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Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Entrepreneur Paul Lee Gets First NHRA Funny Car Victory After Long Time Trying
Paul Lee has a lot of achievements in life. Lee owns successful automotive aftermarket companies. He is an expert poker player. He has earned a law degree—three college degrees, to be exact. He won several alcohol Funny Car races. He even survived a widow-maker heart attack several years ago. But he never won an NHRA Funny Car Wally trophy—until Sunday at the Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler. The 67-year-old Lee, who earned his nitro license and made his Funny Car debut in 2005 after starting in Top Alcohol cars in 1988, joined Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) on the winners podium. Lee's first triumph, at reigning class champion Austin Prock's expense, was a tremendously sentimental one, for it came 18 years to the day after Eric Medlen's passing. Eric Medlen's father, John Medlen, is Lee's co-crew chief along with tuner/builder/racer Jonnie Lindberg. 'I had a feeling about today,' Lee said as he received his trophy. 'We prayed about it today, and there was just a calm in our pit. We're blessed. Today was surreal. This trophy is going straight o John Medlen. He's the strongest man I know. He's a blessed man, and he has blessed us with his presence on our team.' Moments after watching Lee clinch the victory, John Medlen said of his son, 'I think he pushed that car right into the winners circle.' Lee also credited Lindberg, a Top Alcohol Funny Car champion turned Funny Car racer turned crew chief. Lee likened him to drag-racing legend Don Garlits. Curiously, Lee's only three final rounds in Funny Car competition have come in the past eight months, including at Seattle last July and at Las Vegas in November 2024. And in all three Lee has had to face Prock. Prock, representing John Force Racing, had a lot of emotion attached to this final round, as well. Prock grew up around the beloved Eric Medlen when Medlen competed at JFR with John Medlen tuning the car. The win also gave Lee the Funny Car points lead. It was as though neither Pro Stock driver wanted to win the final round that was a rematch of the season-opening Gatornationals. And even when Anderson was declared the winner, he said he had no idea what he had done or why he won or what Glenn—who beat him at Gainesville two weeks ago—had done. Anderson is 64 years old and constantly wisecracks about being a greybeard. Glenn, too, fondly gets in his digs to his mentor. But Anderson was not going crazy Sunday. The final round was the weirdest even the experts have seen in the sport's history. You see, drag racing has no start-finish line. It has a starting line, and it has a finish line. For the Pro Stock class, those two lines are a quarter-mile apart. But with a weird technical twist, Sunday's starting line was the finish line. Both Anderson and Glenn committed foul starts, and both cars lost power immediately. Anderson saw his win light come on, and he said later that he didn't know how he could red-light—and have his car quit on him, to boot—and still win. He said he knew he had red-lit at the Christmas Tree—jumped the gun—but didn't have any idea what Glenn, his KB Titan Racing teammate, was doing. So he figured he needed to try to get his Chevy Camaro to hook up again and was supremely frustrated he couldn't do that. 'I had no chance of winning that race,' he said, but little did he know he already had won it. Glenn, too, was frustrated for his own reasons. 'We both blew it,' Anderson declared. 'We wanted to put on a good show, and that wasn't much of a show. They say there's no such thing as an ugly win. Well, that was an ugly win. But a win is a win is a win. We'll forget about the details of it. The Great Lord shined on me today.' Final finish order (1-16) at the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals 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. Doug Kalitta; 3. Jasmine Salinas; 4. Brittany Force; 5. Antron Brown; 6. Justin Ashley; 7. Tony Stewart; 8. Josh Hart; 9. Clay Millican; 10. Ida Zetterstrom; 11. Travis Shumake; 12. Scott Palmer; 13. Steven Chrisman; 14. Shawn Reed. FUNNY CAR: 1. Paul Lee; 2. Austin Prock; 3. Jack Beckman; 4. Bob Tasca III; 5. Matt Hagan; 6. Blake Alexander; 7. J.R. Todd; 8. Cruz Pedregon; 9. Ron Capps; 10. Jon Capps; 11. Daniel Wilkerson; 12. Alexis DeJoria; 13. Bobby Bode; 14. Chad Green; 15. Dave Richards; 16. Buddy Hull. PRO STOCK: 1. Greg Anderson; 2. Dallas Glenn; 3. Matt Hartford; 4. Aaron Stanfield; 5. Eric Latino; 6. Cory Reed; 7. Mason McGaha; 8. Greg Stanfield; 9. Cristian Cuadra; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 11. David Cuadra; 12. Brandon Foster; 13. Erica Enders; 14. Jeg Coughlin; 15. Deric Kramer; 16. Fernando Cuadra Jr.. Sunday's final results from the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. The race is the second of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series: Top Fuel -- Shawn Langdon, 3.724 seconds, 330.39 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 3.770 seconds, 325.53 mph. Funny Car -- Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 4.030, 313.22 def. