Thu, 23 Jul 2026, 10:22 AM Elite Motorsports Preview

Courtesy of Sara Slaughter, Elite Motorsports

KENT, Wash. – Elite Motorsports heads to Pacific Raceways for the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals, the 12th event on the 20-race Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule, carrying maximum momentum following a dominant performance on the West Coast.

Historic Sweep
Elite Motorsports enters the Pacific Northwest fresh off a historic weekend at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, where the team occupied all four spots in the Pro Stock semifinal round for the first time in organization history. The sweep capped off a dominant stretch at Sonoma Raceway, marking five consecutive team victories at the Northern California facility (Aaron Stanfield 2021, 2024; Erica Enders 2022; Greg Stanfield 2025, 2026).

Greg Stanfield and the Janac Brother’s Racing team led the charge by capturing his second consecutive Sonoma Nationals victory and his seventh career Pro Stock national event win when he defeated Enders in the final round.

“The Elite cars are fast right now, and I’m just proud, excited, and thankful to be driving for them,” said Stanfield who is tied for third in the points standings after picking up his first win of 2026. “The racing is so tight today, so the driving part of it is really critical. When I race, I don't look at who's in the other lane; I just try to focus on my side, what I can do, and do the best I can. Momentum is everything, especially with the way the NHRA Countdown to the Championship format is. It builds confidence for all the guys who work hard to keep these cars competitive. Once things start coming around, it feels good, but you still have to keep your head down and keep working hard.”

400 and Counting
Six-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders hit a major career milestone at the Sonoma Nationals by competing in her 400th Pro Stock event. Enders, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / R+L Carriers machine, now turns her attention to a track where she has previously tasted victory. Pacific Raceways is home to her second career Pro Stock win, and Enders arrives in Seattle following a final-round appearance last weekend.

“Coming off a final-round finish in Sonoma, I'm definitely really excited about Seattle,” said Enders who is seventh in the points standings. “We've had some pretty serious success there. I have a silver Wally there for winning the 25th anniversary of the event—that was the second Pro Stock race I ever won—so that is on my shelf at home. Seattle is definitely a fun, tricky racetrack, but I feel like we're directionally correct in the way that we're heading. That makes me really excited because it's been a really long 18 months, and to have four Elite cars in the semifinal in Sonoma gives us great hope moving forward. It's definitely a good time to start running well and hopefully peak during the Countdown to the Championship."

Notable:
• With all four semifinal entries in Sonoma coming from the Elite Motorsports camp, the team is guaranteed a win in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Pro Stock Challenge. The semi-finalists (Greg Stanfield, Erica Enders, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Jeg Coughlin Jr.) will rematch with championship bonus points and a cash prize on the line during Saturday’s qualifying.
• Jeg Coughlin Jr. is looking for his third victory at the facility, previously won in 2024, 2002.
• Troy Coughlin Jr. also previously won the event in 2022.
• Elite Motorsports will host R+L Carriers guests on Saturday as their Top Fuel dragster, driven by motorsports icon Tony Stewart, attempts to win it’s second win of the season.

Competition at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways begins with four qualifying sessions Friday at 2 and 4:30 p.m. and Saturday at noon and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are slated for Sunday at 10 a.m. Television coverage will begin with two qualifying shows on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) Friday at 10 p.m. ET and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air on FOX Broadcasting Network (FOX) Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

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