Elite Motorsports has dominated the first half of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. With his third win of the season, Aaron Stanfield completed the Elite Motorsports sweep. Troy Coughlin Jr. started the trend with the midnight JEGS machine in Martin, Michigan and Greg Stanfield kept the streak alive in Rockingham, N.C. Carolina.
On a holeshot, Aaron defeated his father, Greg, in the final round. Aaron had a .018-second reaction time with a 6.556-second pass at 209.20 mph to beat his father’s .028 reaction time and 6.547 pass at 209.85 mph. Aaron is now 2-6 against his father in elimination competition.
“It’s hard to get to the final round alone, and to be able to share it with my dad is pretty special,” Stanfield said. “He’s taught me absolutely everything I know in a race car. I told him I was fixing to show him what he taught me. There were a lot of questions about whether we were going to race fair, and questions about if I laid down in the first round last weekend when he won. I think there are a lot of people who need to tip their hat right there. That final round shows what my dad and I are all about. We’re going to race as hard as we can possibly race. A thousandth at the stripe – it doesn’t get any better than that.”
En route to the finals, Aaron battled through Deric Kramer, who red lit, before facing championship hopeful Matt Hartford, who Stanfield took down on a holeshot (.046 RT, 6.528 at 209.65 def. .055 RT, 6.521 at 209.98). In the semifinals, he faced teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. and the midnight JEGS team. They both ran into trouble with Aaron able to get across the finish line first (7.037 at 206.32 def. 9.099 at 113.64).
“Everybody in that crew chief lounge and our entire Elite Motorsports team has put their heads together and has been grinding really hard,” said Stanfield. “We just need to keep moving in this same direction. I don’t know what kind of shot I have at winning a championship, but I sure would like to see my dad win one. He’s fought his whole career for this opportunity. I had to beg him to get back in a Pro Stock car, and obviously he’s still got a lot left in the tank.”
Greg maintained the points lead while Aaron shifted from 10th to seventh in the hunt. The final three races in the Countdown to the Championship start with the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex Oct. 16-18.
This story was originally published on October 6, 2026. 
