Racing in Red Project funded

June 9, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Movie surrounding Erica Enders’ 2014 Pro Stock Championship Funded

Racing in Red, the behind-the-scenes documentary movie project that followed Erica Enders in her 2014 Pro Stock Championship winning season, recently achieved its Kickstarter funding campaign goal required to enter final production. 252 contributors successfully backed the campaign, donating a total of $126,255.00 towards the project’s final production costs.

Racing in Red | Trailer Video

Racing in Red Official Trailer from Design con Carne, Inc. on Vimeo.

The Story

As the 2014 season began, Erik Danielson, a close associate of Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman and owner of Danielson Entertainment Group, LLC had the forethought and vision to know this was a story that needed to be told. Using his own capital, he engaged husband and wife design and filmmaking team Kevin and Kelly Anderson of Design con Carne, Inc. to travel with the Elite team through the bulk of the season. The cameras rolled constantly, beginning in February with shaky test runs of the new car and driver and in Phoenix and on through the ups and downs, wins and losses, big paydays and empty bank accounts, trophies and blown engines of the grueling 10-month NHRA season.

As the project neared 95% completion, they needed financial assistant to enter final production to cover the costs of licensing, video and audio post-production, and original musical composition needed to finish. The Kickstarter campaign gave fans a chance to donate, earning themselves unique project rewards for their support.

Racing in Red Release

Anticipated release of the Racing in Red Blu-Ray or DVD was listed on the the Kickstarter Campaign as July 2016.

Runner-up finish for Alexis DeJoria

June 9, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Alexis DeJoria finishes 2nd at Englishtown in Funny Car

Alexis DeJoria and the Patrón XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car team raced to their first runner-up finish of 2015 at the 46^th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals. The sixth final round appearance of her Funny Car career, DeJoria and her Patrón team had one of the most consistent cars throughout eliminations on Sunday.

In the opening round, the No. 10 qualified DeJoria would take on No. 7 qualifier Jack Beckman. Beckman had the upper hand in their previous meetings, with an 11-4 record. Beckman would leave first, but quickly lost traction and spun the tires as Alexis would power on to victory with a 4.089 elapsed time at 302.96 mph to his 4.458 second E.T. at 206.39mph. That pass would earn DeJoria lane choice for the second round.

Dom Lagana would also take the reaction advantage against DeJoria in round two, but aborted the run when he also lost traction, as Alexis again made another strong 4.168 second pass. This would place her in the semi-final round against Kalitta teammate, Del Worsham.

This would be a close race between the Kalitta Camrys. Although Worsham would take a slight advantage off of the starting line, DeJoria was on his tail and passed him by 330 feet in route to a run of 4.120 to his competitive 4.138 second pass. The margin of victory at the finish line was just 0.0015 seconds, or approximately 8 inches. Alexis would also just edge out reigning World Champion and current points leader, Matt Hagan, for lane choice into the finals.

The final round was a nail-biter from start-to-finish. The two launched off of the starting line with nearly identical reaction times (0.079 versus Hagan’s 0.074), with DeJoria pulling away to take the early lead. She led the race to 330 feet, but Hagan recaptured the lead at 660 feet, by just 0.001 seconds. He would hold onto the win, defeating DeJoria by a 0.0114 second margin of victory and less than a car length. An exciting race but unfortunately DeJoria just barely missed setting off the win light with her 4.138-sec pass to his 4.132.

What a day. I’m just beside myself right now,” said DeJoria a three-time Funny Car winner. “To do this well at the Toyota NHRA Summernationals is awesome. I’ve never won in Englishtown and I’ve definitely never made it to the finals here, so it feels good. I’ve really got to give it up to my team- they’re the main reason we went so far today. They’re such an excellent group and they’ve really got my back. I love these guys like a family. I wasn’t the greatest on my reaction times every round, but when it mattered, I really pulled it off. It was a hell of a final against Matt Hagan. I didn’t give anything up on the starting line, that’s for sure, and I’m leaving Englishtown pretty stoked.”

Although she missed putting her Patrón Toyota Camry in the Winners Circle by just a few thousandths of a second, advancing to the final round enabled the Patrón team to gain sixty valuable points. The team has struggled with only a pair of semi-final finishes over the course of the first eight races, and has sat at the bottom of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship points throughout most of the season. They entered Sunday of the Toyota NHRA Summernationals in the No. 10 spot with only a one-point advantage above the No. 11^th ranked driver. The runner-up finish allowed them to move up to the 8^th spot, and put much needed points on the board in an ultra-competitive Funny Car class.

