Maddi Gordon joins WFO Radio after winning Top Fuel at the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals 2026_06_30
About this episode
Maddi Gordon joins the show to celebrate her historic first Top Fuel victory at the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals. In just her tenth race, Gordon secured a monumental win, completing a spectacular "triple" victory alongside her father and team owner Ron Capps. Gordon shares the intense emotions of waiting in the water box, the pressure of delivering for a brand-new team, and her gratitude toward Capps for taking a chance on her talent over drivers with deep pockets. It is an inspiring look at a rising star achieving her American dream.
piston rings
"Piston rings rubbing against the cylinder walls generate more friction than any other part of the engine."
Small metal rings that wrap around the engine's pistons. They keep the explosive power inside the engine where it belongs and stop oil from leaking into the burning fuel.
Split metallic rings that fit into grooves on the outer diameter of a piston. They seal the combustion chamber to prevent gas leakage, regulate oil consumption by scraping oil off the cylinder walls, and transfer heat from the piston to the engine block.
Maddi Gordon
"Maddie Gordon will be joining us on this show following up her first win in top fuel. The Carlisle Tools top fuel dragster got it done."
A talented young race car driver who recently won her first major race in the fastest category of drag racing. She comes from a famous racing family and achieved her dream of winning at just 22 years old.
An up-and-coming NHRA Top Fuel drag racer who drives for Ron Capps Motorsports. She secured her historic first career national event victory at the 2026 Summit Racing NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, during just her tenth professional race.
Top Fuel
"Maddie Gordon will be joining us on this show following up her first win in top fuel. The Carlisle Tools top fuel dragster got it done."
The fastest and most powerful class of drag racing. The cars are incredibly long, look like rockets on wheels, and use a special explosive fuel to reach speeds over 330 miles per hour in less than four seconds.
The premier professional category in NHRA drag racing, featuring 25-foot-long dragsters powered by supercharged, nitromethane-burning V8 engines. These vehicles produce over 11,000 horsepower and accelerate from 0 to 330+ mph in under 3.7 seconds.
Ron Capps
"Maddie and her dad, team owner on caps. That's the double double side or you could just say it's a Gordon caps triple."
A highly successful professional drag racer who also owns his own racing team. He trusted a young, unproven driver named Maddi Gordon and put her in his top-tier race car, helping her achieve her first big win.
A legendary three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion and the owner of Ron Capps Motorsports. He made the bold decision to hire Maddi Gordon as his Top Fuel driver before she had ever driven a supercharged nitro dragster, a gamble that quickly paid off with her first victory.
diesel particulate filter
"Eric Latino, Matt Latino for Over the Road Truckers. You're looking for OE replacements of your particulate filters."
A filter in the exhaust pipe of diesel trucks that catches black soot and ash to keep the air cleaner. It needs to be cleaned out periodically by driving at highway speeds.
An exhaust aftertreatment device designed to capture and store harmful soot and ash particles from diesel engine emissions. They require periodic 'regeneration' cycles to burn off the accumulated soot and maintain exhaust flow.
torque converter
"FTI performance transmissions and torque converters. Congratulations to Paul Lee."
A fluid-filled part that connects an automatic transmission to the engine. It lets the car stop at a red light while the engine is still running without stalling.
A fluid coupling device positioned between the engine and automatic transmission. It transfers rotating power from the engine's crankshaft to the transmission gears using hydraulic fluid, allowing the vehicle to come to a complete stop without stalling the engine.
Pro Mod
"Paul Lee. Big one for Paul, but if you're a bracket racer, if you're a pro moderator, top sportsmen, top dragster, monster trucks, mega trucks, FTI does it all."
A class of drag racing featuring cars that look like highly modified classic or modern street cars, using extreme superchargers or turbochargers to go incredibly fast.
Short for Pro Modified, this drag racing class features heavily modified, street-appearing cars with diverse engine combinations. Competitors can run massive nitrous oxide systems, superchargers, or turbochargers, making it one of the most unpredictable and popular classes.
bracket racing
"Paul Lee. Big one for Paul, but if you're a bracket racer, if you're a pro moderator, top sportsmen, top dragster, monster trucks, mega trucks, FTI does it all."
A type of drag racing where slow cars can race against fast cars fairly. Each driver guesses how long their run will take, and the slower car gets a head start. The driver who runs closest to their predicted time without going faster wins.
A handicap form of drag racing that allows vehicles of different performance levels to compete fairly. Drivers predict their elapsed time (dial-in) beforehand, and the starting lights are staggered so that both cars should theoretically cross the finish line at the exact same time.
copper gaskets
"Our fine friends at HussiePerformance.net. Appreciate those guys. Not just copper gaskets anymore at HussiePerformance.net."
Special seals made of solid copper used to hold engine parts together tightly. They are used in high-power race cars because they can handle extreme heat and pressure without breaking.
High-performance engine gaskets made of solid copper, favored in extreme racing applications like nitromethane drag racing. They offer superior thermal conductivity and can withstand immense cylinder pressures and temperatures without blowing out.
