INDIANAPOLIS (August 30, 2023) – Elite Motorsports, the largest professional team in NHRA drag racing is prepared to take to the track for the world’s biggest drag race, the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, this week at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Affectionately known as the “Big Go,” this is the final event of the regular season for competitors in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Fans come from around the world to witness this cacophony of combustion as the best tuners and drivers come together for the ultimate showing of speed and power.
Reigning and five-time world champion Erica Enders has won the NHRA U.S. Nationals three times, tying her with Ashley Force as the female with the most professional wins at this iconic event. A victory this week in Indianapolis will make Enders the winningest woman in motorsports. She has two wins to her credit this season and is eager to reach this milestone moment in her career. At the most recent event in Brainerd, Minn., Enders won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty specialty event for the first time.
Elite Motorsports driver Aaron Stanfield will be participating in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge thanks to a semifinal finish in Brainerd. He’s currently seventh in the points standings entering the last event of the regular season. With consistent performances throughout the season, he is ready to power his Janac Bros. / JC3 Energy Camaro to the winners circle. His teammate, Troy Coughlin Jr., has experienced winning the U.S. Nationals twice before – in Super Comp and Super Gas – and he would like nothing more than to add a Pro Stock victory to that list. Coughlin has already clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship and he’s currently fourth in the standings with his JEGS.com / White Castle Camaro.
2017 Pro Stock world champion Bo Butner and Pro Stock rookie Jerry Tucker are both chasing their first event wins of the season. They are sitting in 11th and 12th place, respectively. This week’s event will be incredibly important for both drivers to enter the Countdown to the Championship from a position of strength. Their teams have been laser-focused on gaining momentum in the notoriously competitive Pro Stock category.
The Cuadra Boys, featuring patriarch Fernando Cuadra Sr., and his sons, Fernando Jr. and Cristian, are going to be changing things up a bit this weekend. Fernando Sr. will take the wheel of the Corral Boots Mustang that Fernando Jr. has been piloting this season, while Fernando Jr. is going to operate the Camaro formerly driven by Jeg Coughlin Jr. The team has been working tirelessly to prepare both cars for this venture as they work to turn on more win lights for Team Elite.
In the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Mason Wright, will be competing in his Elite-powered Pro Mod machine. This is the first year for Wright to compete in the fan-favorite category.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors will have the opportunity to make five qualifying passes before eliminations begin on Monday, September 4, which will provide the Elite Motorsports team with valuable data that they can utilize for the entire fleet of Elite-powered Pro Stock machines. Pro qualifying kicks off on Friday, September 1 at 5:45 pm E.T.
Erica Enders
“The BIG GO will always feel different. The significance of the U.S. Nationals will never be lost on me regardless of how many times we race it or win it. The timing of the biggest race of the year couldn’t be better for us right now. Momentum is swinging in our favor and our climb from 15th in points at the beginning of the season to fifth shows the tenacity of this Elite Motorsports team. We’ve won 3 U.S. Nationals titles together as a team and if you ask us, a 4th Win at Indy is exactly what the story of our 2023 Championship run needs. As always, my money is on us to snag our third Wally of the season with points and a half right before the Countdown points reset. I couldn’t be more excited to be headed to ‘The Big Go’.”
Aaron Stanfield
“This is the final race of the regular season and we are going to be fighting for every point so we can not only clinch our place in the Countdown but also make sure that we are in the best possible position as we enter the final stretch of the season. Racing in Indy is unlike any other place on the planet. There’s so much history here and you can feel the intensity. Everyone wants to win the U.S. Nationals and that means a great show for the fans.”
Troy Coughlin Jr.
“Indy is a very exciting marathon that is very rich in the history of our sport! Team Yellow is ready for the challenge and honor to compete in one of the greatest drag races on earth I get geeked for Indy, lol I love the pressure and intensity it has! It’s just in the name and in the atmosphere.”
Bo Butner
“With points and a half at Indy, we have the opportunity to make up some ground in Pro Stock with our Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Chevy, and this race is one that means a lot to us – it’s a home race for us. It was awesome getting that win in Super Gas last year, but that just makes you want more. The Big Go is one we always look forward to, and hopefully, both Randi Lyn and myself will have some luck this week at IRP. You can be good, you can have the best equipment, but especially at a race like this where it’s the best of the best, you need that luck just as much.”
Fernando Cuadra Sr.
“The U.S. Nationals is always an important race. I’m excited to see what our Elite Motorsports team can do this week! We will have an extra qualifying pass, which means more information for us to evaluate. It’s going to be a great show!”
Fernando Cuadra Jr.
“I’ll be trying out a different car this weekend because we’re still working to find the right combination. But since we get five qualifying passes, that means we will have a lot of data to evaluate as long as I perform well on the track. Indy is always full of surprises and I’m looking forward to every moment.”
Cristian Cuadra
“We’ve managed to stay in the Top Ten so far, but I know we’ve got a target on our backs going into Indy because there are only four spots available in the Countdown. This crew is wonderful and we will be approaching this event strategically so we can claim our place in the Top Ten. It’s going to be an exciting weekend!”