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 4.507, 240.68. Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, Broke def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, Foul - Red Light. Competition Eliminator -- Jeff Taylor, Spitzer, 6.912, 159.83 def. Paul Mitsos, Chevy Camaro, 21.356, 35.22. Super Stock -- Ryan McClanahan, Chevy Cobalt, 8.284, 161.32 def. Leo Glasbrenner, Chevy Camaro, 9.413, 142.49. Stock Eliminator -- Justin Lamb, Chevy Camaro, 9.618, 135.21 def. Jody Lang, Chevy Malibu Wgn, 12.019, 107.05. Super Comp -- Chad Webber, Dragster, 8.944, 180.91 def. Steve Williams, Dragster, 8.927, 182.62. Super Gas -- Roger Kato, Chevy Camaro, 9.932, 171.60 def. Jerry Denton, Chevy Corvette, 9.826, 157.85. Top Dragster -- Mike Fuqua, Dragster, 7.237, 184.77 def. Mallory Reis, Dragster, 6.495, 203.95. Pro Modified -- Mike Stavrinos, Chevy Camaro, 5.725, 248.43 def. Rickie Smith, Ford Mustang, 5.787, 250.09. Legends Nitro Funny Car presented by Extreme Steel -- Ryan Horan, Chevy Camaro, 4.706, 240.55 def. Bobby Cottrell, Camaro, 4.826, 235.39. Final round-by-round results from the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the second of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series: TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- Tony Stewart, 4.940, 189.84 def. Shawn Reed, 7.961, 64.16; Justin Ashley, 3.805, 327.19 def. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.818, 324.51; Brittany Force, 3.779, 320.89 def. Steven Chrisman, 4.089, 254.90; Doug Kalitta, 3.762, 325.92 def. Travis Shumake, 3.829, 330.88; Shawn Langdon, 3.783, 323.66 def. Scott Palmer, 3.918, 296.57; Antron Brown, 3.770, 329.34 def. Josh Hart, 3.810, 322.27; Jasmine Salinas, 3.779, 328.70 def. Clay Millican, 3.815, 319.98; QUARTERFINALS -- Langdon, 3.841, 311.49 def. Ashley, 4.124, 246.08; Force, 3.793, 328.38 def. Stewart, 5.328, 135.00; Salinas, 3.821, 322.88 def. Brown, 3.870, 314.24; Kalitta, 3.821, 322.27 was unopposed; SEMIFINALS -- Kalitta, 3.767, 317.94 def. Salinas, 3.809, 320.66; Langdon, 3.833, 325.37 def. Force, Broke; FINAL -- Langdon, 3.724, 330.39 def. Kalitta, 3.770, 325.53. FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE -- Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.949, 326.16 def. Jon Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.570, 221.96; Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.910, 327.66 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 7.303, 94.31; Austin Prock, Camaro, 3.936, 324.75 def. Buddy Hull, Charger, 14.943, 58.78; Blake Alexander, Charger, 4.003, 306.67 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.165, 230.61; Paul Lee, Charger, 4.445, 196.22 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 7.219, 92.78; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.977, 322.34 def. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, Foul - Red Light; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.987, 324.44 def. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 4.768, 190.62; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 7.556, 87.55 def. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, Foul - Red Light; QUARTERFINALS -- Prock, 4.010, 311.92 def. Hagan, 4.005, 316.38; Beckman, 3.973, 319.14 def. Pedregon, 10.113, 80.73; Tasca III, 3.979, 325.22 def. Todd, 5.294, 161.63; Lee, 3.964, 319.82 def. Alexander, 4.151, 276.58; SEMIFINALS -- Lee, 4.411, 207.62 def. Tasca III, 5.219, 156.41; Prock, 3.966, 321.19 def. Beckman, 3.979, 321.42; FINAL -- Lee, 4.030, 313.22 def. Prock, 4.507, 240.68. PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE -- Mason McGaha, Chevy Camaro, 6.907, 207.69 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 9.620, 109.58; Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.598, 209.20 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.824, 209.39; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.596, 209.33 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, Foul - Red Light; Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.546, 209.62 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 7.075, 205.60; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.560, 208.71 def. