The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads to Pacific Raceways this weekend for the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals, and few teams have more history at the iconic facility than Ron Capps Motorsports.
Ron Capps’ professional career began in Seattle. For Maddi Gordon, this track is where her national profile exploded and where her future in Top Fuel took shape.
Now, as the regular season enters its final three races, both drivers arrive with championship aspirations and plenty of motivation to make another memorable run in the Pacific Northwest.
Ron Capps Returns To The Track That Started It All
Seattle has always occupied a special place in Ron Capps’ racing career.
Long before becoming one of the most accomplished Funny Car drivers in NHRA history, Capps earned his first professional NHRA victory at Pacific Raceways during the 1995 event while competing in Top Fuel. Since then, he has added victories in both Top Fuel and Funny Car at the facility, making Seattle one of the defining stops of his career.
This weekend, Capps arrives leading the Funny Car championship standings for the eighth time in the season’s first 11 races. Although a first-round exit in Sonoma wasn’t the result the NAPA Auto Care team wanted, the quick turnaround gives Capps an opportunity to immediately regain momentum before the Countdown to the Championship begins.
The veteran also enters the weekend looking to improve on last year’s runner-up finish at Pacific Raceways.
“I’ve talked about it before, but this is the time of year that we especially love. Leading into Sonoma coming off a double-up and it being a home track for both of us, we were really looking forward to that event. It’s always disappointing to go out that early on Sunday, and the fact that we both did, just reminds you how tough both of these categories are, Top Fuel and Funny Car. But, the really good thing is, we don’t have to wait long. Just four days and we’re right back at it. For me, Seattle has so much history with my first win there in Top Fuel years ago and then being able to win several times since then.”
A Busy Weekend Beyond Racing
The race itself won’t be the only focus for Capps and his team.
Muckleshoot Casino Resort has become a major supporter of the Northwest Nationals, and the weekend will feature numerous fan and sponsor activities involving NAPA Auto Parts, Carlyle Tools, and Ron Capps Motorsports.
Capps is eager to reconnect with fans while continuing to strengthen relationships with the partners who make the program possible.
“It’s been great that Muckleshoot came on board with NHRA and have now supported this event for the past few years. We’re looking forward to this weekend, not just to get back out there and go rounds, but we’ve got a lot of fun things planned with Muckleshoot and the track. Maddi’s got something exciting in the works on Friday morning, and we have a huge contingent of NAPA and Carlyle guests coming out all weekend, which we always enjoy. So, looking forward to jumping back in my NAPA Funny Car and finishing out these last few races of the regular season strong.”
Maddi Gordon Returns To A Career-Defining Track
Few active drivers have experienced a more life-changing weekend at Pacific Raceways than Maddi Gordon.
Seattle is where Gordon captured her first NHRA national event victory in Top Alcohol Funny Car during the 2024 Northwest Nationals. That milestone also made her the 100th woman to win an NHRA national event, cementing her place in the sport’s history.
One year later, she returned to Seattle and defended her Top Alcohol Funny Car title, further establishing herself as one of the category’s brightest young stars.
The track also played another pivotal role in her career.
It was during the 2024 Northwest Nationals that Gordon first learned Ron Capps wanted her to become the driver of the inaugural Top Fuel entry for Ron Capps Motorsports—a move that accelerated her transition into the NHRA’s premier category.
Now she’s returning to the facility that helped shape her future with an entirely different mission: continuing to build experience in Top Fuel while helping the team prepare for the Countdown.
Looking Ahead Instead Of Looking Back
Like her team owner, Gordon welcomes the quick turnaround between Sonoma and Seattle.
The condensed schedule allows the team to focus entirely on the next opportunity rather than dwelling on the previous race.
“I love back-to-back races because there’s no time to look backwards. All we can do is look forward to the next race, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’ve got Seattle coming up this weekend, and I can’t wait to get up there. Seattle has been really good to my family in the past, so hoping to channel some of that good energy and make it a long and fast weekend.”
The weekend also promises to be one of the busiest of Gordon’s young professional career.
Before climbing into a 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster, she’ll begin Friday with a hot air balloon ride as part of the team’s promotional activities.
“We’re starting off with a NAPA dinner on Thursday night at the Muckleshoot Casino, a wonderful place to stay and eat, and then on Friday, I get to start my day with a hot air balloon ride and then hop into a dragster and go 330-mph that afternoon, so that’s shaping up to be a pretty spectacular day. I’m really looking forward to putting on a good show for Carlyle Tools, NAPA, Monster Energy, and everyone who helps us out. It’s truly a dream to be able to race cars at the level we do, and none of it would be possible without the partners who support us, so we want to make sure we have a successful weekend for them, as well as all the amazing Seattle fans. We’ve got a very loyal fanbase up in the Pacific Northwest and I can’t wait to spend time with them.”
Capps remains locked in a fierce Funny Car title battle, while Gordon continues gaining valuable experience in Top Fuel during her rookie campaign. Both drivers also return to one of the most meaningful tracks of their careers, a venue that has already produced milestone moments for each of them.
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