{"id":104302,"date":"2026-07-14T21:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T21:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/top-fuels-maddi-gordon-riding-high-after-first-win-heading-to-denso-nhra-sonoma-nationals\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T21:44:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T21:44:08","slug":"top-fuels-maddi-gordon-riding-high-after-first-win-heading-to-denso-nhra-sonoma-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/top-fuels-maddi-gordon-riding-high-after-first-win-heading-to-denso-nhra-sonoma-nationals\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Fuel\u2019s Maddi Gordon Riding High After First Win Heading To DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As if Maddi Gordon wouldn\u2019t have been excited enough to race at Sonoma Raceway for this weekend\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, that was Gordon\u2019s 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\u2019s more than ready to get back to racing.<\/p>\n<p>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 M. Gordon can\u2019t wait to see what she can accomplish in her 12,000-horsepower Carlyle Tools dragster in Sonoma, which has long been regarded as one of the fastest and most popular facilities on the NHRA tour.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat a crazy couple of weeks it\u2019s been in the Gordon household, but crazy in the best way possible,\u201d Gordon said. \u201cI\u2019m very grateful we had these few weeks to really be able to soak in the win to the fullest extent, and I\u2019m glad the team was able to enjoy the break. I\u2019ve been on cloud nine, but even still, I\u2019ve been itching to get back to the track.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy sister will be competing in Super Comp and Top Dragster as well. This is one of two races where we\u2019ll be racing at the same national event, so I can\u2019t wait to support her, support my family, and get back to one of the fastest tracks on tour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge will feature a full weekend of action at the 11th of 20 events in 2026, as well as NHRA 75th anniversary items like:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An appearance from legendary NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car world champion Gary Scelzi. Scelzi is one of only three drivers in NHRA history to claim world titles in both Top Fuel (1997, 1998, 2000) and Funny Car (2005). NHRA will honor Scelzi\u2019s accomplishments at his home track in Sonoma.<\/li>\n<li>Brittany Force appears on the special commemorative ticket for the event following her incredible 343.16-mph run from a season ago.<\/li>\n<li>A new-look Nitro Mall, special displays and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The 2025 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge featured wins by Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock). This year\u2019s race will once again be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19.<\/p>\n<p>The victory in Norwalk continued Gordon\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>Others to watch this weekend include 2026 event winners Tony Stewart and Antron Brown, as well as Justin Ashley, Clay Millican and Tony Schumacher.<\/p>\n<p>Gordon, though, has proven the moment isn\u2019t 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 \u201cAfter Dark Low Qualifier\u201d bonus, offering up $4,000 to the driver who lights up the scoreboard with the quickest run under the lights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe race track is my happy place; it\u2019s my element and where I feel at home,\u201d Gordon said. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to get back into my Carlyle Tools dragster and make some fast passes, especially since we\u2019re headed to Sonoma, which is one of my home tracks. We\u2019ll have a lot of friends and family out there this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Friday night nitro session under the Sonoma Raceway lights is legendary, and I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Two-time reigning Funny Car champion Prock won for the first time in Sonoma last season, defeating 2025 Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde. Prock currently has one win on the season from Maryland while three-time world champ Ron Capps leads the points, with three wins so far in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Last year\u2019s Pro Stock final was a family affair, as Greg Stanfield defeated his son, Aaron, in the final round. A. Stanfield has two wins on the year in 2026, while reigning world champion Dallas Glenn currently leads the points with his KB Titan Racing teammate and six-time world champion Greg Anderson in second.<\/p>\n<p>In Pro Stock Motorcycle, a $25,000 prize on the line for the winner of the one-day GETTRX All-Star Callout on Saturday. Matt Smith is the defending Callout winner, while the eight-bike field this year includes Gaige Herrera, Richard Gadson, Smith, Angie Smith, John Hall, Jianna Evaristo, Chase Van Sant and Steve Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>The event also features thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the popular Top the Cops exhibition race.<\/p>\n<p>Sonoma race fans can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and the SealMaster Track Walk. After racing finishes on Sunday, fans are invited to congratulate and celebrate with event winners. Fans always get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet and can visit Manufacturers Midway, featuring displays, merchandise, food and fun.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The first round of the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout takes place at 11:15 a.m. PT on Saturday, with the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. and the finals at 3:40 p.m. Television coverage of the Callout begins at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.<\/p>\n<p>Television coverage includes the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. Elimination coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET on FS1 on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>To purchase tickets to the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, fans can visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/b5f98i9ab.cc.rs6.net\/tn.jsp?f=0015I2StiWnJVWgcQcA_LrNlfx6tJEZ3914zZRbGsAysU873Zdw4_6suBjKfonyr6L_dlJW3LSrnwyvrOc5geHWflQdaQYura5nokXaSAYp52RMy3TQljx0C8nVIsRg4mafJ1N_WKqVDXb4WHmgHl4ILHdUbUNgYNWS&amp;c=mdmWOk09DZ4Ko1KANRO1lqL2JezZ9ja8YJpQbp1ZfIR0moHcX9DwQw==&amp;ch=cIJkqfmPTv_oMpV7jQ5Xagji_mIiTQ442Qkx2oxTCT3_iZhzf95R_w==\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">www.sonomaraceway.com<\/a>\u00a0or call 800-870-7223. For more information about NHRA, visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/b5f98i9ab.cc.rs6.net\/tn.jsp?f=0015I2StiWnJVWgcQcA_LrNlfx6tJEZ3914zZRbGsAysU873Zdw4_6suE2QYhufe0_O9oC652ZUanp_HeZVIFttl3cVSAdenAUfsOONecJQHkObMB1FwbD0CEzYeLwrI6rsbSlXXzcs1Q0p3lyxkDQmkg==&amp;c=mdmWOk09DZ4Ko1KANRO1lqL2JezZ9ja8YJpQbp1ZfIR0moHcX9DwQw==&amp;ch=cIJkqfmPTv_oMpV7jQ5Xagji_mIiTQ442Qkx2oxTCT3_iZhzf95R_w==\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">www.nhra.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-modified-info\">This story was originally published on July 14, 2026. <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dragillustrated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/DI_flat_red-e1711481551475.png\" width=\"20px\" alt=\"Drag Illustrated\"><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/dragillustrated.com\/top-fuels-maddi-gordon-riding-high-after-first-win-heading-to-denso-nhra-sonoma-nationals\/\">Top Fuel\u2019s Maddi Gordon Riding High After First Win Heading To DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/dragillustrated.com\/\">Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As if Maddi Gordon wouldn\u2019t have been excited enough to race at Sonoma Raceway for this weekend\u2019s 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104302"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104302\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}