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.619, 207.50; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.555, 209.49 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 10.798, 85.46; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.560, 210.57 def. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.602, 208.71; Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.582, 208.75 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.587, 209.79; QUARTERFINALS -- Hartford, 6.588, 208.46 def. M. McGaha, 6.837, 204.48; Glenn, 6.590, 209.95 def. G. Stanfield, 18.127, 58.53; Anderson, 6.616, 209.17 def. E. Latino, 6.594, 209.17; A. Stanfield, 6.589, 208.49 def. Reed, 6.603, 209.10; SEMIFINALS -- Anderson, 6.586, 209.79 def. A. Stanfield, 16.603, 50.14; Glenn, 6.591, 209.79 def. Hartford, 6.586, 208.49; FINAL -- Anderson, Broke def. Glenn, Foul - Red Light. Point standings (top 10) following the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the second of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series - Top Fuel 1. Shawn Langdon, 219; 2. Antron Brown, 179; 3. Doug Kalitta, 161; 4. Jasmine Salinas, 145; 5. Brittany Force, 118; 6. Tony Stewart, 107; 7. Clay Millican, 89; 8. Justin Ashley, 85; 9. Steve Torrence, 75; 10. Shawn Reed, 66. Funny Car 1. Paul Lee, 151; 2. Jack Beckman, 149; 3. Bob Tasca III, 143; 4. Chad Green, 139; 5. Ron Capps, 132; 6. Austin Prock, 127; 7. Matt Hagan, 124; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 107; 9. (tie) Bobby Bode, 87; Cruz Pedregon, 87. Pro Stock 1. Greg Anderson, 228; 2. Dallas Glenn, 221; 3. Cory Reed, 129; 4. Matt Hartford, 117; 5. Eric Latino, 109; 6. Mason McGaha, 105; 7. Aaron Stanfield, 104; 8. Jeg Coughlin, 103; 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., 89; 10. Greg Stanfield, 86.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maddi Gordon Facing ‘Life-Changing' Switch to NHRA Top Fuel in 2026
Maddi Gordon in 2026 will leave her cocoon of racing with her grandparents, parents, and sister for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel competition that eight-time champion Tony Schumacher has called 'ice-cold vicious' Ron Capps is adding the dragster to his organization to give a young racer an opportunity like the ones he had. Gordon says she and sister Macie, also an accomplished racer, weren't born with silver wrenches in their hands. Maddi Gordon is elbow-deep into the engine of her Top Alcohol Funny Car at Firebird Motorsports Park at Chandler, Ariz. She's completely confident as she navigates the snarl of wires, turns knobs, and yanks on a torque wrench like she's pulling the handle on a Las Vegas slot machine that she's too young to play. The 20-year-old from Paso Robles, Calif., knows exactly what she needs to do to make her clutch transfer power to the pavement. By day's end, she has a trophy from the NHRA West Region 2025 season-opener. It isn't her first 'Wally' statue. Gordon, daughter of three-time NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car champion Doug Gordon, last July at Seattle earned the distinction of becoming the 100th female racer to win an NHRA national event. Since she stepped up from the Jr. Dragster, Top Dragster, and Super Comp sportsman ranks, Maddi Gordon has won the Northwest Nationals (in just her fifth national event) and added three more divisional victories in 2024 and leads the early 2025 standings. With her dad overseeing the family operation, younger sister Macie (a racer in her own right) serving as engine builder and car chief, mom Christina working on the crew, and car-owner grandparents Mike and Cheryl Gordon serving as crew chief and team manager, the Gordon 'flash' has an emerging new-generation superhero. Maddi Gordon might giggle at that notion. But she's in for a dramatic change. That's by design. Capps, a three-time NHRA Funny Car champion who's entering his fourth campaign of team ownership, said he planned Gordon's pro debut for 2026 to 'give us time,' with 'us' being him, crew chief Dean 'Guido' Antonelli, and Gordon. 'I always had Maddi in mind, and I talked to Doug and Christina, her mom and dad, and I knew I didn't want to interfere with anything we're doing on our team. But even more so is to give her time to run for a championship with their team and with their car,' Capps said. 