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ELITE MOTORSPORTS PRO STOCK TEAM PLANS TO BRING THE HEAT TO HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK

TOPEKA, Kan. (August 9, 2023) – After a tremendous performance in Denver, the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team will roll into Heartland Motorsports Park prepared to continue their hot streak this weekend at the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor. This will be the last time that the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competes at this iconic facility and everyone has their sights set on nabbing that final Wally. 
Troy Coughlin Jr. leads the Elite Motorsports team in points as he’s currently sitting in third place thanks to a win in Denver in his JEGS.com / White Castle Camaro. He also won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge at the event, so he’s in a great position heading into the competition this weekend. Coughlin won the national event in Topeka last year and hopes to make it two in a row. 
Five-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders has been on quite an upswing as of late. She got her second No. 1 qualifier of the season in Denver and she’s eager to parlay that momentum into a stellar performance in front of the midwest fans. Thanks to a semifinal finish in Denver, she will join her teammate Coughlin in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge during qualifying on Saturday. 
Aaron Stanfield, driving the Janac Brothers Racing / JC3 Energy Services / Melling Engine Parts Camaro, and Bo Butner, the driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro, have both been on the verge of nabbing a win this season. They feel positive after spending time fine-tuning their programs during a gap in their competition schedule. Their teammate, rookie driver Jerry Tucker, is looking for the same in his Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer Camaro. 
The Cuadra Boys, featuring patriarch Fernando Cuadra Sr., and his sons Fernando Jr., Cristian and David, will all be competing in their Corral Boots Mustangs. They spent time testing in Tulsa during the break, making runs as late as 1:00 AM in order to avoid the daytime heat. As they examined their runs, they found opportunities for improvement that they are excited to put into practice this weekend in Topeka. 
There are only three races left in the regular season, so points are at a premium. The competition will be fierce this weekend and Elite Motorsports is as ready as they’ve ever been to face that competition head-on. 
In the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Patterson-Elite team is ready to show up in full force for an exciting weekend of racing. The team includes Jay Storey, who recently won in both Stock Eliminator and Super Stock at a Division 5 Points Meet in Topeka. Also competing in Super Stock are Aydan Patterson, A.J. Patterson, Ryan Montford and Tim Nicholson. Kent Claassen will compete in Stock Eliminator while Allen Firestone, Kyle Firestone and Mike Morehead are competing in the Top Sportsman category. 
Competition for the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor will run from Friday, August 11 to Sunday, August 13 at Heartland Motorsports Park. 
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Driver Quotes
Erica Enders”Topeka has been good to me and our team in the past. It’s close to our shop in Oklahoma, so we always have a lot of friends, family and Elite racers competing in this event, in all classes. The summer swing is winding down and it’s time to get serious. Topeka would be a great race for us to get our second win of the season, to set the pace for the rest of the year. Being the last race at Heartland Motorsports Park, it would make a win that much more special as well. We’ve had a bit of time and my guys and I are fresh and ready. We’ve tested, spent time in the engine shop, and are ready to go show the world why we are Team Elite.”
Aaron Stanfield“We’ve been working hard during this break in the schedule and we are ready to give it everything we’ve got in Topeka. This part of the season gets really heated as everyone is trying to get a spot in the Countdown to the Championship. I’m looking forward to the competition.”
Troy Coughlin Jr.“Team Yellow is ready and excited as always! A lot of hard work has been done during the time off and we’re ready to put it to use! We love the process and the journey! Hopefully, we can repeat what we did in Topeka last year and land this JEGS.com Camaro in the winners circle!”
Bo Butner“Last year, we almost got the win in Topeka in Super Gas, and Randi Lyn [Stock Eliminator racer and wife] has been to the final here a couple of times. It seems like this is a track that almost wants us to win, but there’s always been something holding us back at the national events. This is our last time coming here, so of course you want to win. You always want to bring home the trophy, and we’ve been waiting for our Pro Stock win for JHG a long time. It’s been coming, and it would be great to get it done this weekend. Topeka is a track we need to check off our list before it’s gone, and this is our last chance, so a win there would be very special.” 
Fernando Cuadra Sr.“Much of this break was spent on testing, trying to learn new things and improve our performance. I’m feeling positive about Topeka and I think it’s going to be a great weekend!”
Fernando Cuadra Jr.“We’ve been learning a lot this season and the time we spent testing during this break has definitely helped us. It went so well, that now I’m feeling really excited about putting it all into action this weekend. I’m like a kid on Christmas morning!”
Cristian Cuadra“I’m currently in ninth place in the points. But I’m going to have to work hard to stay in the Top Ten as the competition is getting intense. Our crew is amazing and I’m excited to do my job on the track.”
David Cuadra“Going back and forth between Top Sportsman and Pro Stock has given me a really unique perspective. I intend to use that to my advantage in Topeka. The competition is going to be tough but I’ve got a positive mindset and we are ready to go far.”
Jerry Tucker“I’m feeling more comfortable behind the wheel with every round, and this crew is absolutely phenomenal. It’s getting down to crunch time right now and everyone is hustling to land in the Top Ten. It’s an honor to have Outlaw Beer riding with us once again as we roll into Heartland Park.”
Photos