Ron Capps will compete in the opening leg of the three-race IHRA Triple Crown at Maple Grove Raceway, but the three-time NHRA Funny Car champion said the decision was never driven by prize money, rivalry, or the chance to make headlines. The reason, he said, was simpler and harder to ignore: people who had supported him and his sponsors for years deserved to see him race.
For Capps, Maple Grove has never been just another stop on the schedule. It has long been one of the strongest sponsor markets his team visits, with customers, distributors, and blue-collar fans who plan around one weekend a year to see the show in person.
Capps said the thought process began in December during the PRI Show, when word spread that Maple Grove had been sold and would become part of the IHRA schedule. He and his wife were boarding a cruise ship in Miami when the news reached him.
“It was December 17,” Capps said. “I did a selfie walking around the ship when I got the news, and I posted a video.”
That video, he said, was aimed directly at supporters in Pennsylvania who suddenly were unsure what the future held. Capps wanted them to know they had not been forgotten.
“I talked about all of our people in that area that are the loyal fans that have been going to Maple Grove for years on our side of things,” Capps said. “You have to remember NAPA batteries are made … most of the batteries in the world are made by a place called East Penn, which is right near the track. It’s like within half an hour.”
NAPA Auto Parts has been tied to Capps for nearly two decades, making the Maple Grove region more than another market. East Penn’s presence, plus longtime store owners and customers, made the race personal.
“There’s two store owners right off the bat that are two of the biggest, most loyal store owners,” Capps said. “Cary Walton and Carl DellaPenna … they’re family owned going back decades and big supporters.”
Capps said the Maple Grove race has traditionally produced the largest NAPA hospitality turnout of any event on his calendar. Some years, demand exceeded available room.
“Our hospitality every year is triple the size of any other race we go to every year there,” Capps said. “We have to turn away people sometimes in the past.”
He said many of those fans are working people who do not spend weekends chasing races around the country. Maple Grove is their home track, their annual chance to be part of the sport.
“These people work their tails off,” Capps said. “They don’t have much time to travel. Maple Grove has always been their track, their area.”
At first, racing the IHRA event was not even part of the plan. Capps said he only wanted to reassure supporters that he and Maddi Gordon would still make appearances in the area.
Later, when the event landed on an off weekend, the idea became realistic. Then came interest from sponsors, which changed everything.
“When it was announced on an off weekend, I had more than several inquiries about the possibility of us running our car,” Capps said. “Maybe a special NAPA batteries car and just go run the event.”
The second layer came when Carlyle Tools learned of the opportunity. Capps said Carlyle’s manufacturing ties to the region opened the door for Gordon to compete as well.
“The toolboxes made for Carlyle Tools are made right there,” Capps said. “Then they inquired about possibly taking the dragster, and they wanted to run a special Carlyle Tools car for Maddie.”
Gordon originally expected to attend only as part of sponsor appearances. Capps said she was disappointed at the thought of missing a race weekend.
“She was crushed that she was going to go and not get to race,” Capps said. “Then they called her and told her they wanted her to run the car. She was obviously excited to just race another weekend.”
Capps was equally clear about what did not happen. He rejected talk that IHRA had written checks to lure him into the field.
“I talked to Darryl [Cuttell], who owns IHRA, one time on the phone,” Capps said. “I didn’t ask for money. He didn’t offer money.”
He said both entries went through the same process as everyone else.
“I called [IHRA COO] Doug Foley Jr. I paid on Monday. I filled out the information for our IHRA licenses. I paid $150 for me and $150 for Maddie. They didn’t give anything to me free.”
That point mattered enough that Capps called NHRA President Glen Cromwell before the public announcement. He wanted no confusion, no whispers, and no manufactured war between sanctioning bodies.
“I informed him, ‘Look, we’re going to run the IHRA event. We’re not doing it in spite of anything,’” Capps said. “I explained to him exactly the scenario.”
The bigger sacrifice may come from the crew, who are navigating a packed stretch of races and giving up Memorial Day time at home. Capps said that reality was never lost on him.
“I hated even taking my guys and not letting them have a Memorial Day at home,” Capps said. “So I just told them I’d take care of them bonus wise, no matter what happens.”
That perspective comes from years spent as a crewman before becoming a star driver. Capps said he still views those decisions through that lens.
“I was a crew guy, you know that, all those years,” he said. “I understand how hard it is. I promise you, we take care of them.”
The IHRA Triple Crown’s $1 million sweep bonus may grab headlines, but Capps said the first race is the only thing on his radar. Anything beyond that depends on the people turning the wrenches.
“We did not ever think about the three races,” Capps said. “It was just this and our loyal people around Maple Grove. Sometimes showing up for people who showed up for you is the whole reason to go.”
