Capps Offered to Give Up Funny Car Seat for Rookie Gordon

Three-time NHRA Funny Car champion praises young driver's talent as sponsorship secures her Top Fuel debut.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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Three-time NHRA Funny Car champion Ron Capps says if Carlyle Tools hadn't agreed to sponsor 21-year-old Maddi Gordon this year in Top Fuel, he would have stepped out of his own Funny Car and turned it over to his young protégé. Capps, who led Funny Car qualifying after two rounds at Gainesville Raceway, was more interested in talking about Gordon's talent than his own performance.

Why it matters

Capps' willingness to give up his own seat for the rookie Gordon highlights the veteran driver's belief in her talent and potential, as well as the challenges young drivers often face in securing sponsorship to launch their careers at the top levels of motorsports.

The details

Capps described the week leading up to the season-opening Gatornationals as "chaotic," admitting it had been a "chaotic couple months" since he put together a Top Fuel team for the third-generation driver. In addition to Carlyle Tools, it was announced Friday afternoon that Monster Energy had signed a multi-year partnership with Capps' team to sponsor the Rookie of the Year candidate.

  • Capps led Funny Car qualifying after two rounds at Gainesville Raceway on Friday night.
  • Gordon was 15th in Top Fuel qualifying with a 3.793-second, 321.35 mph run after two rounds.

The players

Ron Capps

A three-time NHRA Funny Car champion and owner of Ron Capps Motorsports, who was willing to give up his own Funny Car seat to allow rookie Maddi Gordon to drive it.

Maddi Gordon

A 21-year-old rookie driver making her Top Fuel debut this season, with sponsorship from Carlyle Tools and Monster Energy secured by Capps.

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What they’re saying

“She is fun to be around. We wake up in the morning, and I meet her downstairs and she's, 'Morning, Ron!' and I haven't had two cups of coffee.”

— Ron Capps, Three-time NHRA Funny Car champion (autoweek.com)

“If Carlyle didn't step up, I was going to get out of the seat of my car. I felt that strong about Maddie's talent and about Maddie. Funny Cars are gnarly. They're insane, but I really felt, even though she's a tiny little girl, I would have got out of my car and put her in our car if I had to.”

— Ron Capps, Three-time NHRA Funny Car champion (autoweek.com)

What’s next

Maddi Gordon will make her Top Fuel debut at the upcoming NHRA Gatornationals, where she will line up against veteran drivers like Tony Stewart.

The takeaway

Capps' willingness to give up his own Funny Car seat to support the career of a young, talented driver like Maddi Gordon underscores the importance of veteran mentorship and sponsorship in helping the next generation of motorsports stars break through at the highest levels of the sport.