“ HE’ S A NATURAL-BORN DRIVER. HE’ S GOOD. HE’ S A CHAMPION... HE DIDN’ T DRIVE THAT CAR UNTIL HE GOT HERE WEDNESDAY. THE [ POURED ] SEAT’ S NOT HIS. HE JUST DROVE WITH WHAT WAS IN THERE. HE’ S JUST THAT GOOD.” – RICHARD FREEMAN
“ HE’ S A NATURAL-BORN DRIVER. HE’ S GOOD. HE’ S A CHAMPION... HE DIDN’ T DRIVE THAT CAR UNTIL HE GOT HERE WEDNESDAY. THE [ POURED ] SEAT’ S NOT HIS. HE JUST DROVE WITH WHAT WAS IN THERE. HE’ S JUST THAT GOOD.” – RICHARD FREEMAN
quick pedal to move on with a 3.879 at 200.98. He moved first again in the second round and sailed to a 3.651 to beat 2024 FuelTech Radial Outlaws Series Limited Drag Radial champion Greg Blevins Jr.
Stanfield’ s first time pedaling a Pro Mod was in the first round, and that experience came into play in the third round when he faced 2018 PDRA Pro Boost world champion Tommy D’ Aprile. Both drivers cut solid lights before losing traction. It was Stanfield who recovered quicker, winning with a 4.033 at 193.65 over D’ Aprile’ s 4.335 at 169.66.
“ On that run against Tommy, it shook quite a bit harder and went pretty good right,” Stanfield recalls.“ Whenever I let off the gas and got back in it, the car was still pretty upset. That was a little bit more of a stunt driving job for sure. But I think having experience first round, even though I only had to pedal it once to get it gathered back up then, definitely helped. I think you only get better the more you do it.”
In the semifinals, Stanfield drew Street Outlaws star Shawn“ Murder Nova” Ellington, who qualified No. 29 in Keith Haney’ s ProCharged“ Blue”’ 69 Camaro and made it through a murder’ s row – fellow No Prep Kings champion Ryan Martin, U. S. Street Nationals winner Stevie“ Fast” Jackson, and No. 1 qualifier Eric Gustafson – to reach the semis. Tension built as Ellington’ s car lost fire after the burnout. His crew pushed him back to the starting line and he refired the car, but quickly shut it off again because there was no oil pressure. That gave Stanfield a free ride to the $ 150,000 final round. He stayed in his routine, though, cutting a. 022 reaction time and recording a 3.614 at 210.37, missing out on lane choice by just a few thousandths.
“ My mindset didn’ t change at all,” Stanfield says of the unexpected single.“ I’ m going up there and trying to hit the tree good and make a nice, clean run. I hate it when somebody has a failure up there and doesn’ t get an opportunity at it. I would’ ve loved to race him, but I feel like we made a respectable run there. I was good on the tree and we made a nice lap and he was going to have to be good to beat us. I think it would’ ve been a damn good race had he not had some issues.”
Tractor puller turned Pro Mod sensation Peter Norton, who defeated Randy Weatherford in the other semifinal match to secure the 2025 / 2026 DIWS Pro Mod championship, was waiting for Stanfield in the final round. The two drivers and their teams had to wait in the staging lanes due to a lengthy oildown on the starting line during the True 10.5 final round. When the tree dropped, Norton moved first by six thousandths. Stanfield had enough horsepower to sneak by him, though, as he lit up the win light with a 3.576 at 210.83 to Norton’ s 3.585 at 210.57. The margin of victory was just. 003 seconds.
“ I normally don’ t get super excited in the car, but I was pretty damn excited,” Stanfield says.“ That’ s a feeling that’ s hard to explain. It was Chris Terry’ s first win as a crew chief in the Pro Mod class with him making all the calls on his own. I had some guys that work on my Pro Stock team that were there helping. All in all, just the
90 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 200