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NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Aaron Stanfield goes three-for-three in Factory Stock Showdown rout

If not for a narrow loss to Chris Holbrook at the first event of the season, Aaron Stanfield might well be undefeated in the SAM Tech.edu Factory Stock Showdown in 2020.
18 Oct 2020
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
Race coverage
Aaron Stanfield

If not for a narrow loss to Chris Holbrook at the first event of the season, Aaron Stanfield might well be undefeated in the SAM Tech.edu Factory Stock Showdown in 2020. Since his loss to Holbrook at the July event in Indianapolis, Stanfield has taken the bull by the horns in the Factory Stock class with three consecutive wins. Stanfield’s latest triumph came at the AAA Texas 91°µÍø Fallnationals where he defeated David Kramer in the all COPO Camaro final round.

Stanfield began his weekend in Dallas by beating teammate David Janac in the rain-delayed final round from the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals last month. That victory came on the heels of his first-ever Factory Stock win at the Denso Spark Plugs NHRA U.S. Nationals in early September.

At the Dallas event, Stanfield was the No. 2 qualifier with a 7.863 and he used a string of seven second runs in eliminations to score wins against Daniel Condon, Kevin Skinner, and former Pro Stock driver Mark Pawuk, who was also his opponent in the Indy final. Stanfield admittedly had some luck in the Dallas final after his supercharged Camaro slowed from its early seven-second pace to an 8.14 at just 142-mph although that was just enough to cover Kramer’s 8.197.

With wins in three of the first four races this season, Stanfield has all but buried the competition in the battle for the Factory Stock Showdown season championship. He currently leads the field by 173 points with just two races remaining in Houston and Las Vegas.

Stanfield also qualified for the quick Pro Stock field in Dallas and even though he lost in the first round against Jeg Coughlin Jr., he is on track for a top ten finish in his first full season as a pro.

Kramer, the father of Pro Stock driver and Dallas low qualifier Deric Kramer, has struggled to win rounds this season, but watched his fortunes improve dramatically in Dallas. After qualifying in the No. 5 spot, Kramer reached the second Factory Stock Showdown final of his career after carding wins against Lindsay Wheelock, Arthur Kohn, and Doug Hamp on Sunday.Â