Jerry Tucker
“I don’t know if I have the words to express what it means to get to compete at the “Big Go” in Pro Stock. Everyone says that Indy just hits different. With only four spots still up for grabs in the Countdown, we are going to be working for every point possible. Getting to be a part of Elite, the largest team in pro drag racing, at the biggest drag race in the world – I’m honored to be a part of it. We are going to put on a great show!”
Mason Wright
“The team has been working really hard and we are making progress. Testing on and off the track has given us a few changes for Indy. Let’s see if we can put this hotrod in the winners circle.”
Pre-Race Notes
Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
Brownsburg, Ind. (August 30 – Sept. 4)
The Elite Motorsports team, the largest team in professional drag racing, has expanded for 2023 and will field a total of nine entries for this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, eight in Pro Stock and one in Pro Mod. 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. They will be joined by Mason Wright in an Elite Motorsports Pro Mod entry.
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.
In 2022, Enders had the most dominant season of her career with 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 45 wins in 76 final rounds and has a round-win record of 453-249 for a .645 win percentage. Enders also has a win in Super Gas (2004 Houston) bringing her career total to 46 national event victories.
Enders won two events this season in Bristol and Topeka. She defeated Deric Kramer in the Bristol final and more recently, topped Greg Anderson in Topeka. Enders is ranked No. 5 in the Pro Stock standings but is just 19 points behind teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. with one event remaining before the Countdown to the Championship playoffs begins.
Enders has won at least one Pro Stock event at 17 different NHRA venues including Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. She has won the prestigious U.S. Nationals three times in 2015, 2020, and 2021. In 2015, she beat Drew Skillman in the final. In 2020, she topped Matt Hartford and in 2021, Enders won the title over Kyle Koretsky. Enders was also an Indy finalist in 2012 and 2019.
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 one more event 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 45 professional wins and one sportsman win, tying her with Sampey.
Following an impressive fourth-place finish in 2022, Troy Coughlin Jr. is in 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 Indy as the No. 4 ranked driver in the championship after posting wins at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and the Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals in Denver to go with a runner-up at the Four-Wide event in Las Vegas. Coughlin has a 15-9 record in elimination rounds this season.
Earlier this season at the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix, Coughlin became the first winner of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. He 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.
The Coughlin family has a rich history of success at the U.S. Nationals with nine combined wins. Troy Jr. has done his part with a Super Comp win in 2010 and a Super Gas victory in 2014.
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 133 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/Melling Engine Parts 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 season, Stanfield collected victories 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 four semifinal and five quarterfinal finishes to his credit and he’s the No. 7 ranked driver in the class. Stanfield has also qualified a season-best of No. 2 at the race in Bristol.
Stanfield will take part in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Indianapolis. The specialty event will be held on Saturday and features a race between the semifinalists of the previous Pro Stock event in Brainerd. Stanfield will be joined by Dallas Glenn, Kyle Koretsky and Deric Kramer.
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. 11 in the Pro Stock standings but is just 34 points out of the Top Ten.
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 venues including Brainerd International Raceway. In 2005, Butner won the Brainerd Comp title when he defeated Tom Schmidy in the final round. Butner was also a runner-up to Tanner Gray in the Brainerd Pro Stock final in 2017 and a runner-up in Super Gas to Vernon Rowland in 2019.
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. Fernando Sr. and Cristian will continue to race Ford Mustangs under the Elite banner while Fernando Jr. will make the switch to a Chevy Camaro this week. Fernando Jr. is driving an Elite entry previously raced by five-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr.
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. 10 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 third Cuadra brother, David, will be racing in the Right Trailers Top Sportsman class this weekend. David has raced in both Pro Stock and Top Sportsman this season. He made his Pro Stock debut in Charlotte and also competed in Chicago, Bristol, Topeka, and Brainerd.
The Cuadra family has career-best elapsed times of 6.515 (Fernando Jr.), 6.524 (Fernando Sr.), 6.527 (Cristian) and 6.578 (David). Their career-best speeds are 212.13 (Fernando Sr.), 211.43 (Cristian), 210.73 (Fernando Jr.) and 209.39 (David).
New to the Elite Pro Stock team this year is Jerry Tucker, who enjoyed a memorable debut in Gainesville. Tucker qualified his Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer / Elite Motorsports Camaro in the No. 15 spot with a 6.573 and won the first round after teammate Enders encountered a mechanical issue. Tucker has a semifinal finish from Chicago and is No. 12 in the standings, just 39 points out of the Top Ten.
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 one of the leading contenders for the NHRA Rookie of the Year award.
Collectively, the nine current team Elite drivers have combined to win 108 NHRA national event titles across all classes including 67 in the Pro Stock class. The U.S. Nationals will also set the field for the upcoming Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoff to determine the season champions. Elite drivers Erica Enders, Troy Coughlin Jr., Bo Butner, Aaron Stanfield, Jerry Tucker, Fernando Cuadra Sr., Fernando Cuadra Jr., and Cristian Cuadra have all met the qualifications to race for the title.
Mason Wright will return to action this weekend in the FuelTech Pro Mod class presented by Type A Motorsports. Wright has qualified solidly at several events this season and successfully returned from an on-track incident in Chicago.
Wright, of Odessa, Texas, is also a graduate of the Top Sportsman class. Justin Elkes of Modern Racing is Wright’s crew chief this season.
It was recently announced that Pro Mod will be part of the NHRA on Fox Sports television broadcasts from each event.