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The NHRA Gatornationals winner moved around the provisional No. 1 qualifier David Barton in the final session. Heading into the last qualifying session, which was delayed due to a rainstorm, Barton was holding onto the No. 1 position and in a side by side race he was edged out by Stanfield for the top spot. Barton from Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania improved on his previous best time but it was not enough to hold off Stanfield. Both drivers improved on their previous best times in the final session.
Aaron Stanfield Mile-High Nationals No. 1 qualifier. Photo credit Auto Imagery
“That was a good drag race from start to finish. My car left pretty hard and made the best run of the weekend,” said Stanfield. “By the third run we started kind of getting a handle on the tune-up. The second run it did a really big wheelie and we had to gather it back and get it back under control. The conditions got really good tonight. The track tightened up and it cooled off. It was the makings of a fast run out here on the mountain and we were able to take advantage of it.”
With cooler conditions during the final session getting ready for race day will bring a whole new set of challenges. Starting from the top spot will be the one big advantage Stanfield will take from qualifying.
“We are here to win the race and the majority of the time elimination rounds aren’t like these conditions in qualifying. This run helps you in qualifying position but we will have different conditions on race day,” said Stanfield.
While the day might have been longer than expected for all the Factory Stock Showdown competitors, the fact that the fans enjoyed the racing action made it all worthwhile. Stanfield recognized the passion of the Denver area fans who stuck out the rain delay and were rewarded with a solid final qualifying session.
“It was a packed house tonight and the Bandimeres did a great job. They have some great fans that come out and support us. It was unbelievable. They stayed in the stands all day long watching every car go down the race track,” added Stanfield.
In the absence of Norwalk Nationals winner Chuck Watson II the bounty for the event will transfer to Barton who was the No. 1 qualifier from the previous race. Dan Condon will be the first driver to have a shot at the $1,000 prize when eliminations begin tomorrow at 11 a.m.
First Round Match-Ups
No. 1 Aaron Stanfield vs. No. 16 Anthony Troyer
No. 2 David Barton vs. No. 15 Dan Condon
No. 3 Stephen Bell vs. No. 14 Doug Hamp
No. 4 Leah Pruett vs. No. 13 Waldemar Rodriguez
No. 5 John Cerbone vs. No. 12 Scott Libersher
No. 6 David Janac vs. No. 11 Leonard Lottig
No. 7 Arthur Kohn vs. No. 10 Jesse Alexandra
No. 8 Mark Pawuk vs. No. 9 Joseph Welch
About Constant Aviation
Constant Aviation specializes in aircraft and engine maintenance, major repairs, avionics, interiors and paint. In addition, it offers mobile response services through its AOG division, and accessory and composite services through its Nextant Aerospace division. With more than 15 years of expertise in a comprehensive array of business jet airframes, Constant Aviation has raised the bar in aircraft maintenance expectations by focusing on quality, always. In 2021, Constant Aviation became the official aircraft maintenance and AOG support of the NHRA and the title sponsor of the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class. For more information, visit https://www.constantaviation.com/ or call 216.261.7119. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
