DENVER (July 12, 2023) – As they prepare for what will surely be a bittersweet weekend, the Elite Motorsports team, the largest professional team in drag racing, is focused on turning on as many win lights as possible as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series takes to the track at Bandimere Speedway for the last time. At this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock fleet will be joined by its two Mountain Motor Pro Stock entries as well as several sportsman participants in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
This weekend also marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of Royce Freeman Sr., the patriarch of the Freeman family including Elite Motorsports owner Richard Freeman. All drivers will be giving it their all as they remember the man whose dedication to the sport of drag racing left a larger-than-life legacy that continues to flourish.
Pro Stock rookie Jerry Tucker will be competing at Bandimere Speedway for the first time. The talented driver will have a new sponsor on board this weekend as Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer will be featured prominently on his Camaro.
“After seeing the rendering last week, I can’t wait to see the car with the Elk on the hood and the Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer logo on the side when I get to the track,” said Tucker.
Scott Woodruff from Elite Motorsports collaborated with Scott Brown Designs on the layout and the CEO of the company was thrilled with the rendering. The entire team is excited to welcome the folks from Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer to the track this weekend. Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer can be found in Colorado, Kansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Montana, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
Aaron Stanfield was the No. 1 qualifier and runner-up at the Mile-High Nationals last year and he’s looking forward to turning up the heat on the competition in his Janac Brothers / JC3 Energy Camaro this weekend. Interestingly, the skilled driver will be competing in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty specialty race against Matt Hartford, who won the final round against Stanflield in Denver last year. Troy Coughlin Jr. will also compete in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge against Dallas Glenn. This race-within-a-race offers semifinalists from the previous event a rematch during qualifying on Saturday.
Bo Butner, the 2017 Pro Stock world champion, is eager to get a win this season for his sponsor, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. His powerful Camaro has been performing consistently and Butner knows what it takes to compete in the unique conditions this track presents.
Five-time and current world champion Erica Enders has her eye on the prize as she prepares to take the mountain that has previously eluded her in her Pro Stock career. Bandimere Speedway is one of only a handful of facilities wherein Enders has yet to win in the Pro Stock category. The seasoned driver has demonstrated time and again that she performs best under pressure so she feels good about her chances of clinching the final win of the Bandimere era.
Enders will also be competing in Mountain Motor Pro Stock along with team owner Richard Freeman. These powerful machines were built to handle the atmospheric challenges of Denver and Freeman won the last Mountain Motor Pro Stock event in Chicago.
The Cuadra Boys, Fernando Cuadra Sr., Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Cristian Cuadra will be competing in their fleet of Corral Boots / Cuadra Pro Stock Mustangs, hoping to bring a win back to their home in Leon, Mexico. David Cuadra will be participating in the Top Sportsman category.
Other Elite and Patterson-Elite entries in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series include Allen Firestone in Top Sportsman; Aydan Patterson, Ryan Montford, James Kunkel and Tim Nicholson, all in Super Stock; as well as Jay Storey who is competing in Stock and Super Stock.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals will feature two rounds at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m. MT on Friday, July 14 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, July 15 at 2:30 and 6 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. MT on Sunday, July 16. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations on FOX at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Erica Enders
“It’s hard to believe that this is the last time we will be heading to Bandimere Speedway. Visiting Denver has been a staple on our summer schedule since the mid-90s when we were racing Jr. Dragsters. The tradition continued through my entire sportsman and professional career. The Mountain is just flat-out special. The Bandimere family has not only done so much for the sport but they have also been so great on a personal level, to my family and me. We wish them nothing but the best as they venture out on their next journey. In the meantime, I would love nothing more than to win Denver, for my first time in Pro Stock, as the NHRA rolls into the gates for the last time. This one would be so meaningful and my guys and I will do everything in our power to leave Bandimere, Queen of the Mountain.”
Aaron Stanfield
“Denver has treated us well in the past and after having several weeks off in a row, we are all eager to get back on the track! Everyone’s going to be bringing their A-game. I get to face off with Matt Hartford during qualifying for the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge, which will be interesting since we were the two in the final round at the Mile Highs last year. I like it when the competition is intense like this, so I’m expecting positive results.”
Troy Coughlin Jr.
“Team Yellow has been working hard to keep the car in good shape, along with the guys making some awesome headway in the engine room. Our plan is to focus on the process on making good clean runs and being the best we can be! It would be a huge honor to leave with the last Wally from Bandimere.”
Bo Butner
“This is one of just a handful of tracks where we haven’t won yet, and we’d like to get that done for us, but really for Jason Johnson and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. Denver is different, but it’s a really unique, cool racetrack. Winning there would mean a lot to anyone, especially because it sounds like this might be the last time we get to go there for a national event. We haven’t gotten our win yet for JHG with our car, and this weekend feels like a great time to get it done.”
Fernando Cuadra Sr.
“The Cuadra Boys are excited to race for a final time at Bandimere Speedway. We want to create a great show for the fans and thank the Bandimere family for all they’ve done for the sport of drag racing.”
Fernando Cuadra Jr.
