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By NHRA - Jun 8, 2025, 7:31 PM EDT

Capps claws back to NHRA winner's circle at Thunder Valley Nationals

Three-time Funny Car world champion Ron Capps became the all-time wins leader at Bristol Dragway on Sunday, snapping a 33-race winless streak by defeating Paul Lee in the final round of the 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the eighth of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Capps made the best run of his weekend in the finals, going 3.957s at 328.06mph in his NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra to chase down Lee and win for the eighth time at Bristol Dragway, surpassing Tony Schumacher for the most in track history.

It also gave Capps a huge sigh of relief, snapping a long winless streak. His last victory before Sunday came at Indianapolis in 2023, but the veteran found his groove on Sunday in Thunder Valley, winning at the scenic track for the third time in four years. Capps knocked off Matt Hagan, Epping winner J.R. Todd and Dave Richards to reach the final, turning in a classic performance to get his 77th career win and moving to fourth in points.
“We’re a single car team, and we can’t lean on other teams so it’s been a little more difficult,” Capps said. “Even when we were struggling, I never once questioned Guido [crew chief Dean Antonelli]. I just knew we had to get better, and we stuck with the plan.

“I knew we’d have times when we’d struggle, but as an owner I’ve watched it and tried to handle it a certain way. This is a grueling track. To win more here more times than John Force says a lot. I’ve known for a long time that I’ll be No. 2 to John Force in everything but to have eight wins here is awesome. To win so many times at a track that is so demanding on a driver and crew chiefs, it makes you feel like you’ve won a championship.”

Lee reached the final round for the third time this season with wins against Chad Green, Buddy Hull and Daniel Wilkerson. He’s now second in points, while Austin Prock stayed in the points lead despite a second straight first-round loss.
In Top Fuel, four-time world champ Steve Torrence also got back in the win column for the first time in nearly a year, taking down Justin Ashley in the finals with a run of 4.022s at 325.37mph in his Capco Contractors dragster. Torrence last found the winner’s circle last July in Seattle, struggling down the stretch. It wasn’t a banner start to 2025, either, but Torrence and his team undoubtedly turned the corner on Sunday in Bristol, winning for the second time in Thunder Valley.

To reach the final, Torrence got past Dan Mercier, Clay Millican and points leader Tony Stewart, defeating Stewart by 0.002s in a thrilling side-by-side semifinal duel. After a lengthy rain delay before the final round, both Torrence and Ashley struggled off the starting line. But Torrence quickly recovered, powering down the track to win for the 56th time in his career and giving the Texan plenty of momentum in the process.

Torrence remained seventh in points, but showed on Sunday his team still has plenty of championship potential.

“First and foremost, this is the week before Father’s Day and I have two beautiful girls, so that’s really special to me,” Torrence said. “My little girl was born in 2021 and that was kind of the end of our reign, and I didn’t want her to think that I used to be good.
“This was a tough day. The conditions were really tricky and I knew I had to be consistent and do my job. I haven’t won since Seattle. We’re trying to get better and make a better mouse trap, but you stay with girl you brought to the dance. That’s the deal with [crew chief] Richard Hogan and Bobby Lagana. That’s a testament to their ability to read the track.”