Golfers understand the value of a mulligan, and Greg Stanfield admitted he got one Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. The veteran Pro Stock racer made the most of that second chance, surviving an opening-round scare against his son Aaron Stanfield before driving to his second consecutive Sonoma victory and the seventh professional win of his career.
Stanfield capped the day by defeating Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders in the final round, using a .015-second reaction time advantage to post a 6.551-second pass at 211.00 mph. The holeshot victory secured one of the NHRA’s commemorative Diamond Wally trophies awarded during the sanctioning body’s 75th anniversary season.
The victory reinforced what has quietly become one of Stanfield’s strongest venues on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour. After winning Sonoma a year ago, he returned and navigated one of the toughest ladders of the weekend, beating Aaron Stanfield, Mason McGaha, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and finally Enders.
His toughest race came before the day had barely begun.
Stanfield lined up against Aaron in the opening round knowing there would be no easy path through eliminations. Aaron entered with 16 career victories and one of the quickest reaction time averages in the class, but an unusual staging sequence handed the elder Stanfield an opportunity he admits he probably shouldn’t have received.
“First round was absolutely nuts,” Stanfield said. “When I ran Aaron, I didn’t know what happened. I had staged and I seen his light flicker, and I was like… I paused for a second, and I went ahead and matted it. And I think he was easing out on the clutch and the light come back on. So, I won first round on pure luck against Aaron because I should have been beaten right there. So, that was my mulligan of the day. So I felt like then on, we needed to be on top of the game.”
Stanfield’s .067 reaction time and 6.534 at 211.00 mph were enough to hold off Aaron’s quicker 6.513-second run. It was the kind of break championship contenders often need, and Stanfield didn’t waste it.
He followed with his quickest run of the weekend, a 6.519 at 211.43 mph, to eliminate Mason McGaha in the quarterfinals. Stanfield never trailed after leaving first and earned lane choice for the semifinal against Coughlin.
That matchup appeared daunting on paper.
Coughlin entered with a commanding 25-6 career advantage over Stanfield in head-to-head meetings. Instead, identical .019 reaction times sent both cars away together before Coughlin encountered severe tire shake, allowing Stanfield to advance to the 29th final round of his career.
Waiting in the opposite lane was Enders, a six-time world champion trying to continue her resurgence.
Stanfield never allowed himself to think about who occupied the other lane.
“Actually, when I race, I really don’t look who’s in the other lane. I really don’t,” Stanfield said. “I just try to focus on my side and what I can do, and try to do the best I can. And the outcome’s going to be what it is. So, that’s how I drive.”
That approach has served him well over a career spanning decades, but the motivation has changed.
Asked what still drives him after accomplishing so much in Pro Stock, Stanfield answered with one word.
“Aaron,” Stanfield said. “So, it’s exciting racing everybody, and the racing is so tight today. The driving part of it’s really critical. So I have good days and bad days being old, and today was obviously a good day, for sure.”
Age has become one of Stanfield’s favorite topics, usually delivered with self-deprecating humor. Yet behind the jokes is a driver who still knows how to deliver under pressure.
“Not as old as I am, but maybe Aaron, JB. Maybe some of those guys,” Stanfield said when asked if certain opponents elevate his focus. “But yeah, I just try not to let anybody down. These guys work their butts off, and I’m in a good position where I don’t have to do the work today. In the past, I did a lot of the work. So I just get to drive and enjoy it, which is pretty cool.”
The Diamond Wally carried additional significance because of NHRA’s milestone anniversary.
“I mean, that’s 75 years of NHRA drag race, so it’s huge,” Stanfield said. “To have one is absolutely just phenomenal. I didn’t think I’d get one this year, but it feels good to have one, for sure, for all the guys that lead motor sports that work hard. All the sponsors that have been behind this team, all the teams, Janac Brothers, everybody that helps me, CTEK, Pat Cohen, everybody that helps me keep me out here, this is for them.”
The Sonoma performance also reflected Elite Motorsports’ growing momentum.
All four Elite entries advanced to the semifinals, guaranteeing the organization a victory while providing further evidence the team has narrowed the performance gap to the KB Titan Racing powerhouse that has controlled much of the past season and a half.
“I think this team is gaining ground on the KB guys,” Stanfield said. “I think they’ve backed up and we gained a little bit, and I think it’s going to be good for the fans, good for the sport to have an all-out freaking brawl at the end. I hope it’s that way, so it’s just not a total domination on their part.”
Stanfield credited the work taking place behind the scenes, particularly after a difficult stretch where results failed to match the effort invested.
“I think that’s huge for the team. It builds confidence in those guys,” Stanfield said. “I mean, they work hard to try to get the cars back competitive against those guys. The KB guys have been so dominant for a year and a half. And it’s great to have those sponsors that are behind all of us, to stick with us, because it’s been tough. It’s been really hard on everybody. And it beats you up. I mean, they work hard and it’s just not there. And once it starts coming around, it feels good, but you still got to keep your head down. You still got to work hard.”
With Seattle next on the schedule, Stanfield knows momentum can change quickly in the Countdown era. His confidence isn’t rooted in points or standings but in the direction Elite Motorsports is headed.
“I think the momentum’s everything, especially with the way the chase format is,” Stanfield said. “So if we can peak at the right time, there’s a lot of good drivers in the Elite camp. I feel like I’m probably the weakest link over there, being the old guy. You just don’t know what you’re going to get with me. So, I think if they can keep these cars moving in the right direction, it’s going to be fun to watch today.”
