the potential to sink someone so new to the deep end.
Mentor and team owner Capps, however, was intent on keeping the budding nitro pilot grounded as she learned the ropes of not only driving a ferocious Top Fuel dragster for the first time, but also representing one of the most longstanding NHRA partners in history, NAPA Auto Parts, via their private label Carlyle Tools brand. On the NHRA stage at PRI last December, Capps described the gravity of approaching Maddi’ s parents about recruiting her to drive his team’ s second car. He later said it was akin to asking for a hand in marriage, and he clearly took to heart the responsibility of helping their child and his protégé learn to navigate a highly competitive, sometimes less-than-friendly space under a very bright spotlight.
“ All the nicknames, and I’ m sure a lot of people thought T-shirts were coming right away with‘ Maddi the Baddi’ on it, but I said no. I didn’ t want the undue pressure that would have put on her,” said Capps after their spectacular Sunday in Norwalk.“ She’ s definitely earned it, and she would be fine. She’ s got big shoulders. But just— when the time is right. It was important to me to let that build and let her show what she could do.”
But even three-time world champion Capps— a widely respected, steady-handed veteran who himself had been mentored by the coolest of cool, NHRA legend Don“ The Snake” Prudhomme— couldn’ t restrain the frenzy. Well before it became public knowledge that Maddi would transition to Top Fuel, fanfare had begun to surge as she took over the reins of her father’ s Top Alcohol Funny Car and immediately fell into battle for the championship.
Expectations were certainly high as Doug had claimed three championships( including backto-back in 2022 and 2023) in the family’ s fast and reliable car, but no one expected his daughter to jump into one of the trickier models of race machines and find comfort so quickly. Early whispers of her natural ability in a wily alcohol Funny Car grew louder as Maddi reached the final round in her first regional outing in Phoenix and followed up with another final at the NHRA national event in Las Vegas two months later. Three weeks after that( to no one’ s surprise, by that point) Maddi had her first NHRA Wally in hand at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series regional race in Indianapolis. The rest of her first season as a full-time Top Alcohol Funny Car racer was a flurry of final rounds and even more triumphs, highlighted by a victory at Seattle’ s Pacific Raceways that crowned her the 100th female in NHRA history to win a national event.
Capps, the textbook definition of a professional drag racer, took the next step in his career as a team owner when he added a second car to his Ron Capps Motorsports operation. He’ s also been named to multiple halls of fame this season.
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