NHRA’s most recent winner, two-time
champ Erica Enders, hungry for more
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 7) — Fresh off her impressive victory Sunday afternoon in New Hampshire, two-time world champion Erica Enders is anxious to keep the ball rolling and score another win at this weekend’s 48th annual NHRA Summernationals.
“We’re all really excited coming off of the win in Epping,” Enders said. “It certainly gives all of us on this Elite Motorsports team a boost of confidence and everyone knows momentum is important in this game so we’ll see if we can carry it into E-town. I’m so ready to race; I wish qualifying started today.”
Enders drove like a true pro in Epping, beating reigning series champ Jason Line and red-hot Bo Butner with back-to-back holeshots to reach the 37th professional final of her career. With the trophy on the line, Enders dropped the hammer on rookie Tanner Gray and won going away, taking the stripe by six feet.
“I’m so proud of the way my team performed on race day,” Enders said. “We had quick turnarounds because of TV and a lot of work had to get done every round. I had Kyle (Bates) and Casey (Gardner) from my teammate Jeg Coughlin’s team jump right in and help us on Sunday. It was a real team effort to get to the winner’s circle.
“I think it’s so awesome that we have three different jerseys at Elite Motorsports but it’s truly one team. It’s a unique atmosphere to work in, for sure. I’m so blessed to be one of the drivers. Tough times don’t last but tough people do. That’s what we have at Elite. We are Elite for a reason.”
Prior to the start of the race on Wednesday afternoon, Enders and her sister Courtney Lambert will be the featured athletes at special event at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. The fete is a celebration of 25 years of Junior Dragster racing. The Enders sisters started their careers in the Junior Dragster ranks and were so successful that Disney made a movie entitled “Right On Track” about their time in the class.
“I’ve told the story many times but I can still clearly remember being in the garage with my dad when he was working on his hot rod and I flipped through the National Dragster on the work bench and read a story about Junior Dragsters,” Enders said. “I was like, ‘look Dad, kids as young as 8 years old can race these things! Can I get one?’ My life was pretty much changed forever that day.
“It’s so cool to see how popular Junior Dragsters have become and I am always so proud of the kids that come over to meet me and show me pictures of their dragsters. I’ve watched so many of them grow up over the years and it’s cool to see them year after year in the various towns where we race. I am forever indebted to the Junior Dragster series.”
Four Pro Stock qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3:45 and 6:15 p.m., Friday, and 1:45 and 4:15 p.m., Saturday. Sudden-death eliminations will begin at noon, Sunday. FOX Sports 1 will feature live coverage of Saturday’s qualifying action from 2-4 p.m., Saturday, followed by live elimination coverage from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Sunday. There also will be an elimination show running from 6-7:30 p.m., Sunday. (Times are local and subject to change.)