In 2020, Anthony Troyer decided that Factory Stock Showdown cars were the way, and he soon joined forces with Stanfield Racing Engines to get behind the wheel of a well-maintained, ready-to-go-fast COPO Camaro.
“We had a COPO before, a 427, but it wasn’t fast enough – I wanted to go faster,” said Troyer with a smile and a shrug. “I wasn’t ever a bracket racer, I just always liked heads-up racing. We decided to go this route, and we never looked back.”
In 2022, Troyer made his way to a final round with a runner-up finish at the Gatornationals, just four hours from his home in Ft. Myers, Fla. At season’s end, he posted a top 10 finish out of 38 competitors in the class.
“That’s probably what I’m most proud of in drag racing,” said Troyer, 28.
These days, the go-fast bug is often handed down generationally, but the third-generation potato farmer isn’t following in anyone’s footsteps with his decision to take it to the strip. Troyer is carving his own way as the first drag racer in the family, but he’s certainly not losing any of his identity away from the farm. This season, he’s representing Fendt Tractors and flying their bold green and white branding on his Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown COPO, powered by Stanfield Racing Engines.
“I’m a farmer from South Florida, so Fendt is a good fit for us,” said Troyer, who toured Fendt’s Marktoberdorf, Germany factory with his Troyer Brothers Florida Inc. family and effectively came home with a partnership both on the potato farm and on the racetrack. “It was a great experience touring the factory, meeting the CEO of AGCO, Eric Hansotia, and getting to talk about drag racing. I’m happy to represent Fendt and help get their branding out there.”
