If you saw Maddi Gordon walking through an airport, you might mistake her for a social media influencer, the kind of person who knows which hotel lighting works best for a selfie and can pack an entire life into a carry-on. And you’d be right, sort of. But this same young woman can also rebuild an 11,000-horsepower nitro Funny Car engine, run it at 330 miles per hour, and do it all without flinching.

Welcome to the new face of NHRA drag racing, and to Carlyle Tools’ bold bet on a future where authenticity, technical skill, and accessibility collide.

Gordon is the daughter of Doug Gordon who won the 2023 Top Alcohol Funny Car championship. Maddi is a second generation drag racer who raced for her dad in 2025 and like fellow California native Ron isn’t trying to look the part. She just is the part, and the part has changed. Next season she will move up to the top rung in NHRA racing for Capps in a new Top Fuel entry for Ron Capps Motorsports.

“People see me on Instagram and assume I’m just doing the content side,” Gordon said. “But I’ve grown up in the pits. I can tear down an engine, and I understand what goes into every run. I love sharing that, because it’s what makes this sport so real. I want people, especially young girls, to see that and think, ‘I could do that too.’”