Two-time defending NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders is fresh off a successful first test session with her new EFI-equipped Elite Motorsports Mopar Dodge Dart on Saturday at North Star Dragway.The Pro Stock class recently made the switch to NHRA-mandated electronic fuel-injected engines, an imposed 10,500-rpm limit, and a shorter wheelie bar configuration . Enders and her Elite team also were testing their new equipment under their manufacturer alliance with Mopar and Dodge – a new RJ Race Cars Dart built in the shops of crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones.
I was really impressed,” Enders said. “It was a pretty awesome experience. I feel like my expectations were a little tainted by what other people had reported about EFI and I didn’t know what to expect, but then to experience it first-hand with my guys, I’m very optimistic. Things went well, and I’m excited about the season. We accomplished a lot in one day, and we did that because of the preparation and hard work of all my Elite guys.”
Enders put her new Dodge through the motions in a full day of testing, while the team took notes on the many differences between the former Pro Stock configuration and the new one.
The drivability is absolutely different,” Enders said. “It’s definitely challenging, but change always is. I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience with it. We had a great track to test on, and with a brand-new race car and all the new EFI stuff, we went out and went right down the racetrack — no blips, no hiccups, nothing. It was great.”
The new body changes also meant a clear-view for Enders – no more large hood scoop blocking her vision from inside the car.
I’ve never raced with an open windshield like that,” Enders said. “I’ve always had a hood scoop or a blower or something, so it was definitely different to have a wide-open view. That was a big change, but I ignored that aspect of it because I was so focused on doing my best in the race car. That wasn’t even a thought.”
The team continues preparations for the start of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season with upcoming pre-season testing at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz., starting next Sunday.
Trucking along with Mackenzie La Rue