The three-time world champion and team owner pushed through months of off-track chaos Friday night, powering to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position with a 3.890-second run at 334 mph at Gainesville Raceway.
The run made Capps the only driver in the Funny Car field to dip into the 3.80-second range during the opening day of qualifying at the season-opening race of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.
If the performance holds through Saturday’s final qualifying sessions, it would mark the 38th No. 1 qualifier of Capps’ career.
The achievement came during one of the most demanding stretches of Capps’ career, as he balanced his driving duties with the rapid expansion of Ron Capps Motorsports.
At the center of that expansion is the addition of rookie driver Maddi Gordon and a new Top Fuel program built virtually from scratch in the months leading up to the season.
Capps described the weeks leading into Gainesville as a blur of sponsorship negotiations, testing sessions, licensing runs and media appearances.
The workload has stretched far beyond the typical offseason preparation for a Funny Car driver.
“It’s been a chaotic week,” Capps said. “And then you go further, it’s been a chaotic couple months, what we put together basically from scratch, bringing Maddi on and having Rob Flynn, the guys show up.”
“We did what usually takes many more months and we had her down there getting her license,” Capps added.
The process included preseason testing and a wave of promotional appearances as Gordon prepared for her Top Fuel debut.
Capps even battled a health scare earlier in the week.
“And then we met you in Tampa,” Capps said. “I got an allergic reaction to something on Monday and then I just, my whole body’s been breaking out.”
“And I don’t feel bad, but I thought, ‘Oh, don’t get me sick before Gainesville.’”
Another major storyline surrounding the team entering the Gatornationals was the anticipated partnership with Monster Energy.
Capps said negotiations continued late into the offseason as the team hoped to finalize the deal before the opening race.
“And then we had this sort of wait and see thing with Monster,” Capps said. “We were hoping to get it done before and announced before this weekend.”
“And there’s already so much going on with Maddi,” he added.
The team also conducted a test session earlier in the week at Gainesville Raceway.
“We tested this week like most teams did,” Capps said. “And she got a week to sit on after being in the car.”
“So, we went to the media in Phoenix and it was fun because we did… You were there or you planned it,” he continued. “It was like three times a normal media request because Maddi was there, right?”
“And I was just tagging along, but it was so much fun because she had just made her license run.”
Gordon’s early progress behind the wheel has energized the team during the offseason.
Capps said the rookie driver’s enthusiasm has been contagious throughout the organization.
“So she had been talking all since last year about how excited it was going to be to drive top field, but she had no idea,” Capps said. “She didn’t know what she didn’t know, right?”
“She was like just excited.”
Gordon continued to improve during the Gainesville test session earlier in the week.
“So, it was fun to be around her and then she knew we’d come back and test this week and she gets more laps,” Capps said.
“So another career best, she went on Wednesday, best speed again and just kept getting better and better.”
Capps paused during the press conference before laughing about how easily the conversation drifted away from the car that had just gone to the top of the qualifying sheet.
“Oh, we’re here about talk to my car,” Capps said. “Yeah, I forgot about that.”
Capps said his belief in Gordon’s potential was so strong that he even considered stepping away from the Funny Car seat if the team couldn’t secure the funding necessary to support her Top Fuel opportunity.
The possibility illustrated the level of commitment behind the team’s expansion.
“If Carlisle didn’t step up, I was going to get out of the seat of my car,” Capps said. “I felt that strong about Maddi’s talent and about Maddi.”
“Funny cars are gnarly. They’re insane, but I really felt even though she’s a tiny little girl, I would have got out of my car and put her in our car if I had to.”
The quote underscored the level of belief Capps has in the young driver’s future in the sport.
Despite the whirlwind surrounding the team, the Funny Car program remained competitive on the track.
Capps said the team debuted a new body during the first qualifying run but encountered an issue before completing the pass.
“Yeah, we had a brand new body and had issues at first run,” Capps said. “It was on a good run and the left parachute kind of wiggled out.”
The team rebounded in the evening session with the quickest run of the day.
The result reinforced the strength of the NAPA Auto Parts Funny Car program even as Capps balances his growing responsibilities as a team owner.
Those responsibilities have created a new challenge inside the cockpit.
Capps admitted that juggling ownership duties with driving has occasionally divided his focus.
“Yeah. I used to sleep good,” Capps said when asked about life before becoming a team owner.
“I just had a conversation today,” he added. “It’s such a different… I talked to Jimmy Johnson about a week and a half ago.”
Capps said the experience has also given him a deeper appreciation for drivers who previously managed both roles.
“It’s funny now because of the respect that I have for the Cruz Pedregon’s, the John Force’s, especially Force,” Capps said. “I don’t know how he did it all those years lining up with his daughters.”
“I’m a mess watching her and I’m… She’s not a relative, but I’m a nervous wreck.”
“So I don’t know how a lot of these guys did it over the years, owners, drivers, and a lot more respect now, though.”
Capps acknowledged the mental strain has occasionally affected his reaction times at the starting line.
Balancing business responsibilities and driving performance has required constant adjustment.
“Yep. It’s a constant battle,” Capps said. “And Guido, I’m like a rookie again, and Guido’s having… He’s like a teacher again.”
Crew chief Dean “Guido” Antonelli worked with Capps during the offseason to address areas where reaction times slipped last year.
“He’s found some things that made my reaction times not as good last year,” Capps said. “And so it was like going back to school because my brain’s not all there.”
“And it’s a… You know. I know what you’re thinking.”
“So, to answer your question, it’s funny you said that,” Capps said. “It’s been a battle, so I need to get better at it.”
To help manage the growing operation, Capps brought longtime racing executive Ted Yerzyk into the organization.
Yerzyk now plays a major role in supporting the new Top Fuel program.
“We brought in Ted Yerzyk,” Capps said. “Long time friend that actually I’ve known him back since the Snake days.”
“And he’s really taken over and especially with Maddi and that team, but he’s helped tremendously with Paul Mecca and I.”
Yerzyk’s presence has helped ease the workload during race weekends.
“And he’s helped take a lot off of me this weekend, so it’s helped a bunch.”
Capps believes the addition of Top Fuel crew chief Rob Flynn will also strengthen the overall program.
The two teams have already begun sharing technical ideas despite competing in different classes.
“And he’s not an attitude guy,” Capps said. “Him and Guido get along great.”
“I think we’re going to learn a little bit from him.”
Capps said the collaborative approach mirrors the environment he experienced earlier in his career.
“And that’s back when I drove for Snake and even Don Schumacher, the idea was to learn,” he said.
“You could still learn even though one’s long and skinny and the other one’s a short Funny Car.”
“But they’re already talking camshafts and other cool things, which I love seeing that,” Capps said. “That makes me happy.”
Even with the growing responsibilities, Capps said the moment he climbs into the Funny Car remains unchanged.
Inside the cockpit, the distractions fade.
“My favorite part is getting in the car and then it’s quiet and I try to focus on it,” Capps said.
“So, I love it.”
“It brings everything out to me.”
“And when it stops being fun,” Capps said, “that’s when I’ll know it’s time to hang it up.”
