Aaron Stanfield and David Cuadra rallied to semifinal finishes for Elite Motorsports Sunday at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

Stanfield and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / Janac Brother’s Racing team started race day from the No. 4 qualifying spot thanks to a 6.666-second pass at 204.08 mph. After winning the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, Stanfield opened eliminations with a victory against Mason McGaha. The JHG / Melling machine laid down a 6.676-second run at 204.70 mph to defeat McGaha’s 6.749 at 204.88.

In the second round, Stanfield squared off against Cody Coughlin, who had trouble from the start, coasting to 18.279 seconds at 43.53 mph while Stanfield made a clean 6.709 pass at 204.17 to face rival Dallas Glenn in the 18th semifinal round of his career.

The JHG / Melling hotrod would have tire shake against Glenn. Stanfield would cross the finish line in 7.362-seconds and 153.51 mph while Glenn went straight down track in 6.671 and 206.23.

“It’s been a good weekend for Elite Motorsports. It really started back in Epping, a semifinal appearance for Erica and I, and then yesterday winning the #2Fast2Tasty Challenege,” Stanfield said. “Obviously would have liked to bring home the win today, keep the Thunder Valley Nationals title in the Elite camp for another year [Elite Motorsports has won the event the past three consecutive years], but we’re keeping our heads up. This whole team has been working hard, trying new things, testing and it’s paying off. We’ll be back in the winner’s circle soon. It’s only a matter of time.”

David Cuadra, driving the Cuadra Tequila / Cuadra Belts / Cuadra car, rallied to the second semifinal appearance of his career that started with a first-round battle against twin brother Cristian Cuadra. David, the No. 6 qualifier (6.669 at 204.94) laid down a 6.671-second pass at 204.91 mph for his second win against Cristian who had a .001-second reaction time but rattled the tires.

In the second round, Cuadra raced against Deric Kramer and took the victory on a holeshot. With a .008-second reaction time and 6.725-second pass at 203.95 mph, Cuadra got the best of Kramer, who had a .040 reaction time and 6.713 run at 204.88.

In the semifinals, Cuadra had a monster matchup against reigning six-time world champion and eventual event winner Greg Anderson. Cuadra’s 6.699-second pass at 204.82 mph just wasn’t enough for Anderson’s 6.644 at 206.01.

“I feel like I had a great weekend from having had that long break, it just feels great. I think my car ran really good all weekend,” Cuadra said. “I’m excited. I’m really happy, but I really want to get into the finals and get a Wally in Pro Stock. I mean, that’s the dream. Today definitely gives us a whole lot of confidence, though. My reaction times almost surprised me. Being double zero that first time, I just kept going. I’m really confident that I’m getting to that next level. My car is running phenomenal, so I know one day everything’s going to line up and we’re going to make it to the final.”

Next on the Pro Stock Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule will be the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, June 26.29.

This story was originally published on June 9, 2025.

NASCAR playoff standings after Michigan International Speedway

On Sunday, NASCAR raced on the 2-mile of Michigan International Speedway. It’s race number 15 on the season and only 11 races remain before the playoffs begin.

View NASCAR standings after Michigan International Speedway below.

Denny Hamlin added to his win total. With three wins this season he’s now tied with Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell for the most wins in the 2025 season.

Michigan Results: June 8, 2025 (NASCAR Cup Series)

NASCAR Cup Series
Playoff Standings

Pos | Driver | Wins | Points

1. Kyle Larson
3 Wins

2. Denny Hamlin
3 Wins

3. Christopher Bell
3 Wins

4. William Byron
1 Win

5. Ryan Blaney
1 Win

6. Joey Logano
1 Win

7. Austin Cindric
1 Win

8. Josh Berry
1 Win

9. Ross Chastain
1 Win

10. Chase Elliott
+142

11. Tyler Reddick
+138

12. Bubba Wallace
+61

13. Chase Briscoe
+41

14. Chris Buescher
+41

15. Alex Bowman
+13

16. Ryan Preece
+0

— Playoff Cutline —

17. Kyle Busch
-0

18. Carson Hocevar
-18

19. AJ Allmendinger
-18

20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
-20

NASCAR Cup Series
Point Standings
(Regular Season)

Note: The leader of the point standings at the start of the playoffs is given bonus points heading into the playoff races.

Pos | Driver | Points

1. William Byron
576

2. Kyle Larson
535

3. Denny Hamlin
494

4. Christopher Bell
480

5. Chase Elliott
464

6. Tyler Reddick
460

7. Ryan Blaney
427

8. Ross Chastain
414

9. Joey Logano
395

10. Bubba Wallace
383

11. Chase Briscoe
363

12. Chris Buescher
342

13. Alex Bowman
335

14. Ryan Preece
322

15. Kyle Busch
322

16. Austin Cindric
318

17. Josh Berry
309

18. Carson Hocevar
304

19. AJ Allmendinger
304

20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
302

21. Erik Jones
286

22. Zane Smith
285

23. Michael McDowell
285

24. Ty Gibbs
270

25. John Hunter Nemechek
270

26. Austin Dillon
270

27. Todd Gilliland
265

28. Daniel Suarez
254

29. Justin Haley
234

30. Ty Dillon
232

31. Noah Gragson
224

32. Brad Keselowski
221

33. Shane van Gisbergen
192

34. Riley Herbst
185

35. Cole Custer
175

36. Cody Ware
95

Links

Michigan International Speedway | NASCAR

Chase Elliott has been compared to the likes of Jeff Gordon and is the reigning Cup Series champion but has not won a race since last season and has reached Victory Lane just once since 2023

Chase Elliott has left the decision about the future of his No. 9 team up to the Hendrick Motorsports bosses as he declared: “We show up and we fight every week and we’ll keep doing that until someone tells us to stop”.

