NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS: ELITE MOTORSPORTS EVENT PREVIEW
By: Elite Motorsports (Photos Courtesy Elite Motorsports)
EPPING, N.H. (June 03. 2026) – Elite Motorsports is headed to the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway, race eight of 20 on the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season and race two of a three-race Eastern Swing.
New England Nationals Has Been Kind to Elite Drivers
New England Dragway has been a sight of success for Elite Motorsports. The last four times Pro Stock was contested at the NHRA New England Nationals (2025, 2024, 2022, 2021), Elite Motorsports has had a team in the final round.
In 2025, Erica Enders and the Johnson’s Horsepwoered Garage / Melling Performance / R+L Carriers team finished runner-up. In 2024 Troy Coughlin Jr. and the JEGS.com team took home the Wally. Prior to that in 2022, Enders was victorious. In 2021, it was Aaron Stanfield and his JHG / Melling / Janac Brother’s Racing machine that were celebrating in the winners circle.
Even the newly formed Top Fuel program enters the weekend with success at New England Dragway thanks to driver Tony Stewart’s 2025 runner-up efforts.
“I feel good coming into Epping. I appreciate these back-to-back weekends. When you’re struggling it’s a chance to bounce back quickly and when you’re doing well it’s a chance to keep the momentum going,” Stewart said. “I’m ready to go racing. Hopefully this year the New England Nationals ends with another final round appearance but this time with a win light and a celebration in the winners circle.”
Stewart sits fourth in the Top Fuel points standings after a win at the NHRA Winternationals and semifinal efforts at the 4-Wide Nationals. The motorsports icon has qualified outside the top seven only once in the first seven races. The R+L team are coming off a first-round upset at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals in Maryland, just their second first round loss of the season, second in three races.
“The last few races haven’t gone our way on race day. It happens, that’s racing. This is a young team, we’re only seven events and eight or nine months into this. We’re all still learning. That’s why we have 20 races in a season,” Stewart said. “Mike Green and Joe Barlam will have this R+L team back on top. We know what we’re capable of and I have all the confidence in these R+L crew guys.”
Elite On the Rise
It’s been no secret Elite Motorsports has been hard at work looking to bring up the performance of their Pro Stock camp. The hard work away from the NHRA national event circuit is now starting to pay off. In the last two races, Elite has supplied the No. 1 qualifiers and the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty winners.
At the inaugural Potomac Nationals, the father-son duo of Greg and Aaron Stanfield stole the show in qualifying with Greg earning his first No. 1 since 2009 and Aaron taking home the bonus points and cash prize from the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.
Outside of Chicago at the Route 66 NHRA Nationals, Enders picked up her first No. 1 qualifying position since the St. Louis event in 2024 while also securing the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win. The Windy City weekend was capped off by Aaron’s first win since the Nevada Nationals in the fall of 2024 and Elite Motorsports’ first Pro Stock win since the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend in 2025.
For Troy Coughlin Jr. and the midnight JEGS’ crew, the performance jump has been palatable. After a streak of six first-round losses that started at the Texas FallNationals in 2025, Troy Jr. broke through for a runner-up finish at NHRA’s debut at South Georgia Motorsports Park. The JEGS team followed it up with a No. 6 qualifying position, their best effort of the season, at the Route 66 Nationals and most recently at the Potomac Nationals, made their way to a semi-final finish. The results have moved Troy Jr. from 13th to ninth in the points standings.
“The JEGS Pro Stock machine is coming into Epping with a positive mindset. The boys have this car as prepared as possible for the upcoming conditions of New England Dragway,” Troy Jr. said. “Epping is a really cool place to race with its throwback feel and great fans. We’re hoping to put on a good show. All we can do is keep grinding and keep putting in the effort. Elite is one of the hardest working teams in drag racing and that shows. I just have to keep trying to be the best I can for these boys and we’ll get the job done.”
Competition at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway begins with four rounds of qualifying Friday at 5 and 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Eliminations will take place Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with two qualifying shows Friday at 8 p.m. Et and Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will air on FOX Broadcasting Network (FOX) Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