“We picked up quite a few points this weekend, and we’re starting to get back into the swing things so I’m really glad we’re back at it up in Epping next weekend.”

Now ranked eighth, the Patrón XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car team leaves Old Bridge Township Raceway with 487 points. They compete next at the 3^rd annual NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, N.H., June 12-14.

Jet Dragster driver Marisha Falk steps down

June 6, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragster driver Marisha Falk announced that she will step down from full time driving at the conclusion of the 2015 season. The 28 year-old from Kenosha, WI is in her fourth season with the Larsen Motorsports team and is one of four Larsen Motorsports jet dragsters that currently compete in the IHRA Nitro Jam Series.

Marisha is the currently the driver of the Applied Racing Components Jet Dragster, but plans to step out of the full-time position, into a back-up driver role for the Larsen team. This will allow new Larsen Motorsports drivers to gain seat time as part of a recently introduced Larsen Motorsports expansion.

Marisha driving for us is among the best things that has happened to Larsen Motorsports,” said Elaine Larsen. “Four seasons of outstanding performance and dedication to the growth of our company have shown her commitment not only to LMS but to the sport of drag racing.”

Falk plans to participate in testing with the Larsen Motorsports team in order to keep her license current, and may occasionally be seen at races beyond 2015. She also plans on being an integral part of the team’s driver development program.

She will be hugely missed by her fans but rest assured, Marisha could return in an LMS car,” said Chris Larsen.

Marisha Falk has a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Science and Masters of Business Administration, she has over 10 years of flight experience and her multi-engine air transport rating, and works as a worldwide private jet charter specialist with Paramount Business Jets, putting her knowledge of the aviation industry to use.

I am grateful for the opportunity Chris and Elaine Larsen have given me to drive for our team over the past four years,” said Marisha. “I am excited about future opportunities to mentor and share my knowledge and skills with upcoming drivers. I cannot thank the entire racing community enough for being so welcoming and supportive; you have definitely made my racing career thus far much more meaningful. It is with great sadness that I close this chapter in my life to open so many more.”

Featured Crew: Melissa Urist

June 5, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

With 13 years experience in the pits, 7 of those for one of the most successful Super Street Outlaw programs on the planet, and a ‘Crew Member of the Year’ title to her name, 30 year-old New Mexico resident, Melissa Urist continues to crush assumptions with her class-winning knowledge and wrench-turning skills.

The Early Years

Growing up, Melissa was always surrounded by a love for cars. Her father an avid Mustang enthusiast, he always had more ponies than Melissa could even remember. His passion and auto enthusiasm was passed down through the family; first to her brother, and eventually taking hold of Melissa herself, who wanted to follow in her brother’s footsteps.

It began with local car cruise-ins to a popular hangout called Blue Top, an establishment frequented by the muscle car crowd in her suburban Chicago hometown. From there, she would venture to the race track with the family. Drag Racing wasn’t love at first sight for Urist, who said that the dragstrip took time to grow on her, “mainly because at that time, I wasn’t even old enough to have a learners permit,” she says. She began learning the basics from brother Johnny Leslie- who competed in the National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA)- changing tires, fly wheels, clutches, rear ends, etc. for his Factory Stock class Mustang. Soon, drag racing became an obsession.

Partners in Life and Championships

8 years later, Melissa would meet NMRA racing standout, John Urist of Hellion Racing at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) tradeshow. Teamed with John, who would not only become her racing partner, but her husband and partner in life, she learned what it took to crew a championship winning Street Outlaw program, from valve train to engine maintenance and all the other round preparation tasks of a top-caliber team. She and one other member serve as the entire working crew on the car, a fact that put many in disbelief.

I would have to say most people who pass through our pits assume that I don’t know much about the car or that because the pit is filled with more men than women that I’m just there to film, no actual labor on the car,” she says of her role as main crew member. “I don’t come right out and tell people that I have a major hand in the car because I let my work speak for itself. I’m lucky that my husband will tell people himself how during a typical race weekend, he does no work on the car himself besides tuning, and that myself and Mike King do 100% of the work.”

From loading the Hellion hauler in preparation for its cross-country travel to races, to her flying into the track for set-up and tech, checking over the engine and fixing problems that arise, maintenance between fueling, water, ice, spark plugs, battery charging, towing the car to/from the race surface, and lining John up for each and every run, there isn’t much Melissa doesn’t have a hand in on the car’s upkeep.

