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Pro Stock

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Enders exits second round in Sonoma

August 4, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders in SonomaErica Enders and her Elite Motorsports team are more determined than ever after a second-round exit in the 28th Annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.   It was a first appearance for her Elite team at Sonoma Raceway, having been one of the events the team had sat out in 2014 (Enders had last raced at Sonoma in 2012).    Still, she qualified No. 9 and advanced to the second round before bowing out to No. 1 qualifier and eventual race winner Chris McGaha.

 “We’ve got nothing to be ashamed of,” Enders said. “We’re going to load up and go to the next race. My guys are the most determined bunch I’ve ever met. Right now our day is over, but where are all three of my crew chiefs (Rick and Rickie Jones and Mark Ingersoll) and my team owner (Richard Freeman)? They’re in the lounge, going over notes and trying to figure out how to get better.  You can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll be back, and we’re just going to use this to fuel our fire.”

Enders and her team have a knack for digging deep and overcoming adversity. Earlier this year, they turned a first round loss in Gainesville into a win with the K&N Horsepower Challenge in Charlotte and the national event win in Las Vegas and then another win in Houston.    And after losing in the first round in Englishtown, she raced to the semifinals in Epping, and then the winner’s circle in Bristol. Enders also lost in the first round in Norwalk, Ohio, before going to two consecutive semifinals in Chicago and Denver.

In Sonoma, her 100th consecutive race, Enders faced No. 8 qualifier Shane Gray in the first round, and she left first with a .017-second reaction time and held off Gray with a pass of 6.531 seconds at 211.93 mph. Gray’s run was slightly better, 6.530 at 212.39 mph, but Enders won on a holeshot.

“There have been plenty of days when my team has carried me,” Enders said. “I wish I could’ve carried them further this weekend. My crew chief always tells me, ‘If you can be .020 all day on Sunday, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to go to the winner’s circle with the people that we have and the equipment that we have.’ Today just wasn’t our day.”

Enders also left first on McGaha, .020 to .029, but McGaha made a pass of 6.514 seconds at 212.13 mph to run down Enders’ 6.529 at 211.93 mph.

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock, Women Racing

Erica Enders on the Red Carpet

July 17, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders on the red carpet at ESPY awards

 

Check out NHRA Pro Stock driver Erica Enders on the red carpet at the ESPY award show.  The NHRA Pro Stock driver traded her firesuit for a beautiful little black dress, representing the drag racing world on The ESPYS award red carpet.

Erica Enders and husband at ESPYsNominated for Best Driver ESPY

Erica was one of the 5 nominees for the Best Driver ESPY award, and the lone female driver and drag racer in the group.   Juan Pablo Montoya and Will Power from IndyCar, Lewis Hamilton from Formula One, and Kevin Harvick from NASCAR were the other honorees in the category.

Enders, who was nominated after her historical 2014 season in which she became the first woman to win an NHRA Pro Stock Championship, in thrilling and suspenseful fashion.   She took the 2014 Pro Stock Championship title on the very last run of the last race, coming from behind in the points standings and winning the last two races of the season.

Erica and Courtney Enders at the ESPYSThe NHRA star attended the event with her husband and fellow Pro Stock racer Richie Stevens, sister Courtney Enders and her father, Greg.   Parts of the prestigious ceremony, including the much-anticipated acceptance of the Arthur Ashe award by Caitlyn Jenner, were aired live on ABC.

Voting a Winner

The award allowed fans to vote for their favorites in each of the categories online from the announcement of the nominees all the way up until the day of the live show.   In the end, NASCAR star Kevin Harvick took the top honors for his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in 2014.

Harvick, meanwhile, was not in attendance.   He posted on Twitter that he had forgotten about the award show.

Forgot the @ESPYS were on last night but apparently we won! Thanks for all of the support! #coolaward

— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) July 16, 2015

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock, Women Racing

Erica Enders nominated for ESPY Best Driver

June 24, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders wins Topeka 2015Reigning NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Erica Enders was just recognized as an ESPY nominee for the Best Driver category.  Awarded by sports network giant ESPN, the ESPY awards recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding at the annual ceremony.

Enders nominated for ESPY in Best Driver category

Enders is in the running against Kevin Harvick from NASCAR, Juan Pablo Montoya and Wil Power from IndyCar and Lewis Hamilton from Formula One for the Best Driver award.  The official nominee announcement was just released today.

