Ron Capps Motorsports Carries Championship Momentum Into Home-State NHRA Sonoma Nationals

The second half of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season begins this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, and few teams have more momentum than Ron Capps Motorsports.

Fresh off the organization’s first-ever nitro sweep at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ron Capps and Maddi Gordon arrive in Northern California with championship aspirations, hometown support, and an opportunity to continue building on one of the strongest stretches in team history.

For Capps, Sonoma has always been more than another stop on the NHRA schedule. Growing up in California’s Central Coast, the three-time Funny Car world champion considers Sonoma Raceway one of his home tracks. With family, friends, sponsors, and longtime supporters expected to fill the grandstands, the weekend carries extra significance.

“This is what I consider to be my favorite part of the season, when we travel west,” Capps said. “Sonoma being the closest track to where I grew up in the Central Coast of California, which is also the closest track to where Maddi grew up in Paso Robles, so we’ll definitely have a large group of friends and family out this weekend, and she’s going to understand a little more of the home track feel. It’s always been one of my favorite places – the RV, the family, the barbecues at night, staying at the track; a lot of fantastic memories. And then the chance of winning that race when you have so many family and friends there, which I’ve been lucky enough to do four times.”

Capps enters Sonoma as the Funny Car points leader, a position he has held seven times through the first 10 races of the season, including each of the last five events dating back to Chicago. He’s also the only Funny Car driver with three victories in 2026, further solidifying himself as the championship favorite entering the second half of the season.

That consistency has been the hallmark of the fifth-year Ron Capps Motorsports operation. The breakthrough came in Norwalk, where both Capps and Gordon celebrated victories, marking the first nitro double-up in team history since expanding to a two-car operation earlier this year.

Now, the focus shifts to carrying that momentum into one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA tour.

“Obviously, a lot of momentum coming off the big win with both cars,” Capps said. “Echlin is going to be on the side of the car this weekend, and we love when we get to showcase great products that are sold in NAPA Auto Parts stores. And on top of that, we’re leading the Mission Foods Funny Car points. We’re going to try and extend that by having another great weekend. Friday night is one of the best sessions we see on tour. We’ve got a great NAPA race car, and Guido is getting more comfortable with how it’s reacting, and that’s a good thing. You want to get your stride pretty straight and hit it in July and August, so we’re looking forward to trying to do that.”

For Sonoma, Capps’ Toyota GR Supra will spotlight NAPA Echlin, the premier professional engine management brand in the automotive aftermarket. With more than a century of experience, NAPA Echlin manufactures and distributes more than 60,000 engine management products, including ignition components, sensors, switches, fuel-system parts, and computerized engine controls.

While Capps leads the Funny Car championship, Gordon enters Sonoma riding the biggest moment of her young professional career.

Just two weeks ago, the rookie Top Fuel standout captured her first NHRA national event victory in Norwalk, defeating Antron Brown in the final round while helping complete Ron Capps Motorsports’ historic weekend. Rather than immediately jumping back into competition, Gordon was able to enjoy the milestone during the NHRA’s brief summer break before returning to one of her favorite facilities.

As a lifelong resident of Paso Robles, Sonoma Raceway has always felt like home.

“What a crazy couple of weeks it’s been in the Gordon household, but crazy in the best way possible,” Gordon said. “I’m very grateful we had these few weeks to really be able to soak in the win to the fullest extent, and I’m glad the team was able to enjoy the break from traveling and celebrate with their families as well. I’ve been on cloud nine, but even still, I’ve been itching to get back to the track. The race track is my happy place; it’s my element and where I feel at home.

“I can’t wait to get back into my Carlyle Tools dragster and make some fast passes, especially since we’re headed to Sonoma, which is one of my home tracks. We’ll have a lot of friends and family out there this weekend. My sister will be competing in Super Comp and Top Dragster. This is one of two races where we’ll be racing at the same national event, so I can’t wait to support her, support my family, and get back to one of the fastest tracks on tour.”

Gordon will also compete in Saturday’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, giving her another opportunity to collect bonus championship points before eliminations begin on Sunday.

Like Capps, she’ll also carry Russian River Brewing Company branding on her Carlyle Tools/Monster Energy dragster as part of a special collaboration that includes appearances by both drivers at the brewery’s Windsor, California, facility before the race weekend.

“The Friday night nitro session under the Sonoma Raceway lights is legendary, and I’m excited to be a part of it this year,” Gordon continued. “It’s going to be a big weekend for Carlyle Tools and NAPA Auto Parts, and we’ve also got some folks coming out from Monster Energy. I just cannot wait to get back out there this weekend and strap back into our mean green hot rod.”

With championship leads to protect, hometown crowds cheering them on, and the confidence that comes from sweeping the previous national event, Ron Capps Motorsports heads to Sonoma Raceway positioned exactly where every team hopes to be entering the stretch run. Now the challenge is turning that momentum into another weekend of winning on one of NHRA’s fastest and most iconic tracks.