Courtesy Elite Motorsports
CONCORD, N.C. (April 24, 2024) – For the first time this season and for the last time in their careers, the Cuadra family made up of Fernando Cuadra Sr. and his sons Fernando Jr. and twins Cristian and David, will all be competing together in the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series Pro Stock category.
When Elite Motorsports hits zMAX Dragway for this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, it will be the last time that family patriarch Fernando Sr., will make passes down a drag strip in a Pro Stock car.
Picking this weekend to make his first appearance on the NHRA tour and his last in a professional category, is no random decision. Fernando Sr. will be celebrating his 65th birthday on Friday, April 26th while the twins will be celebrating their 25th. Even more significant, his 65th birthday weekend not only marks Fernando Sr.’s retirement from driving a Pro Stock car but from running his family conglomerate of leather-goods companies, including Corral Boots, Cuadra and Colombia Impex, brands that have become synonymous with the Cuadra Boys in the NHRA Drag Racing scene.
“It’s all perfect timing. With the businesses, it’s in the by-laws. It’s no surprise, we’ve been preparing. My boys will be taking over,” said Fernando Sr. of his sons taking over the responsibility of 34 factories and 12,000 employees as well as partnerships around the globe. “Each of the boys will have equal say in the company, they will have to unanimously agree on decisions. They’ve been involved for a long time, this is just the next step.”
To help commemorate the weekend, Friday night during the second qualifying session, the Cuadra Boys will line-up four-wide all together for the last time. Though the family has been NHRA drag racing for five years, it is only the second time they’ve shared the racetrack four-wide, the first was at last year’s event at zMAX.
“It’s a good way to ‘go out’ as they say. Lining up with my family, it’s important to me. This whole sport is important to us,” Fernando Sr. said. “Pro Stock is special, Elite Motorsports is special. What I’ve learned, what my boys have learned and are able to part of, it’s been amazing. Having Erica, a six-time champion, mentor and teach them. This whole thing is a blessing. We are happy to be here, we are happy to compete and we are happy we get to do it together.”
The Cuadra’s will be joined at this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway by all five of their Elite Motorsports teammates:
Six-time world champion Erica Enders and her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / SCAG Power Equipment team have the Pro Stock points lead after opening the season with a victory at the Gatornationals, a runner-up finish at the Winternationals and a final quad appearance for semifinal points at the Las Vegas rendition of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Enders is looking for 50th NHRA national event victory, 49th in Pro Stock.
Veteran racer and multi-time champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. came out of retirement making a statement. He sits fourth in points and is coming off a win for the SCAG / Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer team at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals, his first victory since stepping away after the 2020 NHRA season. Jeg Jr. is only two win lights away from reaching a milestone of 700 round wins, he sits at a record of 698-281 in a total of 463 events.
In just his second season in Pro Stock, Jerry Don Tucker is starting to make some waves. Tucker took the No. 1 qualifying position at the Las Vegas Four-Wide, the first of his career, before making a final quad appearance and finishing runner-up. His efforts have him and the Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer / SCAG car sitting sixth in points.
Troy Coughlin Jr. in the JEGs.com / White Castle entry will be looking to turn around some early race exits when he arrives at zMAX. Troy Jr. is currently 10th in the points standings and is tantalizingly close to reaching 100 round wins at 96.
Like his Las Vegas Four-Wide weekend, Aaron Stanfield will pick up double duty driving his JHG / Melling / Janac Brother’s Racing Pro Stock entry as well as competing in the Factory X category. Stanfield currently sits eighth in the Pro Stock points standings and fifth in Factory X.
Adding to the competition of the weekend, David, Jeg Jr., Jerry and Erica will be competing in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge during Saturday’s qualifying. The race within a race is a rematch of the previous race weekend’s second round quads. Erica and Jeg. Jr. have each won a #2Fast2Tasty Challenge already this year earning them championship bonus points and a cash prize.
The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway begins with four qualifying session Friday at 4:30 and 7 p.m. and Saturday at noon and 2:15 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at noon with Pro Stock first round at 12:35 p.m. Television Coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with a qualifying show Sunday at 11 a.m. ET and an eliminations show to follow at 6 p.m. ET.