Everyone always says it is an honor to be nominated for an award like this, and that is absolutely the case,” Enders said. “I am truly humbled to see my name alongside the greatest in the world, and I am honored to represent my Elite Motorsports team and NHRA at the ESPYS.”

Enders had a remarkable 2014, earning her nomination by winning the Pro Stock championship in thrilling fashion in the final round of the final race.     In winning, she became the first female to win the title in drag racing’s ultra-competitive Pro Stock class, and she did it in clutch fashion, coming from behind in the points standings and winning the last two races of the season.

For her efforts in 2014, she has also been honored with Racer Magazine’s prestigious Racer of the Year Award, beating out competitors across all forms of motorsports. She won the magazine’s Drag Racer of the Year, and All-American status from the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association.

Enders joined Elite Motorsports, owned by Richard Freeman, for the 2014 season. Led by crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones, Enders won six races and was fastest qualifier six times in 2014. She led the points standings for 15 of 24 races and set the national elapsed time (6.464 seconds) and speed record (215.55 mph) in Englishtown, N.J.

My guys are absolutely incredible,” Enders said. “They never cease to amaze me. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. This is the first team I’ve ever worked for where we’ve had a unified front and they have my back. I’m blessed to have an incredible group of men, and the chemistry is there. It’s always a positive environment.”

Fans can vote for Enders in the ESPY Best Driver category here:  http://espn.go.com/espys/2015/

The 2015 ESPYS awards show will be broadcast live on ABC July 15 at 8 p.m. Eastern time from the Nokia Theater L.A.  in Los Angeles. Enders will attend the ceremony, which will be hosted by comedian Joel McHale.

 

 

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock, Women Racing

Enders defends Bristol event title in Pro Stock

June 22, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Enders wins in Bristol againNHRA Pro Stock driver Erica Enders entered the 15th Annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals as the reigning event champion, and successfully defended that title Sunday at Bristol Dragway.   The 2014 World Champion fought her way to her fourth final round in five races, ending in the winner’s circle for her 16th career win, the fourth of the 2015 season.

 It’s always been good to me,” Enders said. “I guess every driver has tracks where they go that no matter what you do wrong, it ends up right. But today we earned it. We made really good runs for the heat; it was really hot and tricky out there.

With temperatures in the low 90’s all weekend and an altitude adjustment for the naturally aspirated category Pro Stock class, crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones and Mark Ingersoll had their hands full as they guided Enders to four quick passes.

My crew chiefs were stressing, but they have this cool, calm, collected attitude, and their confidence comes over the radio in my ears. That in turn gives me the confidence I need to go out there and drive to the best of my ability.”

Enders started off by grabbing the No. 1 position in qualifying, running a 6.632 second elapsed time (E.T.) at 207.59 mph in her Elite Motorsports Camaro.  This would be her 16th career pole, and would match her against John Gaydosh Jr. in the opening round of eliminations.

In round one, Gaydosh Jr. would take the slight starting line advtange with a 0.010 second reaction time (RT) to Erica’s 0.027 second RT.   But Enders would regain the lead by the 330′ clocks, crossing the stripe with a 6.695 at 206.51 mph to his losing 6.787 at 196.27 mph.   She just missed the quickest pass of the round by 0.001 seconds to Chris McGaha, but would earn lane choice over Jason Line entering the round two match-up.

Enders and Line have a tough rivalry going, with Erica holding a 13-12 career advantage over Jason in previous meetings.   Both drivers know they have to bring their A-game to the starting line, adding to the pressure.   But Line would jump just a fraction to quick, turning on the red light with a -0.027 RT and handing Enders victory.   Her 0.017 RT on the way to a solid 6.698 second ET at 206.64 mph, again just missing the quickest pass of the round by 0.001 seconds to McGaha, but maintaining lane choice into the semi-final round.

She would face Shane Gray in round three, cutting a stellar 0.007 light against him and never trailing for the win, 6.703 at 206.45 mph to his 6.724 at 206.20 mph.  This time, she was able to capture the fastest pass of the round and critical lane choice into the final against McGaha, who was able to best her performances in each prior round by a mere fraction of a second.

As expected, it was a close race in the final against McGaha.   But Enders handled the pressure like a true champion, posting a 0.025 second RT against his 0.055 second RT, as they both ran side-by-side, her 6.685-second pass at 206.95 mph to his 6.689-second run at 207.46 mph.    At the finish line, it would be Enders with the win, the margin of victory 0.0349 seconds (approximately 11 feet).