…Most just assume that if you’re a woman at the track, you’re there for attention only. I honestly don’t walk the track that often at races, I stick to my pit, work on the car, chat with our crew members, talk about our plan for the next pass with my crew and worry about my daughter. I think it’s an awesome experience when you can talk cars with people who pass through your pits and they commend you on your knowledge of cars, throwing in that they didn’t expect that. I feel like maybe with that experience, they will treat the next female with a little more respect.”

Melissa propelled John to countless wins in the class, culminating with six Super Street Outlaw Championship titles, and earning the coveted NMRA 2014 Crew Member of the Year title for her work.

This [Crew Member of the Year award] was so special and unique to me because I believe I’m the 2nd woman in the NMRA to have ever won this award,” she said of the honor. I really hope that someday my daughter will race and feel confident in what she’s doing because her mom has shown her that it is possible.”

Melissa Urist: Super Mom

But her work doesn’t stop there. Since the arrival of their daughter Lauren in September 2012, Melissa also handles getting the entire house ready for the Grandparents to watch while her and John are away at the races. Between her crew duties, she is making sure everything is 100% ok at home and that there are no issues with their daughter.

I was blessed to grow up with Super Mom-I mean that! My mom can juggle 4 children with crazy busy schedules like she’s baking a cake. It always came so natural to her, (and I struggle with 1!) that I said when situations get tough, I need to channel my own Mom. Growing up with her has turned me into the best Mom/wife/daughter I could be.”

Melissa and John are sure they will continue the family legacy with the next generation of racers. Already car-savvy at the tender age of 2, Lauren is wasting no time following right behind her mommy and daddy’s footsteps.

Family is everything. With that said, you can have a family AND race. 9 days after our daughter was born, we loaded up in the motorhome and drove from Albuquerque, NM (where we live) to Bowling Green, KY for a race and won the championship. It was the most exciting and exhausting weekend of my life. I committed to responsibilities on the car and didn’t want to give them up so I’d feed our daughter, put her in her baby rocker and work on the car. Thankfully, at 9 days old, she found the sound of cars going down the track to be lulling and slept, literally, like a baby. Her entire first year and a half, she was at every race no matter what. Motherhood doesn’t mean your life stops, it means you get to pass this love of cars onto your own children. Getting them involved is, in my opinion, the best way to continue to do what you love AND you don’t have to give up those precious moments with them. My daughter pops the hood on her mini- Boss 302 and shows us how she works on cars. She’s also obsessed with looking under the hood of our 2015 and pointing out the turbos.”

Taking a turn at the wheel?

Despite over a decade at the track, Melissa has never taken her turn behind the wheel. She stated that this is something that is soon to change, and is looking forward to her first trip down the track herself. She will hit the track in a Hellion Twin Turbo 2015 Mustang, and has her eye on the NMRA’s Turbo Coyote Shootout held in Bowling Green and the NMRA All-Female shootout in Ohio.

As far as advice for women wanting to get involved in the sport? She offers:

Always be humble. Respect other women in the sport. Don’t come into the scene with an attitude against others, especially when you don’t know them nor have the years of experience behind you. Lift one another up. Never give up, no matter how many times you cross the stripe 2nd. It’s an exciting experience for me to watch my sister race in the same class as my brother and it brings me to tears each and every time my sister does well because I know how much hard work she’s put in to go just one more round. Enjoy and embrace every moment!”

Best of luck to Melissa! We can’t wait to see you add driver to your accomplished resume!

Record setting return for Enders at Summernationals

June 4, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Enders returns to record-setting Englishtown

As NHRA Pro Stock drag racer, Erica Enders prepares for the 46th Annual Toyota Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, she carries the memories of last year’s record-setting performance – an added measure of confidence for this year’s event

Enders and her Elite Motorsports team set the national elapsed time and speed records in Englishtown, New Jersey a year ago with a 6.464 second performance at 215.55 mph, with the speed mark still intact today.

“There’s a lot of history at Raceway Park,” said Enders, the 2014 Pro Stock champion. “I’m excited to go back because we set both ends of the national record there for e.t. and mph. The E.T. record was just broken by Jason (Line) in Charlotte, but we still hold the mph record. Definitely some fond memories there for me: My husband Richie (Stevens) has won there a handful of times, so it’s a lucky track for him.”

