(Photography by Kim Fuller) • Three-time Funny Car world champion Ron Capps recovered from a massive engine explosion in the second round at Firebird Motorsports Park, defeating Spencer Hyde in the final round to earn his 78th career win on Sunday at the 41st annual FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs.

In the final round, Capps went 4.124-seconds at 303.24 mph in his 12,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra, holding off Hyde to pick up his first victory of the season and fourth overall in Phoenix. This was an emotional one for the veteran after he suffered a huge engine explosion at the finish line in his second-round win against Daniel Wilkerson. Capps and the team bounced back in impressive fashion to knock off defending event winner Paul Lee with a strong run and advance to the final round. He left first on Hyde and pulled away at the finish line, picking up one of the more memorable wins in Capps’ stellar career. A year ago, Capps also had a huge explosion and crash in Phoenix, but those two incidents are now a distant memory after Sunday’s incredible finish.

Capps remarked, “We burned a lot of stuff up. At that time it happened, we weren’t sure the win light was going to be worth it, but it wouldn’t have been worth it had it been a runner up. I have to thank Paul Lee and his team for waiting for us. We went to warm it up [in the pits], and it wouldn’t even fire, so we literally went up there not knowing was going to start. To get that win in the semis and have a blast down the road when it did was pretty cool.”

Shawn Langdon in the Kalitta Air Top Fueler and Dallas Glenn in Pro Stock, also won the second of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon stayed red-hot at Firebird Motorsports Park, winning for the third straight year in Phoenix and knocking off Leah Pruett in the final round with a run of 3.877 at 325.45 in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster. He’s now undefeated in his last 12 rounds at the fan-favorite facility and has found success in a variety of conditions over the years.

On Sunday and all weekend, he did it in extreme heat, as Langdon qualified No. 1 and was remarkably consistent in eliminations, making three runs in the 3.80s. He took down Tony Schumacher and then rookie sensation Maddi Gordon in the semifinals, setting up a marquee matchup with Pruett. Langdon posted an .079 reaction time and delivered another impressive run, winning for the 23rd time in his career a day after getting his 23rd No. 1 qualifier. It gives the past world champion his first win of the year and plenty of early-season momentum as Langdon looks to stay near or at the top all season long.

“At the beginning of the year, we made some really good runs in testing under some really good conditions. One of the prime focuses for this year on is making good runs when it gets hot out, and being able to have a car that you can gain the small bonus points,” Langdon said. “So that’s been a big focus for the team and Brian [Husen, crew chief], and being able to come out here on some of the hottest conditions that we’ve really ever seen, for him to make the adjustments and the team to make the adjustments, that feels really good.

In just her second race since returning to the sport, Pruett reached her 26th career final round with victories against Cam Ferre, Josh Hart and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, who leaves Phoenix with the points lead.

In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn more than got redemption for last year’s final round in Phoenix, finishing off a magnificent weekend with a run of 6.627 at 206.39 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to hold off Cody Coughlin in the final round. It gives Glenn a clean sweep of the weekend after winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday and also gives the reigning world champion his first victory of the season.

Last year, Glenn went red in a wild final round against KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson, but there were no issues this time on Sunday. Glenn went .027 on the starting line and led wire-to-wire against Coughlin, collecting his first career win at Firebird Motorsports Park. Glenn, who qualified third, defeated Stephen Bell, Matt Latino and Greg Stanfield to reach the final round.

Glenn, who also took over the points lead, was quickest in each of the final three rounds, rolling to his 22nd career victory and getting his first diamond Wally during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. He’s already reached 41 final rounds in his young career and even after winning a world title in 2025, Glenn has big plans for this season.

Coughlin, who qualified No. 1 in Gainesville, reached his second career final round after defeating Eric Latino, Chris McGaha and Jeg Coughlin Jr.

In the Legacy Nitro Funny Car Eliminator Final, Nathan Sitko in the Hodgson Racing “Bubble-Up” Pontiac Firebird ran a single with a solid 4.799, 236.71. Sitko defeated Ryan Horan’s Chevy Camaro who was unable to fire on the starting line.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action April 9-12 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

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CHANDLER, Ariz. — Final finish order (1-16) at the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs at Firebird Motorsports Park. The race is the second of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1. Shawn Langdon; 2. Leah Pruett; 3. Doug Kalitta; 4. Maddi Gordon; 5. Tony Stewart; 6. Billy Torrence; 7. Tony Schumacher; 8. Josh Hart; 9. Will Smith; 10. Shawn Reed; 11. Jaren Mott; 12. Antron Brown; 13. Justin Ashley; 14. Clay Millican; 15. Cameron Ferre.

FUNNY CAR:

1. Ron Capps; 2. Spencer Hyde; 3. Matt Hagan; 4. Paul Lee; 5. Daniel Wilkerson; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Jordan Vandergriff; 8. Chad Green; 9. Jack Beckman; 10. Cruz Pedregon; 11. Austin Prock; 12. Dave Richards; 13. Blake Alexander; 14. Jason Rupert; 15. Dylan Winefsky; 16. Alexis DeJoria.

PRO STOCK:

1. Dallas Glenn; 2. Cody Coughlin; 3. Greg Stanfield; 4. Jeg Coughlin; 5. Aaron Stanfield; 6. Matt Latino; 7. Chris McGaha; 8. Erica Enders; 9. Greg Anderson; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 11. Deric Kramer; 12. Eric Latino; 13. Matt Hartford; 14. Stephen Bell; 15. Chris Vang; 16. Cody Anderson.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Sunday’s final results from the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs at Firebird Motorsports Park. The race is the second of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon, 3.877 seconds, 325.45 mph def. Leah Pruett, 3.930 seconds, 317.57 mph.

Funny Car — Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.124, 303.23 def. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 4.326, 259.76.

Pro Stock — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.627, 206.39 def. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.674, 207.30.

Super Stock — Tim Seymour, Chevy Camaro, 9.208, 145.20 def. Evan Kowalski, Chevy Cobalt, 9.229, 136.22.

Stock Eliminator — Justin Lamb, Chevy Camaro, 9.512, 139.80 def. Leo Glasbrenner, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Super Comp — Doug Johnson, Dragster, 8.888, 176.63 def. Tanner Theobald, Dragster, 8.880, 173.38.

Super Gas — Val Torres Jr., Chevy Camaro, 16.241, 62.66 def. Chris Gabbard, Plymouth Duster, Foul – Red Light.

Top Sportsman — Rob Mendenhall, chevy Camaro, 6.969, 196.73 def. Will Yakimetz, Camaro, 6.864, 172.28.

Top Dragster — Cooper Chun, Dragster, 7.741, 152.21 def. Dylan Hough, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

Pro Modified — Justin Bond, Chevy Camaro, 5.736, 251.81 def. Steve Jackson, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.