Jun 19, 2022

Aaron Stanfield Halts Erica Enders Winning Streak At NHRA’s Thunder Valley Nationals In Bristol

Aaron Stanfield defeated Erica Enders in one of the craziest final rounds in the history of the Pro Stock class. While Enders seemed to have Stanfield's number in earlier match ups, Stanfield was calm and collected entering the final.

Stanfield and Enders had arguably the two best cars over the weekend but the final round was anything but a display of the two strongest cars that were expected. After an even start, Stanfield shook the tires, appearing to send Enders to her fourth straight victory.

That thought quickly changed and the head scratching began.

The engine in Enders’ Melling/Elite Camaro had problems and before long a large amount of smoke flowed out the exhaust and rapidly filled the cockpit of her car. Enders somehow stayed in the throttle while Stanfield quickly stuffed his J3 Energy Camaro back into gear to begin a pursuit. It wasn’t pretty, but Stanfield ultimately won with an 8.033 to Enders’ 8.801 elapsed time. The win stopped Enders’ win streak at 14 rounds, dating back to the Gatornationals.

“As a team we did a good job today,” said Stanfield. “I cut it loose, and it shook at the top of low gear, so I stopped. Then, I could see smoke out of her car and Big Al [Lindsey, crewman] was on the radio telling me to go, go, go. I stuck it back in gear and tried to get there. It for sure did not go according to plan. Sometimes it goes like that.

“We haven’t had the best luck from the No. 1 spot,” Stanfield said. “We thought about flying under the radar and not going for the poll because it’s been bad luck for us in the past. This is the best gift I can give my dad [Greg] on Father’s Day. My dad and I love being here in Bristol.”

Stanfield qualified in the top spot with a 6.638 and made consistent runs on race day as he topped Wally Stroupe, Fernando Cuadra Jr., and Kyle Koretsky. The race against Koretsky was perhaps the most competitive round of the day with Stanfield taking a 6.63 to 6.69 victory.

Despite the loss, Enders now has a 19-3 record in elimination rounds and she’s still the runaway leader in the points battle with a near triple-digit lead over Stanfield, who remains solidly in second place.

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Pro Stock

1. Erica Enders 690

2. Aaron Stanfield 607

3. Kyle Koretsky 482

4. Dallas Glenn 439

5. Greg Anderson 401

6. Mason McGaha 383

7. Camrie Caruso 369

8. Bo Butner 306

9. Deric Kramer 302

10. Fernando Cuadra Jr 300

See the full story and recap by Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor: