NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

As if Maddi Gordon wouldn’t have been excited enough to race at Sonoma Raceway for this weekend’s 38th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge, the Top Fuel rookie sensation has the added thrill of being the most recent event winner on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour.

Of course, that was Gordon’s first career Top Fuel win, getting the incredible victory in just her 10th Professional start for Ron Capps Motorsports. Since then, Gordon and NHRA have been off for two weeks, meaning she’s more than ready to get back to racing.

Norwalk will be hard to top, as her boss, Funny Car points leader Ron Capps, and her father, past Top Alcohol Funny Car world champ Doug Gordon, both won on the same day, but Maddi can’t wait to see what she can accomplish in her Carlyle Tools dragster in Sonoma, which has long been regarded as one of the fastest and most popular facilities on the NHRA tour.

“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. I’ve been on cloud nine, but even still, I’ve been itching to get back to the track.

“My sister will be competing in Super Comp and Top Dragster as well. 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.”

The victory in Norwalk continued Gordon’s magnificent rookie season, as she moved to fourth in points in the loaded Top Fuel category, behind only Epping winner Leah Pruett, reigning world champ Kalitta, and points leader Shawn Langdon, who has four wins and holds a commanding advantage.

Others to watch this weekend include 2026 event winners Tony Stewart and Antron Brown, as well as Justin Ashley, Clay Millican, and Tony Schumacher.

 

Gordon, though, has proven the moment isn’t too big for her as she looks for another huge weekend in Sonoma. It all starts with the epic night qualifying session on Friday, which includes the Deecell Power Systems After Dark Low Qualifier bonus, offering up $4,000 to the driver who lights up the scoreboard with the quickest run under the lights.

“The racetrack is my happy place; it’s my element and where I feel at home,” Gordon said. “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.

“The Friday night nitro session under the Sonoma Raceway lights is legendary, and I’m excited to be a part of it this year. I just cannot wait to get back out there this weekend and strap back into our mean green hot rod.”

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:55 and 6:55 p.m. PT on Friday, July 17, and the final two rounds on Saturday, July 18, at 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, July 19.

Television coverage includes the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. Elimination coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET on FS1 on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, fans can visit www.sonomaraceway.com or call 800-870-7223.