You have to learn to win, and that’s something I never understood until we did it,” Enders said. “Greg Anderson and Jason (Line) had mentioned that to me when I was first starting, and I didn’t get it until we finally did it. You just learn how to handle yourself in those high-pressure situations. It’s a challenge, for sure, and you’ve got to remain positive in your thoughts, and that’s been a huge part of our success.”

Securing the back-to-back Bristol victory would propel her into the No. 1 position in the Pro Stock points chase leaving the event.   She holds a 14-point lead over rival Greg Anderson heading into the next event on the tour:  the upcoming Independence Day weekend 9th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

My guys are absolutely incredible,” Enders said. “They never cease to amaze me. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. This is the first team I’ve ever worked for where we’ve had a unified front and they have my back. I’m blessed to have an incredible group of men, and the chemistry is there. It’s always a positive environment.”

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock, Women Racing

Transmission failure ends Enders day in Epping

June 16, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders EppingElite Motorsports driver Erica Enders is no fan of the Grateful Dead, and after the 3rd annual NHRA New England Nationals on Sunday at New England Dragway, she’s even less so.  In drag racing, the term “deadhead” refers to a mis-alignment of gears inside the transmission, resulting in a failed pass down the racetrack.   And that’s exactly what happened on Sunday in the semifinals after Enders had the quickest car on the property in the previous two rounds.

The 2014 Pro Stock champion, Enders had the dominant car on Sunday in Epping. She qualified No. 4, but crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones and Mark Ingersoll tuned the red Chevrolet Camaro to a pass of 6.513 at 214.69 mph in the first round against V. Gaines. That was the quickest and fastest pass of the round, and the speed broke Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s year-old track record.

She went even quicker in the next round against Vincent Nobile. While Nobile made a pass of 6.546 seconds at 213.47 mph, Enders blistered the track with a 6.506-second run at 214.66 mph to advance to the semifinals.

But round number three is where her luck would run out.   Fellow competitor and good buddy Allen Johnson made a pass of 6.537 second at 213.33 mph, a run that Enders could have easily covered if she had matched her first- and second-round runs, but during her normal shifting procedure, Enders’ transmission deadheaded and her pass was 6.540 seconds at 214.21 mph. That gave Johnson a narrow victory to the final round.

It’s disappointing, for sure,” Enders said. “Instead of the gears lining up and going into the right gear, it just misses when it’s supposed to align and it doesn’t shift. It’s no one’s fault and it happens every now and then in Pro Stock, but that doesn’t take the sting out of it.”

Next on the NHRA schedule is the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals next weekend at Bristol Dragway.

It just wasn’t our day, but we had the quickest car on the property today thanks to my guys,” Enders said. “They’re the best guys out here, and I have complete faith in them all. We’ll be back in Bristol next week, and we’re the defending champions there, so our heads are held high.”

 

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock, Women Racing

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

Racing in Red -Erica Enders documentaryAs 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.

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock

Record setting return for Enders at Summernationals

June 4, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders EnglishtownEnders 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.

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock, Women Racing

Enders scores perfect weekend in Topeka

May 26, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Erica EndersErica Enders wins Topeka 2015 couldn’t have had a more perfect weekend for the 27th 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

Erica Enders qualifying in TopekaShe 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.”

Erica Enders and her Elite Motorsports teamThen 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.”

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock, Women Racing

Hot-streak ends in Atlanta for Enders

May 17, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Erica Enders Stevens in Atlanta qualifyingErica Enders was on a hunt to win three NHRA national events in a row, but fell a little short after a semifinal loss at the 35th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.   The NHRA Pro Stock reigning World Champion pushed her streak of elimination round-wins to 10 in a row, the longest such streak of the season in any pro category.

It’s hard to be disappointed with a semifinal round showing, but I kind of feel that way because I know we have the car that can win,” said Enders, driver of the Elite Motorsports Camaro. “You can’t win them all, but it sure is addictive when you get on a roll. You feel so much confidence that it’s really weird when you come up a little short.”

