Capps, Torrence, Anderson, And Gadson Conquer Thunder Valley

Mother nature and tricky track conditions threw several curveballs at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors at the 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. However, that didn’t stop the racers from making history and putting on a great show for the fans who stayed to see the action at Bristol Dragway.

Ron Capps etched his name deep into the history books at Bristol Dragway by claiming his record-breaking eighth career win at the track. This was also a big win for Capps and his NAPA team as it ended a 33-race winless streak with a victory over Paul Lee in the final round of the 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Capps delivered his best performance of the weekend in the final round with a 3.957-second run at 328.06 mph on a tricky Bristol Dragway surface. Capps’ path to victory included wins over Matt Hagan, J.R. Todd, and Dave Richards. His triumph in Thunder Valley was his third in the past four years at the scenic track, breaking a drought that dated back to his last win at Indianapolis in 2023.

“We’re a single car team, and we can’t lean on other teams so it’s been a little more difficult,” Capps said. “Even when we were struggling, I never once questioned Guido [crew chief Dean Antonelli]. I just knew we had to get better, and we stuck with the plan.

“I knew we’d have times when we’d struggle, but as an owner I’ve watched it and tried to handle it a certain way. This is a grueling track. To win more here more times than John Force says a lot. I’ve known for a long time that I’ll be No. 2 to John Force in everything but to have eight wins here is awesome. To win so many times at a track that is so demanding on a driver and crew chiefs, it makes you feel like you’ve won a championship.”

Paul Lee, who has reached three final rounds this season and fell to Capps in the final moved into second in the points standings behind Austin Prock.

In Top Fuel, four-time world champion Steve Torrence scored his first victory after being shut out of the winner’s circle for almost a year, defeating Justin Ashley in the final with a 4.022 at 325.37 mph. Torrence overcame a challenging start to the season and a competitive semifinal battle with points leader Tony Stewart — winning by just .002 seconds — to reach his 56th career victory.

“First and foremost, this is the week before Father’s Day and I have two beautiful girls, so that’s really special to me,” Torrence said. “My little girl was born in 2021 and that was kind of the end of our reign, and I didn’t want her to think that I used to be good.

“This was a tough day. The conditions were really tricky and I knew I had to be consistent and do my job. I haven’t won since Seattle. We’re trying to get better and make a better mouse trap, but you stay with girl you brought to the dance. That’s the deal with [crew chief] Richard Hogan and Bobby Lagana. That’s a testament to their ability to read the track.”

Ashley reached his third final of the season, but remains second in the standings, while Stewart kept the points lead despite his semifinal loss.

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson celebrated a career milestone by earning his 1,000th round win in the semifinals, and followed that up with his 110th career victory by defeating teammate Dallas Glenn in the final with a class-best 6.623 at 205.91 mph. Anderson became only the second driver in NHRA history, joining John Force, to reach 1,000 round wins.

“This is pretty magical. I think I could call it a day and ride off into the sunset but I’m having too much damn fun right now. Our team is firing on all eight cylinders and it’s been fun,” Anderson said.

“I had no idea, we were [approaching 1,000 rounds]. I had no earthly idea. That’s a crazy number but I don’t think that way. I just think about that race. I don’t plan for the future. I just want to win that race. Getting 1,000 round wins is big but if I had lost the final this would have lost a bit of luster. I guess I’m overachieving because this is beyond anything I could ever imagine. I also love racing in Bristol. Thunder Valley is so much fun.

“This track has a lot of personality. The bottom line is you need challenges. My team seems to love them. The taller the challenge, the more they rise.”

Glenn, the event’s top qualifier, reached his sixth final in seven races this season but went red in the final round. The final round appearance allowed Glenn to stay second in the points behind Anderson.

Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Richard Gadson broke through for his first career NHRA victory by defeating teammate and points leader Gaige Herrera in the final round. Gadson used a holeshot with a 6.884 at 196.30 mph to defeat Herrera’s quicker 6.882.

“The first thing is I’m exhausted. This has been hands down the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done I always knew I could do it. I really needed to win this for me,” Gadson said.

“I’m just not used to some of the mistakes I’ve made. I had to dig deep and remind myself of what I’m capable of. In some ways I feel like ‘Mr. Almost.’ I almost win. I almost won the Rookie of the Year, but not today. I just needed to make sure I did everything right on my end. Today, the motorcycle is not an excuse. We have three of them, and they’re all really good.”

Herrera reached his third final of the season and retained the championship points lead.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues June 20–22 with the fifth annual American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Va. Due to the persistent weather issues, all of the remaining Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series racing was moved to the JEGS SPORTSnationals at SGMP.