“We are continuing to try new things to determine how we can improve performance and maintain consistency. As a driver, I’m always working on myself as well. This is a great team and I feel confident in our progress. Everything can change when we get into the altitude in Denver, so it’s going to be an exciting event!”
Cristian Cuadra
“I began my Pro Stock career at Bandimere Speedway in 2019 and I’m really going to miss it. This track has been an important part of racing for so many years. We love the fans at Denver so this is going to be a really special race. I feel like everything is coming together for our team and a victory is close.”
David Cuadra
“I’m going to be behind the wheel of my Top Sportsman car again this weekend. It was fun to be back in the category a few weeks ago in Norwalk and we learned a lot at that race. Bandimere Speedway is such an iconic track so it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to it. Everyone wants to walk away with the last win here so the competition will be fierce.”
Jerry Tucker
“This is going to be bittersweet as it will be my first and last time to compete at Bandimere. But we’ve got Outlaw Beer riding with us this weekend and we are ready to bring some serious Elite thunder to the mountains!”
Pre-Race Notes
Elite Motorsports: Pre-race notes
Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals
Bandimere Speedway
Denver, Colorado (July 22-25)
The Elite Motorsports team, the largest team in professional drag racing, has expanded for 2023 and will field a total of ten entries for this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver. At this event, the Elite Pro Stock team will feature eight drivers including reigning and five-time world champion Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Troy Coughlin Jr., Bo Butner, Fernando Cuadra Sr. and his sons, Fernando Jr. and Cristian, as well as newcomer Jerry Tucker. Enders and team owner Richard Freeman will also race in the Mountain Motor Pro Stock class with their Elite Camaro entries. The third Cuadra brother, David, will also be active in the Right Trailers Top Sportsman class.
In the 19 Pro Stock events contested last season, Team Elite won 15 times and appeared in 26 of 38 possible final rounds. In addition to Erica Enders’ 10 wins, Aaron Stanfield collected three victories while Troy Coughlin Jr. earned his first two professional victories.
Enders is coming off the most dominant season of her career that produced ten wins in 13 final round appearances and an astounding 55-9 record in elimination rounds. This season, Enders’ impressive roster of supporters includes Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage, Melling Performance, SCAG Power Equipment, PeopleLease and Mark Stockseth.
During her professional career, Enders has accumulated 44 wins in 75 final rounds and has a round-win record of 446-247 for a .643 win percentage. Enders also has a win in Super Gas (2004 Houston) bringing her career total to 45 national event victories.
Enders recently won the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. After qualifying No. 1, Enders defeated Deric Kramer in the final round. Enders also set the low E.T. and top speed of the event with a best of 6.627 at 206.95. With this victory, Enders moved into the Top 10 for the first time this season. She is currently ranked No. 7 following a quarter-final finish in Norwalk.
Enders has won at least one Pro Stock event at 17 different NHRA venues but has yet to win in Denver. This will be her last chance to do so as this is scheduled to be the final NHRA event at Bandimere Speedway.
Last year at this event, Enders set the top speed for Pro Stock at 197.02 mph. On Friday, Enders is scheduled to join NHRA personality Jason Logan on the midway to participate in the popular 10 Questions session where fans can get to know their favorite NHRA stars.
Enders currently holds both the elapsed time and speed records for the NHRA Pro Stock class with bests of 6.450-seconds and 215.55 mph. The elapsed time record was set at the 2022 Gatornationals.
If Enders wins three more events this season, she will surpass three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Angelle Sampey as the sport’s winningest female driver. Sampey currently has 46 wins while Enders has 44 professional wins.
Following an impressive fourth-place finish in 2022, Troy Coughlin Jr. has begun his fourth full season behind the wheel of the familiar yellow and black JEGS.com Camaro. Coughlin enjoyed a breakout season last year with back-to-back victories in Seattle and Topeka. Coughlin also went to final rounds in Phoenix, Reading and Las Vegas.
Coughlin heads to Denver as the No. 4 ranked driver in the championship after a dominating win at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and a runner-up at the Four-Wide event in Las Vegas. Most recently a semifinalist in Norwalk, Coughlin has a 10-7 record in elimination rounds this season.
Coughlin and his Elite teammate Aaron Stanfield will also take part in the Mission Foods 2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Denver. The special event will be held on Saturday and features a race between the semifinalists of the previous Pro Stock event in Norwalk. Coughlin and Stanfield will be joined by Dallas Glenn and Matt Hartford.
Earlier this season at the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix, Coughlin became the first winner of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, a special event open to the four semifinal finishers from the previous event. Coughlin defeated Greg Anderson in the final with an elapsed time of 6.57, compared to Anderson’s 6.60, to capture the inaugural event victory.
In addition to his three career Pro Stock victories, the multi-faceted Coughlin has won in Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp and Super Gas.
Coughlin’s father, Troy Sr., is a 15-time national event winner in Pro Stock, Pro Mod and Super Gas. Including his uncles, John, Mike, and Jeg Jr., the Coughlin family has combined to win 132 national event titles.
