Narrow first round loss for Enders

Two-time reigning NHRA Pro Stock World Champion, Erica Enders has had a rough start to her 2016 season.    The 47th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals ended in another narrow first round loss for Enders, ultimately losing by a hundredth of a second, her third straight first-round loss this year.

We’re getting so close to where we want to be, and we knew making the switch to Mopar would take some adjustments, but it’s still frustrating when you lose a drag race,” Enders said, “especially when you consider all of the success we’ve had the last two seasons.”

 I could see ‘Brutus’ (Johnson) out of the corner of my eye the whole way down,” Enders said. “That’s one big advantage we have without the hood scoop any more — you can see everything. I just did my thing and tried to be perfect going through the gears, but we came up a fender short.”

I keep saying it but we’ve only had these Hemi motors for a month, so it’s new to all of us, but when Jake Hairston and Nick Ferri tell me there are big things to come, I believe them. The more and more runs we make and the more dyno time those two have, the better it will be.”

Enders and her Elite team have been wrestling with an entire new program – a new car, new NHRA mandated changes to EFI, no hood scoops, shorter wheelie bars, and the typical learning curve associated with that drastic of change.

 I know we’ll be alright and the guys are upbeat and telling me not to get down, but I suppose I’ve gotten a little spoiled. At the same time, I know we have the best team, the best crew guys, the best tuners, the best engine builders in the world under this awning, so there’s no doubt we’ll be back to our winning ways very soon. We just have to be patient.”