Ron Capps won the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the year at Firebird Motorsports Park, defeating Matt Hagan in the final round of Funny Car. The race took place in front of a sellout crowd during the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, the third straight Saturday sellout.
Capps completed the race in 3.989 seconds at 318.24 mph in his NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra. This victory is a welcome achievement for Capps, who did not win a national event in 2024, but began the 2025 season with a runner-up showing at the Gatornationals.
“I’m very excited myself, but I’m more excited for ‘Guido’ (crew chief Dean Antonelli]) and the team,” Capps said. “Last year was a rebuilding of sorts. … It’s fun to win the Mission Challenge because it’s really brought out a lot of fun on Saturdays.”
In Top Fuel, Shawn Langdon defeated Tony Stewart with a run of 3.805 seconds at 315.19 mph in his Kalitta Air Careers dragster. Langdon, the defending event winner, qualified third in the 14-car field, and will face Scott Palmer in the opening round as he attempts to sweep the weekend.
“There are some tracks that just seem to work well with what you have, and Phoenix … is one of those,” Langdon said. “I didn’t do a good job in the final. I clicked it a little bit early, which shows how much stronger the car really is.”
Pro Stock driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. utilized holeshots to secure his win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, including a final-round victory over Dallas Glenn. Coughlin, a five-time world champion, recorded a time of 6.583 seconds at 208.88 mph in his SCAG Power Equipment/Outlaw Light Beer Chevrolet Camaro.
“I think that was a big shot in the arm for our entire team,” Coughlin said. “Pro Stock is so close. … Fortunately, we made some strides today.”
