RON CAPPS & MADDI GORDON
While adding a new Top Fuel team to the operation could’ ve been a distraction, Capps and crew chief Dean“ Guido” Antonelli have remained focused on the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car, earning three wins in the first 10 races of 2026. pressure of such a role as well as the potential for danger. Maddi felt ready, but later, when she was fully suited up with her hands on the steering wheel as her seat was being poured, she quietly questioned whether she could do it, whether it was something she truly wanted.
In true Maddi fashion, she answered her own question with an emphatic,“ Of course!”
It was what she’ d been building for all along, and what she learned in the Jr. ranks, Super Comp, and in the alcohol Funny Car became foundational to her future in Top Fuel, a future she hadn’ t yet considered.
“ It all helped me with the natural‘ seat of the pants’ driving. It’ s just gnarly driving a shortwheel-based car with so much horsepower, shifting, and trying to drive when the thing doesn’ t want to go straight,” she told this writer in a 2024 interview.
Her continuing education was strenuous as the alcohol car proved to be a tremendous challenge, and at times, those challenges were disheartening. Once when attempting to pedal the car in competition, she missed the shift and the engine detonated. Maddi was admittedly devastated, grasping the financial blow of the error and feeling fully responsible.
“ I had never cost my family that much money in my life,” she recalled.“ I worked for our family company at the time, and I knew how many cabinets I had to sell to make up for it— and it was a lot. I was so frustrated with myself, so mad. I was like, man, can I even do this? It’ s moments
like that when you persevere and then come back and do better. It makes you a stronger driver.”
Before she even stepped into the alcohol car, though, Maddi was actively watching and learning. She was dedicated to reviewing the GoPro videos set up on the car when her dad was driving. Over and over, she watched, intently learning the moves of not just the straight and true passes, but those marked by the unexpected.
Transitioning to the Top Fuel car, with the memory of the spectacularly hurtful result of the misstep in the alcohol car probably still lodged in her mind, Maddi was anxious about having to pedal when it became necessary. The first opportunity came in the second round of the New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire, next to Leah Pruett. Disappointed that she had waited too long and lost the chance to recover, Maddi vowed to study the footage until she fully understood what she’ d done wrong.
In a conversation with Capps, she was down, but he was reassuring.
“ I said,‘ You have a great feel for the car; you’ re going to be fine,’” Capps recounted, with Maddi by his side.“ I explained that it’ s just going to happen, your foot will do it, and you’ re going to be about 300 feet under power and you’ re going to go,‘ Holy crap, I just pedaled it.’”
Maddi chimed in,“ And that’ s literally exactly what happened.”
In Norwalk, strapped into the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car ahead of his own semifinal round, Capps heard Maddi pedal to get the round
win over championship contender Shawn Langdon. Dean“ Guido” Antonelli, Capps’ s longtime crew chief, leaned in with the news.
“ He said,‘ Dude, she caught that so quick.’ I was really proud. Now that she’ s got that out of the way, just let it build,” said Capps.“ We’ ll see what happens.”
PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
■ A great team owner willing to take big risks. A driver clearly born for the role. The backing of great partners. These are all important pieces of a many-thousand-piece puzzle, and none can be missing if there is to be a complete picture. Capps thoughtfully selected Maddi to drive the Ron Capps Motorsports Top Fuel dragster and clicked that first piece into place, and the crew was just as carefully chosen.
Rob Flynn was appointed as crew chief and lead tuner, with Troy Fasching as assistant crew chief and Chuck Grospitch as car chief.
Capps had worked with Flynn while driving for Prudhomme and was impressed by the way he led a team, and he was well aware of Flynn’ s 30-plus-year track record. His tenure included working with heavy hitters and world champions such as Doug Kalitta, Langdon, Tony Schumacher, Pruett, and Scrappers Racing. With the Scrappers team, Flynn tuned Mike Salinas to the
92 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 202