Red-hot Enders aims at Indy title

KLR Group driver Erica Enders rolls into the 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway as the hottest driver in the sport, fresh off back-to-back victories in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class.

Enders, who moved up to fifth in the points standings after her victory at Brainerd, has also won three of the last six events.

"There is no better time to be hot that right now," Enders said. "I'm excited that it's Indy, too. It's the biggest race of the year. I'm hopeful that we can make it three in a row."

Enders has long dreamed of winning a national event in one of NHRA's professional categories, but now that she's accomplished that goal, she's not done. Her sights are set even higher as the Countdown to the Championship looms after Indy.

"I'm excited about the recent success, but at the same time, I've got the championship in mind," Enders said. "We've just got to keep pressing forward, working hard and doing our best every week."

Enders' best has been good enough to join Allen Johnson as the only drivers to win consecutive races this season. And who did Enders beat in the finals to win the last two races? Johnson.

Enders will be joined at Indy this weekend by GK Motorsports teammate Dave Connolly, who will drive the IDG Chevrolet, and by fiancé Richie Stevens, who is entered in a Dodge for Johnson.

"It's really exciting that my best friend and my fiancé both get to drive this weekend," Enders said. "Dave and I are working together as teammates for the Countdown. But when it comes to Monday, each man for himself. I say game on. They better pack a lunch.

"I'm glad they both have the opportunity to be behind the wheel again. They're two extremely talented drivers. But business is business."

That's the way Enders approaches every race, and Indy will be no different. The U.S. Nationals may be the biggest race of the year, but when Enders flips the visor on her helmet down in qualifying and eliminations, the only thing on her mind is doing her job.

"I do appreciate that it's not just another race, but I'm not changing my mindset," Enders said. "I'm not going to put more pressure on this particular event. That's not how I've done it before and not how I do it now."

Enders has raced at Indianapolis several times, dating back to 1994 when she was 10 old racing a Junior Dragster. Plus, she reached the semifinals in Super Comp in her rookie season of 2000 when she was 16, out of 174 cars entered.

"That was really cool," Enders said. "And I runnered-up my first year there in 1994 at the Jr. Dragster Nationals. I've been racing there for almost 20 years.

"I grew up with my dad racing, so I knew what a big deal Indy was. I was always excited to have the opportunity to race on that track. To get to do it at the age of 10 was pretty sweet. I've been going there for a long time. We've never won there. We've gotten second a few times and third a few times. We've got to get it done." 

Two-time winner Enders anxious to add to her totals

KLR Group driver Erica Enders has accomplished her lifelong goal two times over now, having won two of the last four NHRA Pro Stock events.

But that doesn't mean Enders and her GK Motorsports team will simply kick up their heels and relax. Hardly, as the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series championship is clearly in their sights.

"It's very important to us," Enders said as she prepares for this weekend's Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. "We've got a couple race wins under our belts so now we want to keep pressing forward. There's no better time than the present to capitalize on our good race car and the momentum we have.

"It certainly is my goal to win the championship. Like everything else I set my out for, I will work hard to accomplish it."

Enders, sixth in the Pro Stock standings, has already clinched a spot in the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA's version of the playoffs. But coming off her second career victory, scored in the most recent race in Seattle, Enders is looking for more.

"We're all excited to win, but you start over every week," Enders said. "Does it give you added confidence? Sure, knowing that we can do it now. But it's a new weekend, and we all start from scratch."

The Countdown starts in Charlotte in September, but there is still plenty of work to be done before then. First, there's this weekend's race in Brainerd and then the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. With her two wins, Enders is positioned well for the Countdown, and she'd like to stay on a roll.

"We've got a really good car right now and things are going well," Enders said. "The next two races are important before we head into the Countdown because it positions you for those final six races."

In the last five races, Enders has two victories and has qualified in the top half of the field five times, including fourth or better three times. Crew chiefs Dave Connolly and Tommy Utt have her Chevrolet running well, just like it was at Brainerd last year.

