STANFIELD DENIES ANDERSON HISTORIC WIN, EARNS FOURTH CAREER IN HIS RJ RACE CARS BUILT CAMARO

Maybe next time, Greg Anderson.

It has been three months since Anderson earned his 96th career victory in the Pro Stock category, leaving him one win shy of tying Warren Johnson for first on the all-time win list. And he is still waiting.

Anderson has been denied that historic 97th win in multiple final rounds since then, with the man standing in his way in most of those defeats being Aaron Stanfield.

Stanfield did it again on Sunday, besting the No. 1 qualifier in another thrilling chapter in their budding rivalry. Stanfield collected his second win in a row, third of the season, and fourth of his career at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

“It was a tricky racetrack today. The crew chiefs had their work cut out for them,” Stanfield said. “Right before that final round, my crew really did a lot of work. They made a lot of changes and obviously it seemed to work out really well.”

Stanfield pushed his all-time round record against the mutli-time class champion to 4-2 on Sunday, using a tremendous .016 light to pull away and never look back. He drove his Elite-powered Camaro to a 6.652-second pass at 207.69 mph to collect his third win in the last four races, just edging out Anderson’s 6.660 at 207.08 mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.

“I am extremely hungry and I have a lot of great people around me. I want to do well and continue to do well,” Stanfield said. “I am thankful for the people I am around and the people that give me these great opportunities.

“After the race (Greg) said congratulations, but he is competitive just like I am and I am sure he is disappointed.”

Stanfield added wins over Kenny Delco, Matt Hartford and Erica Enders to reach his sixth career final round. He was dominant in the opening rounds - recording a 6.637 and a 6.673 - before facing his Elite Motorsports teammate Enders in one of the closest races of the afternoon.

The pair were welded together at the start, with only .006 separating them on the tree, and it was just as close at the top end with Stanfield taking the win by eight thousandths at the line. Stanfield had a 6.684 at 204.76 mph in the winning effort, while Enders followed with a 6.686 at 206.04 mph.

Alltold, just like the other competitors on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour, Stanfield faced a tricky racetrack with track temperatures pushing 150 degrees muddying up an already difficult racing surface.

“That is something as a young driver I am still figuring out,” Stanfield said. “It was really loose for us out in the middle of the racetrack, so that was definitely an adjustment. I went out there with the mindset not to get too complacent and expect anything because you never know what could happen those first several feet. They did a great job with the car today. All of the crew chiefs came together. Tim Freeman did a great job, as did Mark Ingersoll and Jeg (Coughlin). It was really cool to be a part of.”

While Stanfield is still very early in his Pro Stock career, he has been thrust into the middle of a longtime rivalry between two of the most dominant teams in class history - KB Racing and Elite Motorsports. While Stanfield represents the latter, his win over KB Racing’s Anderson only added to that feud.

“Our job is to keep him away from (the record) for as long as possible,” Stanfield said. “I would imagine one day he is eventually going to get it, but we want to make it as hard as possible. The KB-Elite rivalry is great. They are both really competitive teams and it is cool to be in the middle of it and have a chance to win. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have been given.”

With his win on Sunday, Stanfield remains right in the thick of the Pro Stock championship battle with only two more races remaining for the class until the Countdown to the Championship. It is a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that Stanfield was racing in the sportsman categories just a few years ago.

“I didn’t expect to be thrown into it like I have been. It has been so cool,” Stanfield said. “I’ve only dreamt of it as a kid watching my dad and Greg Anderson and others go at it. I’ve dreamt of it for a long time and we have been working really hard to be able to get in this position.

“I think we are definitely a championship contender. Our goal is always to win every single race. I’ve always been told that if you go and win races the championship will take care of itself and that will be our main focus.”