When you’re the largest professional team in drag racing, naturally you do large things. Elite Motorsports has revealed a significant game plan for the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. 

The biggest news for the 2024 season will be the full-time return of Jeg Coughlin Jr., driving a SCAG Power Equipment-sponsored Camaro. Coughlin raced the last two races of 2023.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have Jeg Coughlin Jr. return to the seat of a Pro Stock car at Elite Motorsports,” said Freeman. “SCAG Power Equipment came on board for the last two events of the 2023 NHRA season to put Jeg behind the wheel of Erica’s new car to break it in during real competition. SCAG Power Equipment is another of our partners that share the same values we share. Jeg is a great fit for SCAG, and seeing him interact with dealers in Vegas at and away from the track only proved what a great ambassador to a brand he can be. In addition, Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer will also play a major role in his return.”

“We have been proud of our association with Elite Motorsports,” said Randy Gloede, President/CEO of Metalcraft of Mayville, the parent company of SCAG Power Equipment. “Erica has done great at giving our dealer partners an experience that they will never forget. We are now excited to also partner with Jeg to enhance our dealer and SCAG Power Equipment user group’s experience.”

“Being back behind the wheel at the Tulsa test and the Vegas and Pomona races these past couple weeks was extremely enjoyable,” Jeg stated. “The feel and acceleration of the car, working with team Elite drivers and crew, and working with our great partners, namely SCAG, surpassed my expectations and solidified in my mind that I wanted to make a run for future Pro Stock championships. I really look forward to working with the team at SCAG Power Equipment to learn and help grow the relations with their dealer network and end users. The car looks great, and I couldn’t be more proud to transition to the famous and very visible SCAG ‘Cats Eye Gold’ in 2024.”

There will also be some shuffling in the Elite lineup, and while the potent one-two punch of Erica Enders will remain behind the wheel of a Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance Camaro and Troy Coughlin Jr. will once race the JEGS / White Castle machine, popular drag racer Bo Butner will move over into the Mountain Motor Pro Stock ranks where he will become one of a two-car team in the large displacement arena. 

 

 

 

Butner, a two-time world champion and 27-time national event winner, will also transition to Director of Team Development for Elite Motorsports. 

“This new position will help foster new talent in and out of the car. Having won NHRA events in 6 different categories and numerous bracket races, Bo is a perfect fit to help and head up this effort. We are in this for the long haul,” said Freeman.

“I am looking forward to racing the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock cars in 2024. I know we will have a great time,” said Butner. “Helping with team development at Elite Motorsports is going to be a fun project to help ensure long-term success in and out of the race cars.”

“I’m very excited to further extend our partnership and relationship with Elite Motorsports,” said Jason Johnson, the owner of Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. “I am looking forward to watching the new Mountain Motor Pro Stock cars and think Bo’s new role with Elite will help the growth and support of all its teams.”

Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage will maintain its involvement in the 500-inch Pro Stockers, and joining Enders will be NHRA In-N-Out Finals teammate Aaron Stanfield. 

“We have some of the best true partners in motorsports,” said an enthusiastic Freeman. “We’ve worked hard to develop deep relationships and an understanding of each partner’s individual goals and objectives for being involved with our organization. We have a powerful lineup of drivers, and the talented individuals outside of the car are equally as strong. To have Jason Johnson and the group at Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage be a major partner in our program and continue to grow their involvement around our team speaks volumes about how our team operates.”

Stanfield will continue to have support from longtime supporters Janac Brothers Racing and JC3 Energy Services. In addition, Melling has grown their involvement with Stanfield throughout the Countdown to the Championship to an associate level for the coming season.

 

 

“To say this has been a crazy couple of days would be an understatement,” said Stanfield. “From winning Pro Stock at the NHRA Finals, my wife having our second baby to now driving a Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage car with the support of Melling and my longtime sponsors Janac Brothers Racing and JC3 Energy Service seems more like a dream than reality.”

“I have paid close attention to all the competitors the last few seasons, and Aaron is definitely a premier driver,” said Johnson. “He is all business at the track, and JHG is looking forward to being there for all his future successes!” 

