Langdon, Capps, Glenn beat the heat to score wins at FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals

Three-time Funny Car world champion Ron Capps overcame a significant engine explosion in the second round at Firebird Motorsports Park, ultimately defeating Spencer Hyde in the final round to secure his 78th career victory on Sunday at the 41st annual FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs.

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also claimed victories in the second of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round, Capps recorded a time of 4.124 seconds at 303.24 mph in his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra, successfully holding off Hyde to achieve his first victory of the season and his fourth overall in Phoenix.

This victory was particularly emotional for the veteran driver, following a significant engine explosion at the finish line during his second-round win against Daniel Wilkerson. Capps and his team demonstrated resilience, delivering an impressive performance to defeat defending event winner Paul Lee with a strong run, advancing to the final round.

Capps achieved a quicker start than Hyde and maintained his lead at the finish line, securing one of the most memorable victories in his distinguished career. A year prior, Capps experienced a similar explosion and crash in Phoenix, but those incidents are now overshadowed by Sunday's remarkable outcome.

“We anticipated a challenging day with potential cylinder drops,” Capps commented. “Some runs were unexpected in terms of lane choice, but it worked out. It felt like running a bracket car. This win reminded me of my first win in St. Louis [1997], where we faced high temperatures and cylinder issues but still emerged victorious.

“We incurred significant damage. At the moment, we weren’t sure if the win light would be worth it, but it certainly wouldn’t have been if we had finished as runners-up. I must thank Paul Lee and his team for their patience. We faced issues warming up [in the pits], and it nearly didn’t start, so achieving that semifinal win and the subsequent run was quite rewarding.”

Spencer Hyde, NHRA’s reigning Rookie of the Year and the No. 1 qualifier in Phoenix, reached his third career final round after defeating Blake Alexander, J.R. Todd, and Matt Hagan. Following two races, Gainesville winner Chad Green leads the points standings.