Fan pick Erica Enders anxious to strut
her stuff at her favorite racetrack in Vegas
LAS VEGAS (March 27) — No one in drag racing has enjoyed a better run of luck at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway than two-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, who returns to her favorite drag strip this weekend with two chances at glory during the 18th annual Denso Spark Plugs
NHRA Nationals.

Thanks to her legion of loyal fans, Enders will be taking part in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, a special race-within-a-race for the top eight Pro Stock drivers from the previous 12 months. Enders earned the final spot in the elite field by virtue of an online fan vote. Continue reading Fan pick Erica Enders anxious to strut her stuff at her favorite racetrack in Vegas →

After super-fast start, two-time series champ Erica Enders exits Gatornat’ls in Round 2
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19) — Erica Enders flashed the form that made her a two-time Pro Stock champion this weekend at the 48th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, qualifying a lofty third in the field and zooming to a convincing first-round win Sunday morning. But the fun stopped there as her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro over-powered the racetrack in Round 2, sending
her packing.

“You never want to lose a single round,” she said. “That’s just how racers are wired. But I think when we take a step back and look at the progress we’ve made in the first three races of the year, especially compared to last season, we’ll see we are miles ahead. Continue reading After super-fast start, two-time series champ Erica Enders exits Gatornat’ls in Round 2 →

Two-time champ Erica Enders presses towards top of Pro Stock category
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18) — Perhaps in a last-minute bid to impress voters in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, two-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders ripped off her first 6.4-second pass of NHRA’s fuel-injected era to qualify a lofty third on the elimination ladder of the 48th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Continue reading Two-time champ Erica Enders presses towards top of Pro Stock category →

Two-time drag racing champ Erica Enders looking to add ‘Gator’ skin to her wall
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14) — One of only three women in history to capture a world championship in any of the top forms of motorsports, Erica Enders has amassed 21 national event victories in her illustrious career. However, that impressive number of wins doesn’t include one from the prestigious Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, a fact Enders would like to change at the 48th running of the event this weekend. Continue reading Two-time drag racing champ Erica Enders looking to add ‘Gator’ skin to her wall →

Fiery competitor Erica Enders
resolute on improving after Phoenix
PHOENIX (Feb. 26) – Erica Enders’ race day in the desert ended much sooner than anticipated this morning during Round 1 of eliminations of the 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, the second of 24 events in the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Continue reading Fiery competitor Erica Enders resolute on improving after Phoenix →

No shortage of confidence for two-time champ Erica Enders as eliminations near
PHOENIX (Feb. 25) – Two-time world champion Erica Enders will begin Sunday’s eliminations from the No. 10 qualifying spot in Richard Freeman’s Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro at the 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Enders will bring her bright red racer to the starting line in Round 1 to race No. 7 qualifier Shane Gray. Her 6.558-second, 211.53-mph qualifying mark is just a touch behind Gray’s 6.548 posting. Continue reading No shortage of confidence for two-time champ Erica Enders as eliminations near →

Popular two-time champ Erica Enders has program right on track for Phoenix race
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 21) — Before she even turned professional, let alone captured two world championships, drag racer Erica Enders had a Disney movie made about her and her sister Courtney’s lives in the NHRA Junior Dragster ranks. The film, the most watched movie in Disney Channel history, was entitled Right On Track.

Heading into this weekend’s 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Enders says the same title could easily be used to describe Richard Freeman’s Elite Motorsports race team, the group she’s been with for four seasons. Continue reading Popular two-time champ Erica Enders has program right on track for Phoenix race →

Erica Enders fires plenty of warning shots during season-opening Winternationals
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 12) — Back in the comfy confines of her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, two-time world champion Erica Enders didn’t walk away with the trophy of this weekend’s 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals, but she certainly reminded everyone of why she dominated the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

A year with a different manufacturer made the category’s most prolific female racer an afterthought to many, but as soon as she got back in her Chevy, she quickly re-established herself as a top contender. Continue reading Erica Enders fires plenty of warning shots during season-opening Winternationals →

History abounds, awaits world
champion Erica Enders in Pomona
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 11) — The first Junior Dragster Erica Enders ever drove to the winner’s circle is housed just across the compound from Auto Club Raceway in Wally Parks’ Drag Racing Museum. She also started her Sportsman career here and collected one of her record 21 Pro Stock race trophies at Pomona. Additionally, she clinched the first of her two world titles at this track in 2014.

Now the spunky Texan is back, hoping to add a few more memories to her So-Cal resume when this weekend’s season-opening 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals turn to Sunday’s eliminations. Continue reading History abounds, awaits world champion Erica Enders in Pomona →

Two-time world champion Erica Enders readies for season of redemption
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 6) — For two glorious seasons from 2014-2015, Erica Enders was on top of the drag racing world, winning back-to-back titles in arguably the toughest category in all motorsports, NHRA Pro Stock. An impressive 15 victories during the stretch was punctuated by her incredible driving prowess. She was, quite simply, peerless.

Last season the proud Texan returned to earth after a switch to another manufacturer, going winless en route to a sagging ninth-place finish overall. Continue reading Two-time world champion Erica Enders readies for season of redemption →

Championship-winning crew chief Rickie Jones to leave NHRA circuit in 2017
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 22) – Elite Motorsports crew chief Rickie Jones will step back from his duties with the championship-winning NHRA Pro Stock team to focus on his family in 2017.

Jones, the son of veteran crew chief/chassis builder Rick Jones, was an integral part of Erica Enders’ 2014-15 Pro Stock world championships.