Tie for No. 1 qualifying spot decided by MPH

Erica Enders Burnout AtlantaEnders started the weekend off right, tying the quickest elapsed time of the qualifying with a 6.546-second blast, but nabbing the second spot due to Jason Line’s slightly better top speed. Line, who posted an identical 6.546,edged out Enders in MPH, a 211.23 to 210.28 mph by Enders.   The strong qualifying improvements come after the team’s surprising decision to switch over to the new Elite Camaro build for Enders at the start of the season, a car that hadn’t been proven in competition.

We actually started the year with this car, but the new fuel and tires they have us running put us a touch behind, so we brought out last year’s championship car and started gathering data. I have such a special place in my heart for that car, and I know how she runs and how she reacts to every little thing, so we were able to use her to figure out the fuel and the tire and apply that to this new car.    This new one is absolutely the smoothest, most drive-able car I’ve ever driven. It’s the next generation, and I know it’s going to take us to a new level.”

Semi-Final Finish for Erica Enders

She posted a 6.543 at 211.49 mph in beating first-round opponent John Gaydosh and used a 6.561 at 210.97 mph opposite Shane Gray in the quarterfinals.   In a class where races are routinely decided by thousandths of a second, Enders was consistent, continuing her hot-streak and proving quicker than everyone at the track during eliminations- except Greg Anderson.  Anderson was fractionally better each time, running a 6.541 in Round 1 and a 6.560 in Round 2.

Lane choice can be critical on race day, and Anderson’s thousandths-of-a-second advantage was just enough to earn the critical decision in the match-up against Enders.    Anderson would take the win, 6.562 to Ender’s losing 6.582.

That thousandth of a second he got us by in Round 2 was enough to give them lane choice in the semi’s, and when a track is as hot and tricky as this one you need every little edge you can get,” Enders said. “I think that right lane was just a touch better and our race pretty much proved that. I could have been better on the Tree, but it may not have mattered because he had a .015-second light.  This is a Summit race and I know those guys put a premium on winning their title sponsor’s races. We spun a lot and the car moved around and we ended up with a 6.582 to his 6.562. Game over. I’m still really proud of this team, and winning 10 rounds in a row is special. We’ll have to just start another streak.”

Enders won’t dwell long on the loss, as she and her fellow Pro Stock driving husband Richie Stevens, head onto the midwest for next weekend’s NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka, Kan.

I love Topeka,” Enders said. “The first ever national event was in Kansas and there is some question whether we’ll race there again after this year, so it would be extra special to get another Wally there.  We’ll stop by the shop in Oklahoma and freshen everything up. We did switch to our new Rick Jones car this weekend and it was perfect every time down. It’s like driving a Cadillac the thing is so smooth. We’re just getting to know each other but so far, so good. We’ll definitely be ready for Topeka.”

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, Pro Stock, Women Racing

Erica Enders doubles up on Racer of the Year

March 5, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Good news this week as Racer Magazine announces their annual Racer of the Year awards.     One of my favorite ladies in racing, Erica Enders captured not just one, but TWO Racer of the Year awards, gaining the ultimate overall category win as well as the Drag Racing award.

Congrats, Erica Enders!

It is really great to see her received the much deserved accolades that go with such a monumental win.   Not only is it big and inspiring news to see a woman win the World Championship, but to have done so in such down-to-the-wire dramatic fashion, is nothing short of amazing.   Thinking back to all the naysayers and the struggles she endured in her Pro Stock career, I’ll say that the awards are much deserved celebration to her feats.

Erica Enders-StevensRacer of the Year

The award is voted on by readers, which to me, is a strong indication of the loyalty of NHRA fans.   John Force won the top award in 2010, 2013, 2014.   Enders now takes the overall spot for 2015.  And someone tell me again why drag racing isn’t a good sponsor investment?  That’s some fiercely loyal fanbase there.  In fact, while she won Racer of the Year honors with 48.9% of the vote, the next closest competitor was Mr. Force himself with 9.7%.   That’s a landslide victory for Enders, and a lionshare vote for drag racing.

But what saddens me, was the pre-season announcement that her Elite team may not compete in all of the NHRA events again this season.   What is wrong with the world that the defending Pro Stock champion- a marketable, personable, history-paving woman- can’t get the funding she needs to compete in a full season?   That question may lie more in the NHRA’s programming than in her abilities as World champion.

Erica Enders-Stevens hoists Wally

Either way, here’s a big shoutout to Erica Enders-Stevens, Racer of the Year!

 

 

 

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Erica Enders, NHRA, Pro Stock, Women Racing

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