CHEVROLET AT DALLAS

What: AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals
When: Friday, Oct. 18-Sunday, Oct. 30
Where: Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas
TV: FS2 will telecast eliminations and finals live at 2 p.m. ET October 20

Chevrolet drivers aim to pad points lead in Funny Car, Pro Stock
Robert Hight and Erica Enders sit atop standings entering Countdown Round 4

DETROIT (October 16, 2019) – Three consecutive No. 1 qualifier honors and a victory in the second round of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship have vaulted Erica Enders to the top of the Pro Stock class.

Enders, driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, leads the class in points for the first time since July 8, 2018, after a runner-up finish at Epping, New Hampshire.

The two-time Pro Stock champion looks to strengthen her 38-point advantage over KB Racing driver Jason Line (Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS) in the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals – the fourth of six events in the Countdown.

“I have a great hot rod underneath me, and if I can do my driving job there is no reason we can’t win,” said Enders, who has three final-round appearances in the past five races. “At the beginning of the year, we definitely had some serious struggles and then mid-summer a lot of parts failures, so I began to doubt we’d have an opportunity to be in this position this deep into the Countdown. We are now and it’s our job to capitalize.”

Robert Hight, the Funny Car points leader in the Automobile Club of Texas Chevrolet Camaro SS, is also aiming to pad his 44-point lead over Jack Beckman and 79-point advantage over teammate John Force (PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil/BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro SS).

Hight collected his career-high sixth win of the season at zMAX Dragway and won at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis in 2018 and ‘17.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than here and then we can control our own destiny,” said Hight, who has sat atop the standings after all but one of the 21 races. “When you’re chasing somebody, you can’t control what they do, so I want to be here, and I want to be here in a month from now. We got the points lead back last week in St. Louis and to come out (at Concord, North Carolina) and extend it, that’s what we have to keep doing every race.”

Brittany Force climbed to third in the Top Fuel standings following a semifinal appearance driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet dragster. Teammate Austin Prock moved up to seventh in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster.

Chevrolet COPO Camaro drivers will compete in the final SAMTech.edu Factory Stock Showdown of the season. David Kramer won the seventh of the eight rounds last month in St. Louis. His son, Deric, won the Prock Stock race earlier this week at Charlotte.

Kramer, of Sterling, Colorado, will be joined by fellow COPO Camaro competitors Stephen Bell of Shreveport, Louisiana; Arthur Kohn of Richmond, Texas; Randy Taylor of Artesian, New Mexico; David Barton of Robesonia, Pennsylvania; L. Scott Libersher of Wilmington, Illinois; Doug Hamp of York, Pennsylvania; Jesse Alexandria of West Bend, Wisconsin; Bruno Massel Jr. of Elmhurst, Illinois; David Janac of Caldwell, Texas; Peter Gasko Jr. of Monroe Township, New Jersey; Kevin Lumsden of Caddo Mills, Texas; and Ryan Priddy of Chino, California.

Competing in Stock Eliminator in their COPO Camaros will be Jeff Lopez of Fort Worth, Texas; Philip Giles of Flatonia, Texas; Bobby Brannon of Bossier City, Louisiana; and Libersher.

Entered in Super Stock in their COPO Camaros are Brandon Bakies of Alexandria, Louisiana; Brett Candies of Thibodaux, Louisiana; Greg Stanfield of Bossier City, Louisiana; Giles and Bell.

FS2 will telecast eliminations and finals live at 2 p.m. ET October 20.

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL:

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (2017 class champion; seven-time No. 1 qualifier; won at Houston; runner-up at Las Vegas and Atlanta; winner at track; third in points): “This Advance Auto Parts team is coming off a positive weekend in Charlotte. We picked up four bonus points throughout qualifying, got to the semifinals and moved to third in points. We need to continue our progress and keep the focus. We want to move up closer to that No. 1 spot and it’s going to be really important for us to continue building on our momentum in these last three races of the Countdown. Dallas is this weekend, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do there.”

AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (won first Top Fuel race at Seattle; seventh in points): “We had a good car Monday. Put up some great numbers on race day but I came up short on the starting line. It was the first time all season that I got beat on a holeshot, but I just need to do a better job next time. This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team has been working really hard to turn on those win lights, so if we can keep it up and I can do a little better of a job driving, then we can hopefully end up in the winner’s circle again.”

FUNNY CAR:

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK COOLANT & MOTOR OIL BLUEDEF CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (recorded 150th class win at Seattle and 151st at Indianapolis; three-time No. 1 qualifier; two-time runner-up at track; third in points): “Racing is what I love to do. I’m trying to fight the old man (in me) every day. You know, I started hearing, ‘you’re 70, this thing is over,’ and it’s really true what they say, it’s how bad you want it. Someday I’ve got to go out that door, but before I do, I’d like to win at the Motorplex and maybe win another championship.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF TEXAS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (has won six races and has eight No. 1 qualifier honors; won at track in 2018; first in points): “This season has been pretty incredible. We’re nearing the end of the Countdown and we extended our points lead in Charlotte and this AAA Texas team, they really pulled together and did a good job. Winning in Charlotte earlier this week is what we needed, and anything can happen with points and a half when Pomona rolls around. The Funny Car class is so tight, anybody can win so we just have to stay focused and work hard. Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham, the AAA Texas team, this is all they want, winning a championship. We didn’t get it done last year and that’s all they want and it’s what I want too. They don’t even want to go home. They just want to stay on the road, get this race car prepared perfectly.”

PRO STOCK:

ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier the past three races, picked up first win of season and 24th of Pro Stock career at St. Louis; first in points): “I feel like we’re back in championship form. We just have to execute. You have to believe it to be it. That’s what I’ve always said. It’s like the David and Goliath story. You can have the guys stacked against you. They definitely can run with us, can outrun us and can drive with me. We just have to believe it and go out and execute.”

JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner at Brainerd and Reading; three-time winner and two-time low qualifier at track; second in points): “If we do what we’re supposed to do, the points will take care of themselves. I believe my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro is one of the best cars out there, and I feel fortunate to get to drive it. Last weekend didn’t go as planned, but I don’t think you’ll see a repeat of that in Dallas. Not this weekend, and not for the rest of the Countdown.”

BO BUTNER, JIM BUTNER AUTO, JIM BUTNER AUTO GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (has four wins and three-time No. 1 qualifier; 2017 series champion; won first NHRA national event at the track in Super Stock in 1999; fourth in points): “We had a bad day in Charlotte, but it was a good race, and we don’t have anything to complain about. The other teams have found something, and I don’t know what, but they’re ready. We have to be ready, too. I look for Dallas to be a good race for us. We got some bad luck out of the way in Charlotte, and now we’re starting with a clean slate.”

JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (won at Phoenix; No. 1 qualifier at track in 2018; won in 2002; four-time runner-up, including 2018; sixth in points): “We are riding into Texas for the fourth of six Countdown to the Championship races right in the middle of the mix in Pro Stock. We’re five rounds out of the points lead with just 12 rounds left in the season so we need some things to fall our way to be there in the end. In our case, we’re looking to be aggressive from Thursday when we arrive until Sunday when we leave. We want to win four rounds on Sunday and if we’re going to pull this off then we can’t make any mistakes. I have come back from bigger deficits in my career, so it is doable. It’s actually going to be a fun challenge for both me and my team.”

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (holds track Pro Stock elapsed time and speed records, set in 2015; has four wins and four No. 1 qualifier honors at the track; eighth in points): “Last weekend we did not see the results that we could have and should have, but that’s why we’re eager to get to Texas Motorplex. We have a chance to get back on course, and we’ll gladly take that opportunity and make the most of it. This racetrack has been great for us, and we’ve had a day or two to reset before heading that way. I think we have a very good weekend ahead of us, we just have to keep our heads on straight and make the most of every single run down the racetrack, both in terms of the driver and the car. We have to be perfect.”