Despite consistently solid performances, Elliott is feeling the heat with only one trip to Victory Lane since 2023, and questions are swirling around his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, amid calls for potential replacements at Hendrick Motorsports. Meanwhile, one of his $12.6 billion sponsors recently backed a Kyle Larson career move.

In an exclusive with Express U.S. Sports earlier in the season, Elliott stood firmly by Gustafson’s side. And Elliott continued to reiterate he’s committed to keeping things business as usual with the No. 9 until the time comes when Hendrick Motorsports opts for a shakeup, despite some fans calling for a rising star to take his seat.

READ MORE: Kyle Larson comments speak volumes as Dale Earnhardt Jr voices bold Hendrick theoryREAD MORE: Bubba Wallace turns to $220 billion partner to reward himself on private jet

Speaking on Amazon Prime Video’s pre-race show at Michigan, Elliott opened up about the growth of the team through tough times, urging fans to appreciate their dedication. Addressing inquiries by Corey LaJoie regarding his dialogue with Gustafson on needing to dominate races, Elliott responded: “We do, for sure. And, you know, for us, man we’ve worked so hard at it, just trying to chip away.

“I think Alan deserves a lot of credit for just helping to manage this entire process, because there’s a lot to it.

“Look, there is no one here, and we have some great race fans and I appreciate them, but there is no one here who wants to perform as much as we do.

“And we put a lot of effort and work into that, and I think that’s always important to remember because we miught not be the flashiest work but we sure do care a lot.

“And we care a lot about each other too. I think it’s important that we’ve stuck together through this, and I think there is light at the end of the tunnel somewhere.

“I also think we’re gonna be way better for it once we do get on the other side, because we’ve had to learn some hard lessons, and we’ve learned them together, and those things matter.

“So I’m looking forward to, whatever the journey brings, we show up and we fight every week and we’ll keep doing that until someone tells us to stop.”

Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team came away with a 12th-place finish in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It was the sixth time in 15 races this season that they have finished 12th or better. And they picked up six Stage points thanks to a fifth-place finish in the opening Stage.

Berry, driving a Mustang Dark Horse painted to resemble the Mercury that Cale Yarborough and the Wood Brothers put in Victory Lane at the first-ever NASCAR race at Michigan, lined up seventh for the start of the 400-miler.

He ran in the top five throughout the first 45-lap Stage, ending that segment in fifth place.

The second Stage, which saw four caution flags for incidents involving other drivers, didn’t work out in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team’s favor. After restarting in 11th place, Berry dropped as low as 30th in the running order before climbing back to 17th at the end of the Stage.

In the third and final segment of the race, Berry quickly worked his way back into the top 10, but his Mustang wasn’t as fast on the last set of tires and he lost several spots in the closing laps, finally taking the checkered flag in 12th place.

Berry and the team now switch to road-racing mode as they prepare for next Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.

WBR PR

What’s Happening?

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps has confirmed the sport is “very close” to bringing in a fifth manufacturer. This comes just after Ram announced its official return to the Truck Series and Dodge plans to return to the Cup Series. While no official name has been disclosed, sources strongly suggest Honda is the leading candidate. If the deal moves forward, a potential debut is targeted for 2027. The last manufacturer to join the Cup Series was Toyota in 2007, and since Dodge left, following the 2012 season, NASCAR has had three manufacturers – Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota.

• Honda’s presence in motorsports, particularly in IndyCar and Formula 1, makes it a natural candidate for NASCAR expansion.
• NASCAR’s current rules require manufacturers to submit bodywork for approval two years in advance, meaning a 2026 debut would require formal action by September 2024. Given Honda’s ongoing IndyCar commitments through 2026, a 2027 Cup Series entry is the most realistic scenario.
• Brad Keselowski has reportedly been involved in discussions with Honda, and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing has emerged as a potential team partner if a deal materializes. While no team alignment has been confirmed, garage speculation continues to focus on RFK as a landing spot.
• NASCAR is also using this opportunity to work closely with current and potential OEMs on hybrid engine development, which is expected to arrive soon. Honda’s hybrid experience could give it a technical advantage in the early planning, making a return more attractive.
• Chuck Schifsky, manager of Honda and Acura Motorsports, confirmed that Honda continues to explore multiple options for its future in U.S. Motorsports. Still, Honda has no news to share at this time.
• Fan and industry reaction has been broadly positive, with most seeing Honda as a great addition to the field. The move could help diversify the grid, increase global relevance, and spark renewed interest in manufacturer competition, helping increase the number of overall viewers and fans.

What other manufacturers would you like to see join the sport? Let us know your thoughts on our Discord or X. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

• Denny Hamlin won his 57th Cup Series race Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.
• NASCAR’s Cup and Xfinity Series head to Mexico City for road course races next weekend.

Denny Hamlin was driving like a man in a hurry Sunday at Michigan.