Plus, Englishtown is a favorite stop for Pro Stock competitors because fans in the area truly love the class.

“It’s Pro Stock country up there,” Enders said. “People there love Pro Stock, so it’s always exciting to get back to a racetrack where the whole grandstands want to see us race. The back of the pits are packed, and you get a lot of educated questions. It’s nice.”

Weather may not be favorable for any record-setting runs this year, but Enders expects to be among the fastest drivers. Fresh off a victory at Heartland Park Topeka, she was the quickest in all three rounds of qualifying and in all four rounds of eliminations. The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the low 80s this weekend with a slight chance for rain.

“Englishtown and Reading are always two of the most likely tracks to have weather conditions conducive for record-setting runs,” Enders said. “If the conditions are there, I definitely put our money on us. We’ve certainly got a good handle on our hot rod right now, and I’ve been driving really well. We’ll see what the good Lord deals us with the weather, and we’ll go up there and do our best. Record or not, our goal is to win the race. Coming off a win in Topeka, I’m very excited to get back behind the wheel.”

The Topeka victory put Enders back on top in the points standings for the second time this year, and she leads Jason Line by 58 points. But her focus isn’t on points at this stage of the season.

“It’s always exciting to lead the points, but it’s a long season,” Enders said. “We’re only a third of the way through it, and we’ve got a lot of races left. There are a lot of tough competitors out there in Pro Stock, and it’s going to come down to the wire. With the Countdown format, it doesn’t mean a whole lot to get very far ahead. We were 250 points ahead last year, and it came down to the final round of the final race.”

Qualifying for the 46th Annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals takes place at 3:45 and 6:15 p.m. ET, Friday, and 1:15 and 3:45 p.m., Saturday. Elimination round racing begins at noon, Sunday. ESPN2 will broadcast the action.

Representing: Rachel Yee

June 4, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Rachel Yee shows off her Horsepower & Heels

Las Vegas drag racer, Rachel Yee shows us what her horsepower and heels look like with this cool shot by Divonte Photos. Rachel drives this record-breaking Harley Davidson Edition F-150 down the quarter mile in just 10 seconds, at over 138mph. We LOVE this photo!

Look out for more about Rachel Yee and her badass truck in an upcoming article!

Wanna get in on the action?

Help us get the Horsepower & Heels word out! Just pick up a Horsepower & Heels decal, or some other Horsepower & Heels merchandise from the E-Store – or even a Horsepower & Heels inspired photo and send us a picture!

New Jersey event sponsor for Angelle Sampey

June 3, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle driver Angelle Sampey and her Star Racing team just announced a new event sponsor for the upcoming 46th Annual NHRA Toyota Summernationals in Englishtown, New Jersey. Platinum General Construction Services joined the Star Racing team as an event sponsor after owner Ralphie Navarro visited the three-time world champion’s new crowd-funding program, JoinTeamAngelle.com a sponsorship initiative for fans to get involved with the team.

With sponsorship through the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign, Platinum General Construction Services will have its logo featured on Sampey’s Star Racing motorcycle during the event. Other perks include pit uniforms for Platinum General Construction Services staff members, meet-and-greet time with Sampey and the Star Racing team and tickets to all sessions of the Toyota Summer Nationals event.

When I first saw the opportunity that Star Racing and Angelle were offering through the JoinTeamAngelle.com website, I knew right away that it would be a great fit for us because it offers affordable access to a major sponsorship with benefits our staff can enjoy,” said Mr. Navarro. “I’ve been looking for a special event opportunity to share with our staff. We have a great team of people who do such a terrific job every day, and the chance to share a weekend of NHRA racing with the Star Racing team is one I couldn’t pass up. Plus, I’ve been a big fan of Angelle over the years. She’s a true superstar in this sport. Star Racing is one of the all-time great teams in NHRA, and this was an opportunity for me to be able to step up and make a difference for them.”

Employee Hospitality

Select employees of the New Jersey-based Platinum General Construction Services company will get the opportunity to experience the activities at the Toyota Summer Nationals event. Star Racing will be hosting the Platinum General Construction Services staff in the team’s pit area, and they will have the opportunity to see what takes place behind the scenes as Sampey and the Star team prepare to race.

