Three-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps entered the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals tied for the points lead with J.R. Todd after capturing two wins in three final rounds in the first six races of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. By reaching the semifinal round Sunday at Maryland International Raceway, Capps became the sole points leader in his NAPA Auto Care Funny Car at the first of three back-to-back-to-back races.
Qualifying was a learning experience for Capps and his team led by crew chief Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli as they developed data and a tune-up for the historic track, which is one of four new tracks on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule. Capps lost traction on his first qualifying pass, but rebounded with a 4.050-second pass in the second session to move up a spot to No. 11. On Saturday, Capps spun the tires down-track in the third session before throwing down a 4.024 E.T. at 321.65 mph in the final session to gain another spot on the qualifying order.
Racing out of the No. 10 slot on the ladder, Capps squared off against Alexis DeJoria in round one of eliminations on Sunday. He led the race from start to finish, winning with a weekend-best 4.001 E.T. at 321.12 mph to DeJoria’s 4.009 E.T. Capps and second-round opponent Cruz Pedregon left the starting line together and they both encountered issues, but Capps fought his way to a 4.255-second pass to hold off Pedregon. In the semifinals, Capps powered to his second-quickest run of the event, a 4.014 E.T. at 320.28 mph, but he came up a bit short to defending world champion Austin Prock and his 3.998 E.T.
“This was one of those weekends we talk about throughout championships that are just gut-check weekends,” said Capps, who earned a spot in the next Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with his semifinal finish. “We didn’t start qualifying very well. I felt like I drove terribly on Friday and let the car get out of the groove a little bit, and I think that would have given us a pretty good qualifying spot. Ultimately, we didn’t have lane choice. We qualified in the bottom half of the field, but our NAPA Auto Care team just kept plugging away and Guido kept working at it.
“This track was so much fun with all these fans,” added Capps, a two-time No. 1 qualifier this season. “We had a lot of fans that used to come to Maple Grove or Richmond or Englishtown, so they were very thankful we’re here. I can’t wait to come back. With that being said, there’s just a lot of character at this racetrack. It’s very demanding as a driver. You’ve got to really be on your game, and I think Guido and the guys did a fantastic job.”
The pursuit of a fourth world championship for Capps and his Ron Capps Motorsports team will continue in just a few days at the NHRA New England Nationals, June 5-7, at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.
This story was originally published on June 1, 2026. 