Wally
"She did it in her tenth race. She won a Wally, Maddie Mania, running wild on WFO radio."
The official trophy given to winners of major drag races. It is named after the founder of the sport's governing body and is highly prized by racers.
The official trophy awarded to NHRA national event winners, named after NHRA founder Wally Parks. It features a brass figure of a 1930s-era hot rodder standing next to a tire and is one of the most coveted prizes in motorsports.
Doug Gordon
"My dad's got a diamond Wally. My Ron has multiple and I just I just would it's just I'm speechless."
A champion drag racer and the father of Maddi Gordon. He won his race on the exact same day his daughter won hers, creating a historic and emotional family celebration.
A multi-time NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car National Champion and the father of Maddi Gordon. He won his respective class at the same 2026 Norwalk event where Maddi won Top Fuel, completing a historic father-daughter 'double-up' victory on the same day.
water box
"And then for Ron to win right in front of me, you know, just I'm sitting in the water box and when he won, oh, my gosh, just so happy for him and the whole Napa team."
A wet patch of asphalt behind the starting line where race cars spin their tires to get them hot and sticky before the race starts.
The designated area just behind the starting line of a drag strip that is sprayed with water. Drivers pull into the water box to wet their rear tires before performing a burnout, which cleans and heats the rubber for maximum traction.
supercharger
"He named me his top deal driver before I ever drove a dragster with a blower on it. I never drove a top dragster with a blower on it."
An air pump connected to the engine that forces more air into it, allowing it to burn more fuel and create massive amounts of horsepower.
An engine-driven air compressor (often referred to as a 'blower' in drag racing) that forces extra air and oxygen into the cylinders. This allows the engine to burn more fuel and produce significantly more power, which is essential for Top Fuel and Funny Car engines.
Gainesville Raceway
"I mean, we're in Gainesville going to get my license and Monday night I'm in the hotel room like, Oh my gosh, am I really about to do this?"
A famous drag racing track in Florida where many speed records have been broken because of the favorable weather and track conditions.
A historic drag strip located in Gainesville, Florida, opened in 1969. It is famous for hosting the NHRA Gatornationals, an event known for exceptionally fast times due to the track's low elevation and dense, cool air.
up in smoke
"He went up in smoke and that was that setting up a second round match up against Tony Stewart, which I feel like you guys have been racing a lot now."
A term used when a drag racing car suddenly loses grip on the track, causing the tires to spin wildly and create a big cloud of white rubber smoke instead of moving the car forward.
A drag racing term describing a sudden and complete loss of tire traction. When the rear tires spin violently on the asphalt, they instantly vaporize the rubber into a thick cloud of white smoke, halting the car's forward acceleration.
Tony Stewart
"He went up in smoke and that was that setting up a second round match up against Tony Stewart, which I feel like you guys have been racing a lot now."
A famous race car driver who won championships in NASCAR and IndyCar before switching to drag racing, where he now drives a Top Fuel dragster.
A legendary multi-discipline motorsports champion who has won titles in NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC. He transitioned to NHRA drag racing, competing in the Top Fuel category and running his own professional drag racing team, Tony Stewart Racing.
pedal fest
"And my next personal goal was to win in a pedal fest. And I can't believe it was against Sean Langdon. Like that's mind blowing."
A chaotic situation in a drag race where both cars lose traction and start sliding. The drivers have to repeatedly let go of and step back on the gas pedal to try to get the car moving again and cross the finish line first.
A drag racing scenario where both cars lose traction ('smoke the tires') shortly after launching. To recover, both drivers must repeatedly lift off and re-apply the throttle pedal ('pedal' the car) to regain grip and limp to the finish line first.
John Force
"At a drag race, the largest number of fans is pretty small because it's everybody altogether unless you're one person and that person is John force."
The most famous and successful drag racer of all time, known for winning 16 championships and giving incredibly wild, excited interviews after his races.
The most successful drag racer in NHRA history, with 16 Funny Car World Championships and over 150 national event victories. He is famous for his charismatic, high-energy personality and legendary post-race interviews.
Funny Car
"Sadie Glenn also going to be on the show. Kenny Levansky our starter in the 75th season of NHRA going to be on the show."
A class of drag racing cars that have lightweight bodies designed to look like regular street cars, but underneath they are custom-built, 11,000-horsepower racing machines.
An NHRA professional drag racing class featuring carbon-fiber bodies styled after production cars mounted over a custom chromoly chassis. Like Top Fuel dragsters, they are powered by 11,000-horsepower nitromethane engines but feature a shorter wheelbase and a front-engine layout.
Don Garlits
"We heard don garlets say that he fired his car on darrell win fire the car that's the wolf over there he knew it's a different era maybe now"
One of the most famous drag racers in history, known for inventing the modern layout of drag racing cars with the engine behind the driver to make them much safer.
Known as 'Big Daddy,' Don Garlits is a pioneering drag racer and engineer widely considered the father of modern drag racing. He perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster design in the early 1970s after a front-engine transmission explosion cost him part of his foot.