'I didn't want to rush things. I also understood, being around Don Prudhomme, being around Don Schumacher and really around a lot of the people in our sport, it could go very badly if you rush things." Right now, Capps hasn't ironed out sponsorship. He doesn't have all the necessary equipment, and he doesn't have a crew assembled, but he said, 'We have the luxury of having time. We don't have trucks and trailers right now.' It all has been mind-boggling for Gordon. 'The way that he just chose me is, I mean, seriously, I am picking my jaw off the floor. It's just a dream come true," Gordon said. "We're super-fortunate to have the backing that we have for our Funny Car. We have so many great sponsors that help us to be as successful like we are, but we don't have the funding to go [pro]. And I've known that. "It's not something that we can afford. But with Ron, he's just like, 'I want to choose you because of who you are and how you drive and all that stuff, not because you have the money to do it.' Seriously, I'm at a loss for words. It's just an honor. And that doesn't happen in drag racing.' she said. As for the second crew, Capps said Antonelli will select the new hires when the timing is right. Gordon said, 'We really haven't gotten too far into detail just because it is still a ways away, but I'm sure he's got some ideas and things he wants me to try. But I mean, I'm all game for whatever he says to do. He's obviously the man, so he knows what he's doing. "It's hard not to think about it, but with the way that Ron handles everything, he's so respectful with it, just like, 'Hey, don't worry about it. Don't think about it. Don't stress on this. You do your thing. You run for your championship. We'll handle it over here.' Ron's just such just a genuinely nice person, just somebody that we feel so comfortable with. 'But I think about it all the time—seriously, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And it's so hard to fathom. It's just surreal to think that I really—hopefully—I'm really going to drive a Top Fuel dragster next year. And it's just like once it gets closer, I'll start getting more nervous. But right now, I'm just kind of in awe,' she said. In a few months, she'll transition from a 3500-horsepower, full-bodied, 120-125-inch-wheelbase, front-engine race car that covers the quarter-mile in five seconds at about 280 mph to a 12,000-horsepower, 300-inch-long, rear-engine beast that's the quickest-accelerating vehicle on the planet at zero to 100 mph in less than a second. 'I'm sure there's going to be learning curves," Gordon said. "Absolutely. Before I ran the Funny Car, I watched hundreds of in-car videos of my dad, just to learn the basic procedures. I would literally sit in my room and watch a video and just [recite] 'Clutch, pedal, throttle, brake,' just trying to understand the procedures. And I feel like that really helped me in this car. just to get the basic routine down. "So I'll talk to Ron and whatever he says to do is what I'm going to do as far as preparing. I want to be good, and I want to be successful. But I know that doesn't come right away. I know that's not an expectation. But I'm going to a hundred percent put in the work to hopefully be the best I can as soon as possible. 'I've been so fortunate to been blessed with the family that I do and the team that I have and surrounded by the people that I'm surrounded with. And my sister and I definitely put in the effort and put in the time. We didn't just get handed everything. If it wasn't for my family, I would not be where I am. Absolutely not. There's no way.' Much as how Don Prudhomme saw Capps' potential and hired him to drive an NHRA Funny Car in 1997, Capps discovered a kinship with Gordon. 'I just love that she grew up like I did, where she builds the cars, she works on 'em, she works with her family (at the racetrack and at her grandparents' Morro Bay Cabinets)," Capps said. "She's very involved in the mechanical side. I knew she would be great at it, but I came up in a sport and never having to luckily bring any sponsor money to any of my rides, I was lucky. They hired me because they thought I'd do a good job. And that doesn't happen anymore." 'And in today's day and age, there are so many social-media influencers who are girls and women who are working on cars. And it's really fun. And that just goes right into our sport: We don't just have girls who compete. We've got girls who win championships and races and are very good from Jr. Dragster on up. So I just felt like it was the perfect opportunity."
