Erica Enders looks to earn her third New England Nationals Wally this weekend in Epping. (Photo: Luc Saucier | The Podium Finish)
EPPING, N.H. – The Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team has had a pretty good season so far in 2026. But the expectation for the team has been greatness, and drivers Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield feel like the team is poised to get back to that standard this weekend in Epping at the NHRA New England Nationals.
In recent weeks, the Elite team has been chipping away at the dominant streak their KB Titan rivals have been on, with strong qualifying results, deeper runs on race day, and a win by Stanfield in Chicago. Both drivers said they feel the tide is starting to turn, and they hope to keep building momentum this weekend in Epping, a place where they have had success, with Stanfield winning in 2021, and Enders taking home Wally’s in 2017 and 2022.
“You try to kind of ride that confidence wave – even though luck’s not a thing – you just kind of go some places where you know, ‘I’ve won here before. I can win here again,’” Enders said. “Last year, I had a terrible race car. I shook every round. I had to pedal, and I still got to the finals.”
Stanfield said that a strong weekend in Epping would be big for everybody in the Elite Motorsports organization.
“It could be huge,” he said. “Not just for me, but for the entire team. I think we have a reasonably good shot of showing up and winning. I’ve been driving well the last couple races, and my hot rod has been good.”
Elite Has Thrived at Epping
Stanfield and Enders have had their share of success in Epping, but both know that past success is no guarantee of future success.
“Epping has always been good to me,” Enders said. “As a driver, you have certain tracks you go to that, for whatever reason carry that good luck charm.”
Stanfield said the confidence of the team’s recent improvements, combined with coming to a track where they have traditionally been strong give him plenty of reason for optimism heading into the weekend.
During Friday qualifying, Enders finished in the provisional No. 3 qualified spot with a 6.534 second pass, while Stanfield notched a 6.554 second pass to take the provisional No. 11 spot. Both will look to improve on those numbers Saturday.
“Epping has been a good track for us,” Stanfield said. “I have a win there, and I feel like we can head in with some confidence.”
“This would be one of the best spots to (get a win),” Enders said. “I love racing in this part of the country. I love this race track. I love the nostalgia feeling of it. And in this part of the country the fans love pro stock.
“For the most part, when we travel around the country and out west people love Nitro because it’s loud and crazy and they explode, and people leave the stands when Pro Stock runs. When we are here they stay in the stands. They stand behind our pit for autographs and take pictures. I love that the East coast loves Pro Stocks and it would be great to get that next win here. There’s something special about racing here. From my lips to God’s ears, I hope it’s our turn.”
Aaron Stanfield looks for his second win of the season, and his second New England Nationals win this weekend in Epping, N.H. (Photo: Luc Saucier | The Podium Finish)
Elite Finding Strength Through Struggle
The team’s struggles in the past year and a half could have worn down and fractured some teams, but Stanfield said it has only served to make Elite stronger as a unit.
“When you have a lot of competitive people, losing is not easy,” said Stanfield. “For myself though, if I have to struggle, I would choose to struggle with my team any day of the week. We have all pulled together and we are all working the same direction.”
“That starts at the top with Richard (Freeman),” Enders said of the teams resilience through struggles. “I definitely feel like our program is turning a corner. It’s been a real grueling 18 months. We’ve kind of been getting our teeth kicked in, for lack of a better way to put it. But Aaron was able to win at Chicago and three of the four people in the semis have been elite cars, so I feel like it definitely puts a pep in your step, because it’s been really difficult to stay positive through all the stuff that is going on. I’m hopeful that the turn continues to be made.”
Aaron Stanfield looks to continue the Elite Motorsports turnaround with a win this weekend in Epping, N.H.. (Photo: Wayne Reigle | The Podium Finish)
Enders, Stanfield Appreciate Every Win
Every driver wants to win. Stanfield and Enders are no different, and each of them have won their fair share of races. They said the recent struggles underscore the need to enjoy and appreciate each win when it happens.
“These times are what make winning special,” Stanfield said. “Times like this remind you of how special it is when you win. I am proud of the way we have been fighting to get back, and I am thankful for the group we have.”
“We have to enjoy these moments because you don’t know when the next one will come, or if it will ever happen again,” Enders said. “It definitely makes you appreciate the great moments when you go through these things, and I think it builds character and teaches you how to win and lose with grace. Nobody likes losing. It sucks. But you have to put a lot of losses together to get to the wins.”
Enders said there are far more valleys than peaks and far more losses than wins in drag racing. She said when the Elite team was experiencing great success during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, it was fun to ride the wave, but they knew there would be a turnaround. The past two seasons. KB Titan has seized control of the Pro Stock class, leaving Elite to work twice as hard to try to get back on top.
“I’ve been a part of Pro Stock racing for 22 years now, and the pendulum always swings,” she said. “When you’re on the backside of it, it sucks, and its’ hard. As soon as it swings and it comes back to us, we’re fully capable and we’re ready to carry the torch, but man it’s been rough.”
The Elite race team is not accustomed to long spells between wins, but Enders said she has always valued every win she has gotten, and her fuel to get back into the win column is as strong as ever.
“Wins are hard to get,” she said. “You spend your whole life working towards that. Everybody out here makes sacrifices to do this. Whether that is being away from family or not having a family so they can do this. Everybody gives up a lot to be out here. You make this your life, and it’s hard to explain how much it means when it comes together and you win. When you win, it is badass.”