Orange County International Raceway
"And we were doing shirts or a lot of the racetracks that closed ocir urwindale lyon san anis and franando and we would sell shirts for those at the events"
A famous, historic drag racing track in California that closed in the 1983, remembered fondly by fans for its exciting night races and classic muscle cars.
A legendary drag strip in Irvine, California (often abbreviated as OCIR) that operated from 1967 to 1983. It was highly influential in drag racing history, famous for its night races, professional lighting, and hosting the annual Manufacturers Funny Car Championships.
Chevrolet Corvette
"... of the car shows when he was running the coupers corvette and i started buying shirts from him and i would ..."
The Chevrolet Corvette is a famous two-seat sports car made by Chevrolet. It is designed to go very fast, has a sleek look, and is popular both for driving on public roads and in professional racing.
The Chevrolet Corvette is an iconic American sports car, currently in its eighth generation (C8) featuring a mid-engine layout. It is highly celebrated in both production form and various racing series for delivering supercar-level performance and striking styling. The mention in the podcast likely refers to a custom or racing version of the Corvette featured at car shows and drag racing events.
Tom McEwen
"And then i met tom akuen at one of the car shows when he was running the coupers corvette and i started buying shirts from him"
A famous drag racer from the 1970s who helped make the sport popular by creating a famous rivalry with another driver, which led to the creation of popular Hot Wheels toy cars.
Nicknamed 'The Mongoose,' Tom McEwen was a legendary drag racer and master promoter. He is famous for his iconic 'Snake vs. Mongoose' rivalry with Don Prudhomme, which secured a historic sponsorship deal with Mattel's Hot Wheels in 1970.
Shirley Muldowney
"The history of that car and what it did that was pretty important at that time so let's talk about what what we why we have you on which is the red line shirt club com"
A legendary female racer who was the first woman licensed to drive a Top Fuel dragster and the first person ever to win three major drag racing championships.
A legendary drag racing pioneer who was the first woman to receive an NHRA Top Fuel license. She went on to win three NHRA Top Fuel World Championships (1977, 1980, 1982), breaking gender barriers in professional motorsports.
Pontiac Torrent
"...s and things like that i'm working a new uh billy torrent shirt right now um so yeah i just got an order fr..."
The Pontiac Torrent is a mid-sized, four-door family SUV that was sold in the mid-to-late 2000s. It was designed to carry passengers and cargo comfortably, similar to a small minivan but styled like an off-road vehicle.
The Pontiac Torrent is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by General Motors under the Pontiac brand from 2005 to 2009. It was built on the Theta platform, sharing its design and mechanical components with the Chevrolet Equinox of the same era. It represented Pontiac's effort to capture a share of the growing family crossover market before the Pontiac brand was discontinued.
Summit Motorsports Park
"Let's do some results from norwalk and i will tell you that it was one of the greatest single races that i've ever been at instant classic race"
A famous drag racing track in Ohio known for hosting major national races and selling delicious ice cream to fans for just one dollar a pound.
A world-class drag racing facility located in Norwalk, Ohio (often referred to simply as 'Norwalk'). It is famous for hosting the NHRA Nationals, its immaculate track preparation, and its signature promotion of selling velvet ice cream for $1 per pound.
Ford Mustang
"...vulnerable kevin rivenbark pro mod how about that mustang getting the job done they were fast pro mod was j..."
The Ford Mustang is a well-known sporty two-door car made by Ford. While you can buy regular versions to drive on the street, highly modified versions are also built specifically to compete in high-speed drag races.
The Ford Mustang is a legendary American pony car, currently in its seventh generation (S650), which is widely used in various forms of motorsport including Pro Modified (Pro Mod) drag racing. In Pro Mod racing, highly modified Mustang-bodied cars utilize massive supercharged or turbocharged engines to achieve extreme speeds. This discussion highlights the Mustang's competitive success and speed in professional drag racing categories.
1955 Chevrolet
"They're cool, they're classic, they're big, they're in their natural form 55 Chevrolets and 38 pickup trucks and just anything there's a wide variety"
A classic American car from 1955 that is highly popular with hot rod builders and drag racers because of its iconic style and easily modified V8 engine.
The 1955 Chevrolet (often called the '55 Chevy) is an automotive icon that marked the beginning of the 'Tri-Five' era. It introduced the legendary small-block V8 engine, which became a cornerstone of hot rodding and drag racing for decades.
Peter Biondo
"How about super stock matchup between peter beyondo and pete dagnolo 110 thou margin of victory"
A highly respected drag racer who has won seven national championships in the amateur and semi-professional classes of the sport.
A highly decorated NHRA Sportsman racer with seven national championships across multiple classes. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest bracket racers and tactical drivers in drag racing history.
Dan Fletcher
"We did a two-part episode dan fletcher and it is dad's car the checkmate car there's one over 50 nha charry national event wins"
One of the winningest drag racers in history, who has won over 100 major races driving classic muscle cars.
One of the most successful NHRA Sportsman racers of all time, with over 100 national event victories. He is famous for competing and winning in Stock and Super Stock classes, often driving his iconic 'Checkmate' Chevrolet Camaro.
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