Three-time Funny Car champion Ron Capps delivered one of the most dramatic wins of his career at the 41st annual NHRA Arizona Nationals. After surviving a violent engine explosion earlier in eliminations, Capps regrouped and defeated Spencer Hyde in the final round to earn his 78th career victory.

Capps drove his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra to a 4.124-second pass at 303.24 mph, securing his first win of the 2026 season and his fourth in Phoenix. His day nearly ended in the second round when his engine exploded at the finish line during a run against Daniel Wilkerson. Despite heavy damage, the team rebuilt the car and returned to competition. Capps followed that effort with a strong semifinal win over defending event winner Paul Lee. In the final round, he gained the advantage at the starting line and pulled away from Hyde, completing a comeback that made up for a similar explosion and crash at the same track one year earlier. Hyde, the reigning Rookie of the Year and No. 1 qualifier, reached his third career final round with wins over Blake Alexander, J.R. Todd, and Matt Hagan.

In Top Fuel, Shawn Langdon continued his dominance at Firebird Motorsports Park, winning the Phoenix event for the third straight year. He defeated Leah Pruett in the final round with a 3.877-second run at 325.45 mph. The victory marked the 23rd of Langdon’s career and came one day after he secured his 23rd No. 1 qualifying position. He showed consistency all weekend in extreme heat, recording multiple runs in the 3.80-second range and defeating Tony Schumacher and rookie Maddi Gordon to reach the final. Pruett advanced to her 26th career final round with wins over Cam Ferre, Josh Hart, and reigning champion Doug Kalitta, who left Phoenix with the points lead.

In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn completed a redemption story of his own. After a costly mistake in last year’s Phoenix final, Glenn returned to win the event with a 6.627-second pass at 206.39 mph, defeating Cody Coughlin. Glenn posted a strong .027 reaction time and led from start to finish in the final round. He also swept the weekend by winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and was the quickest driver in each of the final three rounds. The victory was his 22nd career win and his first at Firebird Motorsports Park. He reached the final by defeating Stephen Bell, Matt Latino, and Greg Stanfield, while Coughlin advanced with wins over Eric Latino, Chris McGaha, and Jeg Coughlin Jr..

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues April 9 through 12 at the NHRA Winternationals, where teams will look to build momentum early in the 2026 season.