What makes this event sponsorship with Star Racing and JoinTeamAngelle.com so special is that they are going to be sharing time with us and taking us inside their racing operation,” said Mr. Navarro. “I want to compliment Star Racing on the JoinTeamAngelle.com program because it offers our company a number of advantages through our sponsorship. This type of opportunity is totally unique and I would encourage other smaller or mid-sized companies to visit JoinTeamAngelle.com. Platinum General Construction Services is proud to be a part of Team Angelle, and we are counting the hours until we get to the track.”

Star Racing team owner George Bryce was able to put together a custom program that fit the needs of Navarro’s company.

Quite obviously, we are thrilled that Raphie Navarro and Platinum General Construction Services will be joining us through the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign at the Toyota Summer Nationals as an event sponsor. When Ralphie contacted us about what he had in mind to celebrate the work of his staff, we immediately began working with him on designing an event sponsor package that would create a meaningful and memorable experience for his company. We want to salute Ralphie as a sponsor and as a business owner who sincerely cares about his staff. One of the advantages we have with the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign is that we can customize sponsor packages for an event, a series of events or the entire season.”

Approaching Crowd Funding Goal

The JoinTeamAngelle.com fan sponsorship drive has continued to gain momentum since the program debuted in mid-May during the NHRA Atlanta Dragway event. Currently at the 70% threshold, the campaign is on-track to reach its initial $30,000 goal in its first 30 days.

It’s been quite gratifying and quite humbling to see the response we have received in the first couple of weeks following the announcement and debut of JoinTeamAngelle.com,” said Mr. Bryce. “We have seen our fans engaged in ways that I’ve not seen in my 40 years in racing. Through the website, fans are watching our videos, reading our blogs and getting a sense of what happens on the inside of a racing team. We’ve also seen small and mid-sized businesses approach us concerning sponsorships that are financially reachable and provide value for their organizations. The campaign has given our team tremendous momentum and we are excited about the possibilities for the season.”

Dina Parise runner-up at IHRA Summer Nationals

June 1, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Pro Modified drag racer, Dina Parise, qualified No. 1 on the way to her first final round appearance of the season at the IHRA Nitro Jam Summer Nationals this weekend in Cordova, Illinois.

The former professional Ice Capades skater-turned racer from New Freedom, Pennsylvania posted a 6.913 second elapsed time at 154.35 mph to secure the No. 1 qualified position in the Crower Pro Mod class on Friday in her blown 2013 Dian Parise Racing Cadillac CTS-V, a car she endearingly nicknamed ‘Stella’. Dina and her team debuted the Cadillac at the Bradenton IHRA event in April and have been working out all the new-car bugs since, with steady improvements.

Rain delay gives Dina Parise Competition Bye into the Final

On Saturday, rain hit Cordova International Raceway, cancelling the scheduled Saturday eliminations, and forcing racers and fans to stay over into Sunday. Because of a short field in the Crower Pro Mod class, Dina would take the tree for a competition-bye right into the Final round. She would face the 1970 Camaro of Ruben Tetshovili for the event title. Tetshovili would leave first, and stay out front for the win, defeating Dina’s 7.560 second elapsed time at 134.55 mph with a 6.963 second, 163.16 mph timeslip.

Dina is currently 5th in the Crower Pro Mod for the IHRA Nitro Jam championship points chase.

Featured Racer: Taylor Vetter

May 30, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Women in Racing Feature: Taylor Vetter

Meet Taylor Vetter, a 20 year-old Super Comp drag racer from Henderson, Nevada. When she is not attending classes at UNLV to become an athletic trainer, Taylor is a regular racer at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in her 540 cubic inch Big Block Chevy powered Ron Fry super comp dragster.

She began drag racing at the age of 8 in the junior dragster ranks, following in the steps of her cousins, Justin and Ryen Lamb. Moving up the ranks, Taylor competed in the junior dragster series with her family until she turned 18, winning many local track races and a divisional race. She runnered-up in the 2010 Western Conference Finals, and was a Semi-Finalist in the same race in 2011.

This year, Taylor made the switch to the adult NHRA Super Comp ranks.

Her current goals are to become more comfortable with the new car, gaining the experience she needs to eventually win a national or divisional event. She would love to travel for racing, and get the opportunity to compete at as many racetracks as possible.

Best of luck to Taylor Vetter! We look forward to following her career.

Enders scores perfect weekend in Topeka

May 26, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders couldn’t have had a more perfect weekend for the 27^th Annual NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas. Her Elite Motorsports team scored a dominant victory, capping a perfect weekend with a top qualifying spot, the quickest performance of every round of racing-both qualifying and eliminations, and the championship points lead leaving the event.

