PRO STOCK

On three occasions this season, Greg Stanfield advanced to the Pro Stock championship round only to be disappointed.

The fourth race was a charm Sunday for Stanfield and the Nitro Fish/Coffman Tank Trucks GXP team.  Starting from the 12th position, he put on a dazzling driving display on the way to a very satisfying fifth career title in the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Stanfield left the starting line first in every round and the GXP lit the win light each time.  In order, he ousted Larry Morgan, Roger Brogdon, nemesis Allen Johnson and, in the finals, Kurt Johnson.

The stellar performance also moved him into seventh place in the Full Throttle Series final standings. 

(Ron Lewis photo)

In the title round, Stanfield had a .009-second reaction to Johnson’s .016, and easily drove away when Johnson’s car spun the tires hard, forcing him to abort the run. Stanfield stopped the timer in 6.597 seconds, 209.59 mph and the celebrating began.

“It takes luck to win a race and we got our share (Sunday),” said a happy Stanfield, who finished second at this track in the season-opening Winternationals in February. “We had problems with the car, but we still kept winning rounds.  When we got to the last round, I told Eddie (crew chief Eddie Guarnaccia) to give it everything and he did.”

“This was a team effort,” Guarnaccia commented, “and it was all year.  Some things seemed to go our way Sunday and Greg did a good job as usual.”

Stanfield set the tone for the Finals from the beginning. His .022-second reaction to Morgan’s .075 provided a hole-shot win, 6.595 at 209.52 to 6.587, 210.34. In the next round, he left with a .028 to Rodger Brogdon’s .050 and won with a 6.605, 209.39 to 6.587 at 209.82.

In the semifinals, Stanfield avenged two consecutive losses to Allen Johnson with a 6.609 at 209.23 to Johnson’s slowing 6.737 at 177.46.

“It is exciting when we win, but it is really hard to win,” Stanfield commented. “We needed that one.”