There are races you want to win, and then there is the U.S. Nationals.
Elite Motorsports heads to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for the 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals with a lineup that already understands exactly what it means to leave Indy with a Wally.
Erica Enders, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Aaron Stanfield, and Greg Stanfield all own U.S. Nationals victories, while the team arrives at the final race of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season with championship positioning and plenty of history on its side. Indy is also where the pressure ramps up. The event pays points and a half, offers extra qualifying opportunities, and serves as the final stop before the standings are reset for the six-race Countdown to the Championship.
The Big Go Still Means More
The U.S. Nationals has always carried a different weight.
Winning any NHRA national event is difficult, but winning on Labor Day Monday at Indianapolis Raceway Park puts a driver in a different category. The race has helped define careers for more than seven decades, and its place on the schedule only adds to the pressure. The combination of history, points-and-a-half, extra qualifying, and the impending Countdown reset makes Indy one of the most important races of the season from every angle.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. has viewed it that way since he was a kid.
“From the time I was a kid, waiting for National Dragster to come in the mail, the U.S. Nationals has always been the pinnacle of NHRA Drag Racing,” Jeg Jr. said. “The racers from around the country, the manufacturer’s attendance and of course the massive crowds always made this race extra special. This year will be no exception for myself and the Elite Motorsports team. We have made several transitions in our approach and we’re looking to settle in for improved runs and putting ourselves in championship contention, all the while looking to secure another coveted U.S. Nationals victory.”
Erica Enders Returns As The Defending Indy Winner
Erica Enders gave Elite Motorsports another major U.S. Nationals moment in 2025.
The six-time Pro Stock world champion earned her milestone 50th career NHRA national event victory at Indy, with 49 of those wins coming in Pro Stock. That victory was also Enders’ fourth U.S. Nationals triumph, joining wins from 2015, 2020, and 2021.
Her success at Indy further strengthened two already impressive marks: Enders remains the winningest female driver in motorsports and the winningest female driver in NHRA history at the U.S. Nationals. That gives Elite Motorsports a defending winner who knows how to navigate the unique pressure of Labor Day Monday.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. Owns Four U.S. Nationals Wins
Coughlin has built his own impressive Indy résumé.
The six-time world champion, including five Pro Stock championships, has four U.S. Nationals victories at Indianapolis Raceway Park. His wins came in 2000, 2002, 2009, and most recently during the modified 2020 season.
That level of experience matters at a race where qualifying can stretch over multiple days and teams have to stay mentally sharp for a longer-than-normal weekend. Coughlin is also entering this year’s race with Elite Motorsports having made changes to its approach, making Indy an opportunity to see how those adjustments perform under the biggest spotlight possible.
Aaron Stanfield Made U.S. Nationals History In 2024
Aaron Stanfield has already done something at Indy nobody had done before him. In 2024, Stanfield became the first driver to score a double victory at the U.S. Nationals by winning in both Factory X and Pro Stock.
Those victories were the 29th and 30th national event wins of his career.
“I think everyone looks forward to this race. The U.S. Nationals marks the end of the regular season, and it marks it in a big way: points and a half, extra qualifying and an extra day at the track, and knowing the points reset after the weekend. It’s a huge deal not just for the history of the event, but for what it means for the season,” Aaron said. “Winning the U.S. Nationals puts you in the history books. Besides winning the championship, a victory at The Big Go is probably the next biggest thing you could do in NHRA. I’ve been fortunate enough to win in multiple categories, doubling up in Pro Stock and Factory Stock Showdown in 2024 was probably one of the coolest moments.”
Greg Stanfield Has His Own Indy Legacy
The Stanfield name was already in the U.S. Nationals record books long before Aaron’s 2024 double.
Greg Stanfield won the Pro Stock title at Indy in 2010 and later added a Factory X victory at the prestigious event in 2023. The veteran racer enters the 2026 U.S. Nationals third in the Pro Stock standings and has already secured his place in the Countdown to the Championship following the Brainerd Nationals.
Stanfield has also won twice this season, making him one of Elite Motorsports’ strongest championship contenders as the regular season comes to a close. His past Indy success only adds to the sense that the U.S. Nationals could be a pivotal weekend for the Janac Brothers entry.
The depth of Elite’s U.S. Nationals history is impressive, but nobody in the organization is showing up simply to celebrate old trophies. There are championship points available. There is playoff positioning on the line. And there is one of the most prestigious trophies in drag racing waiting at the end of Monday. Enders enters as the defending winner. Coughlin has four Indy trophies. Aaron Stanfield owns one of the most unique doubles in event history. Greg Stanfield has won the race in two different categories.
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