Coughlin’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.515-seconds and 212.29 mph, set earlier this year at the season opener in Gainesville.
Aaron Stanfield has also returned to the Elite team for another season behind the wheel of the Janac Bros/JC3 Energy Camaro. Stanfield, the son of five-time Super Stock world champ Greg Stanfield, is coming off a season where he was the third-ranked driver in Pro Stock.
Last year, Stanfield earned Pro Stock wins in Phoenix, Bristol and the Fall Charlotte race to go with four runner-up finishes in Pomona, Epping, Norwalk and Denver. Stanfield finished the season with a 38-16 record in elimination rounds.
So far this season, Stanfield has three semifinal and four quarterfinal finishes to his credit and he’s the No. 5 ranked driver in the class. Stanfield has also qualified a season-best of No. 2 at the most recent race in Bristol.
Stanfield won back-to-back titles in the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown class in 2020 and 2021. He will continue to drive his Janac Bros.-owned COPO Camaro in that class and will also continue to race in the Wright Trailers Top Dragster class.
All told Stanfield has 22 career wins in Pro Stock, Factory Stock, Super Stock, and Top Dragster.
Stanfield’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.457-seconds and 213.47 mph, both set in Gainesville 2022.
Bo Butner is a two-time NHRA world champion in Pro Stock (2017) and Comp Eliminator (2006). He joined the Elite team last season as the driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro.
Last season, Butner drove to a ninth-place finish in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings.
Earlier this season in Phoenix, Butner drove to a runner-up finish in Pro Stock, reaching the final for the first time since the 2019 Richmond event. Butner defeated Erica Enders, Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Kyle Koretsky to reach his 26th career Pro Stock final.
Butner is now ranked No. 10 in the Pro Stock standings, as Elite drivers hold five of the Top Ten spots.
While he did not win a Pro Stock event last year, the multi-talented Butner did earn a pair of victories in the Super Gas class in Indy and Reading.
Butner has 29 career national event victories including 11 in Pro Stock. He also has wins in Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Gas, and Super Street. Butner has also enjoyed success as a big-money bracket racer with a victory at the K&N Spring Fling Million in Las Vegas in 2021.
Butner has won at least one national event title at 14 different facilities but not at Bandimere Speedway. He was a runner-up to Drew Skillman at the 2017 Mile-High Nationals.
Butner’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.475-seconds and 214.28 mph, set in Dallas (2015) and Gainesville (2017), respectively.
The Cuadra family includes Fernando Sr., and his sons Fernando Jr. and Cristian. The Cuadra family is backed by Corral Handcrafted Boots and will continue to race Ford Mustangs under the Elite banner. David Cuadra has raced in Pro Stock this season but is entered in the Top Sportsman class this weekend.
Fernando Sr. is a two-time national event runner-up with final-round appearances at the 2019 races in Reading and Pomona. Cristian Cuadra was also the runner-up to Enders at the 2022 four-wide event in Las Vegas and he was a semifinalist at the recent Bristol race. He comes into this weekend as the No. 9 ranked driver in Pro Stock.
Earlier this season in Phoenix, Cristian Cuadra became the first Mexican-born NHRA racer to qualify No. 1 in a pro category when he drove his Elite-powered Corral Handcrafted Boots Mustang to a 6.552 pass. C. Cuadra is one of just 11 non-U.S.-born drivers to qualify No. 1 in a professional NHRA class and the only one to accomplish the feat in Pro Stock.
The Cuadra family has career-best elapsed times of 6.515 (Fernando Jr.), 6.524 (Fernando Sr.) and 6.527 (Cristian) – all of them recorded in Gainesville. Their career-best speeds are 212.13 (Fernando Sr.), 211.43 (Cristian), and 210.73 (Fernando Jr.).
New to the Elite Pro Stock team this year is Jerry Tucker, who enjoyed a memorable debut in Gainesville. Tucker qualified his Elite Camaro in the No. 15 spot with a 6.573 and won the first round after teammate Enders encountered a mechanical issue. Tucker is coming off his first semifinal finish at the recent Chicago race and is No. 12 in the standings, just 26 points out of the Top 10.
Tucker, of Lindsay, Okla., has spent the last 30 years racing everything from Sprint cars to Midgets and has also enjoyed success in drag racing. Tucker previously raced in the Top Sportsman class.
Tucker is expected to be one of the leading contenders for the NHRA Rookie of the Year award.
Collectively, the eight current team Elite drivers have combined to win 106 NHRA national event titles across all classes including 65 in the Pro Stock class.
The Mountain Motor Pro Stock class will make an appearance at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals with Elite drivers Erica Enders and Richard Freeman set to take part. The Mountain Motor Pro Stock cars feature large displacement engines and use either carburetors or fuel injection. Typically, they are quicker and faster than the traditional 500-inch Pro Stock cars with elapsed times in the 6.2-second range and speeds of well over 225 mph.
Freeman was the winner of the most recent Mountain Motor Pro Stock race held at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago. Freeman defeated John Montecalvo in the final round and also recorded the top speed of the event at 226.96 mph.