The last time we did this was Norwalk (Ohio) last year: We qualified on the pole and were low e.t. every round of qualifying and every round of eliminations,” Enders said. “It’s definitely a feat, especially in Pro Stock, as competitive as it is. Hat’s off to my guys; they are absolutely incredible. It speaks volumes of what they’re capable of when they’re given the tools that they need, and that’s what (team owner) Richard Freeman has provided them. I’m just really proud.”

Quickest qualifying Pro Stock

She began the weekend with a strong qualifying showing, nabbing the No. 1 position in qualifying in a rain-shortened three attempt program. This brought back memories of 2006, the same place where she earned her first No. 1 qualifier to become the first woman to secure the Pro Stock pole.

It’s pretty cool,” Enders said. “I thought about that coming in here on Thursday, so it definitely was a fun memory here, becoming the first female No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock. We’ve gone on to do some really great things (with Elite Motorsports).”

Enders led all three qualifying sessions — the fourth was rained out — with her top pass of 6.150 seconds at 211.43 mph earning her the No. 1 spot. She earned nine bonus points by being the quickest in each qualifying session.

I’m always confident in my guys,” Enders said. “They give me a very consistent race car, and that makes my job a little easier, to where I just focus on driving and not wonder what the car is going to do — if we’re going to blow the tires off, if it’s going to hook right or left. Being low for every session is pretty exciting. We were able to do that some last year and accumulate those three bonus points per round that you’re low. Coming to the final race of last year, every point mattered, so we’ll take ’em when we can get ’em.”

Dominating Pro Stock Eliminations

First round, Enders was paired against No. 16 qualifier Mark Hogan. She posted a 6.579 second pass at 209.10 mph, good for low of the round and beat his 6.855-second run at 201.58 mph. In round number two, she faced off against noted starting-line ace Jonathan Gray, who left with a .005-second reaction time, but Enders .013 light and 6.586 at 208.78 mph run was enough to blow past Gray, beating his 6.607 at 208.68 mph.

Larry Morgan left with the starting line advantage against Enders in the semi-final round, cutting a brilliant .007 light, but Enders ran him down with a 6.579-second pass at 208.94 mph to beat his run of 6.609 seconds at 208.68 mph.

I missed the Tree a little bit against Larry Morgan,” said Enders, whose reaction time was .030. “I knew I was late and was looking over to see where he was. It was only a seven-thousandths margin of victory, so I guess if we had a lucky round, that was it, for sure.”

Then came long-time rival Greg Anderson, who had bested Enders in the semifinals at Atlanta Dragway in the previous event. This time, Enders ripped off a .009-second reaction time to Anderson’s .020 and then made a pass of 6.584 seconds at 209.33 mph to beat his 6.591-second run at 209.14 mph.

“He congratulated me down there,” Enders said. “He doesn’t like to lose to anybody; he’s got a very competitive spirit. We all do in Pro Stock. But everything’s cool, and I’m proud that we got the win. He got us (in Atlanta) and he outran us, so I was happy to pay him back just a little bit, but all in good fun.”

All of this on a relatively new car set-up, one that Enders just returned to one race previously. This win marked the first for the new R&J Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro. The Elite team began the season with the new car, but made the call early on to tackle new fuel/tires mandated by NHRA rule changes in the tried-and-tested championship chassis she campaigned in 2014, before switching back in Atlanta.

We’ve had an awesome weekend. It’s a brand-new race car and our second race in a row with it. We’re just trying to get a handle on it, and my guys have done a great job. To be honest, I didn’t want to let go of the car I drove last year because we had such an awesome relationship,” Enders said. “We had a lot of success together. We’ve had 29 runs on this car, and it’s still very new and we’re still learning all about her. Rick and Rickie Jones built it and it’s a tremendous masterpiece, and we’re just going to get better and better.”

Enders leaves Topeka with a 59-point lead over Jason Line, who lost in the first round, in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship chase after eight of 24 races.

Because I had never led the Pro Stock points in my career until last year, I remember I screen-shot it every week because I didn’t know if that would disappear or we’d ever get back in that position, but because of my guys and what Richard Freeman has given us, we’ve been able to accomplish a lot of great stuff together. It’s cool to be back on top, but it’s been a long, grueling season. Pro Stock is so competitive, and we’ll do our best to stay on top.”