ENNIS, Texas — Elite Motorsports’ Aaron Stanfield added another accomplishment to his racing résumé Monday, completing his Top Fuel licensing requirements at Texas Motorplex following the Texas NHRA FallNationals.
As part of the alliance between Elite Motorsports and Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), Stanfield drove Leah Pruett’s TSR Top Fuel dragster to a 3.760-second pass at 281.83 mph, completing his licensing requirements with guidance from Pruett and Tony Stewart and crew chiefs Neal Strausbaugh and Mike Domagala.
Stanfield began the licensing process during a private, two-day test at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in August. He worked with crew chiefs Mike Green and Joe Barlam, with guidance from Stewart and Pruett, gaining his first experience in Elite Motorsports’ R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster.
“Coming off the first Indy session I needed to make one more run to get my license. Coming here to Dallas, I was really only expecting to get seat time while Leah’s team tested some parts and pieces. We had zero expectations, and I was really just hoping we could get my license done in the process. Main goal was not to tear anything up and we definitely accomplished that,” Stanfield said. “I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable in the car, starting to understand the little nuances about it. So right out of the box, we made a killer lap. Neal and Mike asked me to shut off between 7 and 800 feet, and I clicked it around 750 feet, and we went 3.76-seconds. Just like that, we met the last piece of the requirements.”
During the Indianapolis test on Aug. 18, Stanfield recorded a 4.043-second run at 230.41 mph, followed later that afternoon by a 3.794-second pass at 318.92 mph. His 3.760-second run Monday at Texas Motorplex completed the requirements for his Top Fuel license.
“I got to feel a couple new things today. I smoked the tires pretty early at the Indy test on the fourth run but today I got to get out a little bit further on the racetrack and it smoked the tires. Then on the last run we made, we put a hole out around half track,” Stanfield said. “As a driver, it’s really important to know and feel those things. A lot of different sensations, new feelings but I’m happy I got to feel that.”
The testing program reflects the collaboration between Elite Motorsports and TSR, bringing together experienced drivers and crews to support Stanfield as he takes on a new challenge.
“I’m just looking forward to learning some more. Just the possibility of having an opportunity to compete in the Top Fuel car is pretty special, and we’ll just see where it goes,” Stanfield said. “But a big thank you to Tony and Leah, they are very much responsible for my preparation. It’s a huge ask for someone to put a rookie driver in their racing operation especially when there are still races left to win this season. So a big thank you for them allowing that to happen. And a big thank you to Richard, all these R+L guys. They made this process pretty special for me.”
