Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / ELITE MOTORSPORTS – READING, PA – Aaron Stanfield and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / Janac Brothers Racing team dominated raceday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway to secure their fifth win of the season and take over the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series Pro Stock points lead.
Stanfield battled against teammate and six-time reigning world champion Erica Enders in the final round. Stanfield got the win, his fifth in seven races and 13th in his Pro Stock career, on a holeshot with a .017 second reaction time and 6.569-second pass at 209.26 mph bettering Enders’ .059 reaction time and 6.557 pass at 210.47. Stanfield now leads the points by nine over Dallas Glenn.
“This feels great. Momentum is real. Things have been rolling our way and we’ve been getting those round wins when we need them to go our way,” Stanfield said. “We did our job today, Erica and I and all our guys. We put both of our JHG, Melling cars in the final round here, and that was the goal.
“I feel like I did a great job and Mark Ingersoll, Jake Hairston, and Kyle Bates, and Timmy Freeman, they were all making good calls on racecars today,” Stanfield continued. “I know the equipment I’m in, and I know how hungry my guys are to win. We definitely have a shot; we just need to keep this momentum that we’ve got rolling. I kept telling our crew chiefs up in the lounge, I hope I don’t wake up tomorrow and forget what I’ve been doing but I was definitely able to keep it rolling today.”
En route to the finals, Stanfield started the day from the No. 4 qualifying position taking on teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. and the JEGS.com / White Castle team in the first round. It would be a holeshot round win for Stanfield with a .012 second reaction time at 6.561 seconds and 209.72 mph. Troy Jr. would have a .023 reaction time and 6.553 pass at 209.82. In the second round, Stanfield would have a 6.569 at 208.75 to take down Chris McGaha who rattled the tires to a 11.661 at 81.68.
In the semifinals, Stanfield faced off against KB Racing rival and No. 1 qualifier Dallas Glenn. Stanfield stayed consistent going 6.562 seconds at 208.68 while Glenn had trouble and coasted to an 18.736 at 41.58 to set Stanfield up against Enders in the finals.
Enders started her raceday from the No. 2 qualifying spot and beat Mason McGaha (6.558 at 210.34 def. 6.573 at 208.88), Matt Hartford (6.554 at 210.77 def. 6.579 at 208.97) and five-time world champion Greg Anderson (6.570 at 209.92 def. 6.581 at 209.36) to reach her fourth final round of the season. Enders and the JHG / Melling / SCAG Power Equipment team move into third in the points standings.
The NHRA Countdown to the Championship continues next weekend, Sept. 20-22, at zMAX Dragway with the NHRA Carolina Nationals.