POMONA 1 - Ron Capps Motorsports Preview

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Wed, 08 Apr 2026, 15:57 PM

Ron Capps Motorsports Preview

Courtesy of Allison McCormick, ABM Communications

Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals
Event 3 of 20
In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip
Pomona, Calif.
April 10 - 12, 2026

Noteworthy:
Ron Capps Motorsports is proud to host NHRA Legend Shirley Shahan, the first woman to win an NHRA national event (1966 Winternationals), this weekend in Pomona.

Shahan is scheduled for multiple signings and appearances (noted below) with RCM drivers Ron Capps and Maddi Gordon, who became the 100th woman to win an NHRA event in 2024, as well as participate in the Legends Autograph Session on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Mission Foods midway display.

RON CAPPS
Driver of the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car

NHRA Winternationals Event Highlights:
• Four-time event winner (1998, 2009, 2016, 2021)
• Six-time runner-up (2006, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2022, 2023)
• Two-time No. 1 qualifier (2021, 2022)

In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip Overall Highlights:
• Four-time winner
• Eight-time runner-up
• Seven-time No. 1 qualifier

2025 NHRA Winternationals Recap:
Qualified third; First round exit (defeated by Spencer Hyde in E1)

Last Event (Phoenix):
Qualified seventh; Event champion (defeated Jason Rupert in E1, Daniel Wilkerson in E2, Paul Lee in E3, Spencer Hyde in E4)

2026 Statistics:
Two races; one win, one No. 1 qualifier

Career Statistics:
670 races; 78 wins, 38 No. 1 qualifiers

Noteworthy:
• Picked up his first win of the year at the recent Phoenix event. Capps' strong start to 2026 also includes a No. 1 qualifier at the season opener in Gainesville, Fla.
• Capps' Phoenix performance secured him a spot in the Pomona running of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge
• As a lifelong Californian and resident of Carlsbad near San Diego, Capps considers In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip to be a home track

Fan Events:
• Friday, 11 - 11:30 a.m., Mission #2Fast2Tasty driver autograph session, Mission Foods midway display
• Friday, noon - 12:30 p.m., RCM driver autograph session, Carlyle Tools midway display
• Saturday, 10 - 10:30 a.m., RCM driver autograph session, Carlyle Tools midway display
• Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Autograph session with Maddi Gordon, Shirley Shahan, Top Eliminator Club (must have TEC access to attend)

Quotable:
"We've talked about celebrating 75 years of NHRA in 2026 for quite some time now, and I can't think of a track with more legacy or that better signifies the history of our sport than Pomona, the birthplace of NHRA Drag Racing. And, how cool that it lines up where this weekend is the 1,000th Funny Car race. I've been lucky enough to not only be a part of some of the big ones, but have also had a front row seat to some incredible matchups over the years with some of the biggest names, including my former boss, Don "the Snake" Prudhomme. The Winternationals is one of the most historic events, so you really couldn't have drawn it up better.

"We've had a great start to the season with our NAPA Auto Care team. Obviously, qualifying No. 1 at the Gatornationals to kick things off and then winning the second race in Phoenix just shows how much work our NAPA Auto Care team put in throughout the off-season. Wins like we had in Phoenix are a result of the hard work that went on in the shop in Brownsburg over the winter. So, just feeling really good about everything right now. We have a great race car and we're very excited about Pomona. The weather looks very fast and that track has held a lot of records throughout the years. For all of our partners, NAPA Auto Parts, Carlyle Tools, Monster Energy, and all our NAPA guests, looking forward to this weekend."

MADDI GORDON
Driver of the Carlyle Tools Top Fuel Dragster

Last Event (Phoenix):
Qualified fourth; Semifinal finish (defeated Jaren Mott in E1, Tony Stewart in E2; defeated by Doug Kalitta in E3)

Noteworthy:
• Powered to back-to-back semifinal finishes at her first two professional outings
• By advancing to the semifinals at the most recent event in Phoenix, Gordon has qualified for the Pomona edition of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge
• Has previously competed in Pomona, driving her family's Top Alcohol Funny Car and Jr. Dragster
• As a lifelong resident of Paso Robles, Gordon considers In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip to be a home track

Fan Events:
• Friday, 11 - 11:30 a.m., Mission #2Fast2Tasty driver autograph session, Mission Foods midway display
• Friday, noon - 12:30 p.m., RCM driver autograph session, Carlyle Tools midway display
• Saturday, 10 - 10:30 a.m., RCM driver autograph session, Carlyle Tools midway display
• Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Autograph session with Ron Capps, Shirley Shahan, Top Eliminator Club (must have TEC access to attend)
• Saturday, 1:45 p.m., Q&A with Hannah Rickards and NHRA Legend Shirley Shahan at the Nitro Alley stage

Quotable:
"I'm really excited to get back to racing this weekend. That week and a half off was nice, but boy, it feels like a year since I've hit the gas, so I'm really looking forward to getting back out there. Pomona is extremely special to my family. My sister and I pretty much grew up at that track. We've been going there twice a year since we were born and just have a ton of great memories. I raced Alcohol Funny Car there, Jr. Dragsters; got to watch my sister race Top Dragster and Super Comp there a couple of weeks ago, and she did an awesome job. We've got a lot of friends and family coming in to watch. It's also really special to have Shirley Shahan spending time with us this weekend. What she accomplished for women in our sport is incredible, and it means a lot to be able to share this moment with her, so should be good vibes all around in Pomona.

"I'm so proud of our Carlyle Tools boys; there's no other team I'd want to drive for. I tell them all the time; there's no group of guys I'd rather go into battle with on a Sunday than them. I feel like we have really good mojo coming out of Phoenix. We're in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge once again, and that gives us a lot of confidence that we've qualified for both so far this year. (Crew chiefs) Rob (Flynn) and Troy (Fasching) were extremely happy after Phoenix. They feel like they learned a lot and are more confident in the race car, so that's huge. We're making progress; I'm learning every single weekend as a driver, and I know Rob and Troy and all the guys are learning more and more with each run down the track as well. Overall, just really happy with how the year has gone so far and looking forward to another good one this weekend in Pomona."