Melling Performance and Melling Engine Parts have been involved with Enders for a number of years and will continue to support her through all of her endeavors with Elite. This relationship has grown within the team at Elite Motorsports to include the Melling brands in a more comprehensive manner across the entire Elite fleet of powerful race cars.

“What a blessing it’s been to ride with Erica the past seven seasons,” said Mark Melling, CEO of Melling Engine Parts. “We really enjoyed our involvement with Aaron last year as well. We look forward to 2024 with fingers crossed there will be a fifth championship in pro stock with Melling’s involvement!”  

2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year nominee Jerry Tucker will return to the team in 2024 with continued support from Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer. Tucker, of Lindsay, Okla., has spent the last 30 years racing everything from Sprint cars to Midgets and has also enjoyed success in drag racing. Tucker previously raced in the Top Sportsman class before joining the Pro Stock class for the 2023 season.

“I’m excited to return in 2024 and pick up where we left off,” said Tucker. “I learned a lot during my rookie year, and I now have the confidence that can only be gained by getting close to 100 laps under my belt. This season, we are going to ramp up the intensity across the board. Having Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer on the car for a full season is going to be clean, crisp, and crushable.”

The Cuadra family is excited to return in 2024 with support from Corral Boots and Cuadra brands for a four-car effort in NHRA’s most competitive professional class. Fernando Cuadra Sr. and his three boys Fernando Jr., Cristian and David are all looking forward to competing in 2024. In addition, the Corral Boots / Cuadra pop-up experience was at the final three NHRA national events in 2023. This unit serves as a mobile retail and marketing display using a 53” custom trailer that was designed by Elite Motorsports.

“Working with Fernando Sr., his boys, and everyone back in Leon, Mexico has been great,” stated Freeman. “Racing as a family is what it’s all about and we have seen tremendous growth in the on-track performance. There are plenty of wins on the horizon for this talented family of drivers. Working with Corral Boots and Cuadra on the business side has been very rewarding, and we are looking forward to a full tour of events for the mobile pop-up experience in 2024.”

“I am really excited about next season. I feel confident with my race car and my team,” explained Cristian Cuadra. “Everything is moving in the right direction. The way all of the Elite guys are supporting me makes me feel like I’m already a champion. I can’t wait for 2024.”

“I am very excited for this upcoming season,” noted David Cuadra. “Winning my first race in Top Sportsman and making history in 2023 made me motivated and confident. I am ready to turn on lots of win lights in both Top Sportsman and Pro Stock next season. Being part of Elite Motorsports has helped me so much in every aspect of my racing career, and I am very happy to be racing with them again.”

Since coming on board at Elite Motorsports LLC. in July of 2022, Scott “Woody” Woodruff, the Director of Branding and Motorsports, has been quietly working behind the scenes with partners on team involvement throughout the entire racing program.

“We have great support from our partners, and that support has been growing in tandem with our success,” explained Woodruff. “Partners like Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage, SCAG Power Equipment, Melling, JEGS, C-Tech Manufacturing, Gallagher Global, and Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer are partners you will see in a bigger way throughout our program in 2024 and beyond. We have team partners like CHE Precision, High Performance Lubricants, Comp Cams, TMS Titanium, NGK Spark Plugs, Mac Tools, Under Armour, BENMIT Tubular, CFE Racing Products, Cometic Gaskets, and CP-Carrilo that you will see on every car and transporter. Having the number of cars that we have ensures these partners are having winning moments on and off the track. We also have partners like White Castle, Janac Brothers Racing, JC3 Energy Service, Crown Group, and CBR Air that are driver-specific. It’s all about listening to your partners and coming up with solutions that work for them. We make sure as a group it’s a win for all.”

In addition to competing at all 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the Elite Motorsports team will also participate in the inaugural PRO Superstar Shootout in Bradenton, Fla., February 8-10 as well as a match race at the NHRA Open,, scheduled to take place August 8-11 at Rock Falls Raceway in Eau Claire, Wis.

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