Rick and Rickie Jones celebrate Erica Enders’ second world championship.
“My wife Sarah and I want to start a family and have children,” Rickie Jones said. “That’s harder to do when you’re gone as much as this series demands. Continue reading Championship-winning crew chief Rickie Jones to leave NHRA circuit in 2017 →

Elite Motorsports and Mopar
to part ways in 2017
WYNNEWOOD, Okla. (Nov. 16) – Elite Motorsports and Mopar have announced that they will end their partnership at the end of the 2016 racing season.

“I want to thank everyone at Mopar and Dodge, from the top executives to the engineers on to the people helping us at the races for their hard work and dedication,” said Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman. “My guys should be commended. They basically worked around the clock with pretty much zero days off for the entire season, busting their butts to try and give Erica and Jeggy competitive racecars. We look forward to a fresh start into 2017.” Continue reading Elite Motorsports and Mopar to part ways in 2017 →

Erica Enders closes out her championship tenure with a broad smile on her face
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 13) — After winning two championships in a row and pushing her career win total to 21 national events, Erica Enders came into 2016 hoping to add to her legacy in a brand-new Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge Dart. But things don’t always go as planned, and Enders instead went an entire year without reaching the final round. Continue reading Erica Enders closes out her championship tenure with a broad smile on her face →

Erica Enders enjoying twilight hours of
her back-to-back championship run
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 12) — Back-to-back and reigning world champion Erica Enders has one more day to race her Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge Dart with the No. 1 sticker on the door and she plans on making the most of the occasion as the 2016 season draws to a close.

“We’re having fun,” Enders said. “I think all of us are relieved to a large extent and I know the feeling in the pit is that it’s nice to wrap up the final qualifying session of what has been an extremely long and challenging year. Continue reading Erica Enders enjoying twilight hours of her back-to-back championship run →

Outgoing champ Erica Enders relieved
to close out 2016 drag racing season
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 9) — Two-time world champion drag racer Erica Enders has a long and storied connection with Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, the site of this weekend’s 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals. It’s a bond that dates back two decades, and one that’s immortalized with her own display at the heralded Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum across the fairgrounds from fabled Pomona Dragway.
Continue reading Outgoing champ Erica Enders relieved to close out 2016 drag racing season →

Two-time world champion Erica Enders anxious to put 2016 in her rearview mirror
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30) — Two-time and reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders lost a close race in the opening round of the 16th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals to put a quick end to her weekend in Las Vegas, a place where she’s won four national events and a pair of K&N Horsepower Challenge trophies. Continue reading Two-time world champion Erica Enders anxious to put 2016 in her rearview mirror →

Erica Enders would love to win Vegas
race for fifth time in her career
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 29) — Enjoying a relaxed weekend at the racetrack where she’s had the most success in her brilliant career, back-to-back and reigning Pro Stock champion Erica Enders and her Elite Motorsports crew have put together one of their better qualifying efforts of the season. Continue reading Erica Enders would love to win Vegas race for fifth time in her career →

Reigning champ Erica Enders uses
The Strip at LVMS as her personal ATM
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 24) — In winning back-to-back world championships, Pro Stock superstar Erica Enders has used The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as her personal ATM, winning more than $250,000 at Bruton Smith’s masterpiece just north of Las Vegas.

It’s a trend she’d love to continue this weekend at the NHRA season’s penultimate race, the 16th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals.

Back-to-back world champion
Erica Enders
“Las Vegas has been an awesome place for us, no doubt,” Enders said. “Most people blow all their money whenever they go to Vegas but we’ve managed to walk away with some nice checks, and for that we’re really grateful.” Continue reading Reigning champ Erica Enders uses The Strip at LVMS as her personal ATM →

No home state luck for Texan Erica
Enders as two-time champ ousted early
DALLAS (Oct. 16) — Two-time and reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders was hoping for a taste of home cooking Sunday at the 31st annual AAA Texas NHRA Fallnationals but instead the Spring, Texas native was eliminated early by title contender Greg Anderson at the Texas Motorplex.

The No. 15 qualifier out of 16 cars, Enders was hoping for a big upset of Anderson, a fellow multi-time champion ranked second in the world at the moment. Instead, Enders’ fouled out by a scant -.001 seconds, while Anderson took care of business, running 6.607 at 209.46 mph to Enders’ 6.682 at 207.08 mph.

“I figured I’d do all I could at the start and hope he was a little late and we could steal one away from him,” Enders said. “I was a thousandths of a second from perfect but ended up being on the wrong side of that red bulb.

“He obviously had us covered anyway but I ran the pass out just to get the data. There’s always Vegas and Pomona and we have designs on finishing as strong as possible.”

Enders and her Elite Motorsports teammates will enjoy a weekend off before the second-to-last race of 2016, the Toyota NHRA Nationals, which take place Oct. 28-30, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Even though the results weren’t what we wanted, I still had a great time being here in Texas. I love this state and miss it when I’m not here. Thank you so much to all the fans that stopped by and encouraged us. We’ve had a tough year but I promise big things are straight ahead and we’ll be back better than ever in 2017.”

Texas native Erica Enders will need perfection to defend Dallas title
DALLAS (Oct. 15) — Reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders will have to be perfect to defend the title of the annual AAA Texas NHRA Fallnationals after an off-pace qualifying effort that left her Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge Dart in the 15th spot on the elimination ladder.

Enders powered to a convincing victory at this event one year ago that all but clinched her second straight world title. It was one of nine wins she recorded in a record-breaking year. The Spring, Texas native hasn’t been as fortunate this season, and she finds herself still searching for her first win of 2016. Continue reading Texas native Erica Enders will need perfection to defend Dallas title →