In that race, Enders qualified eighth, beat Ron Krisher in the first round, took out Jason Line on a holeshot in the second round and beat Rodger Brogdon in the semifinals to reach her third final round of the year. But she lost to Greg Anderson in the finals, giving her motivation for this season's race.

"Last year we had a good race there," Enders said. "We almost got it done. We've got a lot of data for BIR, and track conditions and weather should be similar to last year. It gives us a little more confidence going into the weekend knowing that we did well there last year." 

WOMEN DOMINATE THE NHRA IN THE NORTHWEST AS COURTNEY FORCE AND ERICA ENDERS CLAIM VICTORIES; STEVE TORRENCE ALSO WINS

For the first time in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series history, two female drivers claimed Wally trophies at the same event. Courtney Force powered her Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car to the winner's circle for the first time in her career, and Erica Enders earned her second career Pro Stock victory in her GK Racing Chevy Cobalt at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Pacific Raceways. 

"To have both me and Erica in the winner's circle is awesome," Force said. "We're not just out here to race the boys, we're here to beat the boys and today just proves that."

“This [the women drag racers] is a big family out here, and all of the girls tend to stick together,” Enders said. “I couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s an awesome driver and she does a tremendous job out here.”

Steve Torrence also earned his third career Top Fuel victory at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

Force, the youngest daughter of 15-time Funny Car world champion John Force and sister of the first woman to win in Funny Car, Ashley Force Hood, earned her firstcareer Funny Car victory at the same track where she earned her first victory in the Lucas Oil series in 2009.

“I remember coming out here and getting my Top Alcohol Dragster win,” Force said, “I looked at that Wally and remember thinking how much I couldn’t wait for the day I could get one that said Funny Car on the side. Being that it’s my rookie season, I didn’t expect it to happen this year at all. This is my learning season. I’m doing everything I can to be the best at what I’m trying to do.”

Force struggled throughout qualifying, starting from the No. 14 spot but managed to get the tune-up right for Sunday's eliminations as she maintained lane choice in the semifinal and final round in the tough conditions. 

“Our Traxxas Ford Mustang was running good today but we worked hard just to get it in the show. This track is tough.”

Force took out Cruz Pedregon in the opening round, Bob Tasca in the quarterfinals and her father in the semifinals. Then Force’s 4.238-second pass at 293.54 mph in the final round was too much for reigning Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan's 4.328-second pass at 276.58 mph.

“Cruz (Pedregon), Bob Tasca, my dad, and Matt Hagan are some heavy hitters,” Force said. “We had tough competition today. Taking out a Schumacher car in the process was a huge accomplishment for us.”

This win is a dream come true for the rookie Funny Car driver who has dreamt of competing in Funny Car with her dad since she was a seven-year old girl.

“It was huge,” Force said. “Seeing that win light, I really couldn’t believe it. Getting that victory and having to take out my dad in the process was a huge accomplishment. I was listening to my guys on the radio, and I was yelling back at them. As a kid being in a tow truck watching my dad race, I told myself I wanted to be out there racing against my dad.”

Enders drove her GK Racing Chevy Cobalt straight to the winner’s circle for the second time in her career in the tough conditions at Pacific Raceways.

“I’m soproud of my guys because they won this race today,” Enders said. “They gave me a great car for me to drive, and we drove it right to the winner’s circle. I’m honored to be their driver, and hopefully we can get a few more wins before the season is over. If we can position ourselves well before the Countdown begins, this is a good time to be starting to gain momentum.”

Enders took out three of the heavy hitters in Pro Stock en route to her second career victory including four-time Pro Stock world champ Greg Anderson in the quarterfinals, points leader and the winner of the past two events Allen Johnson in the semifinals, and reigning Pro Stock world champ Jason Line in the final round.  

“Beating those guys [Greg Anderson, Allen Johnson, and Jason Line] is something elsebecause they’ve always been on the top of my list, guys that I’ve looked up to my entire life. Allen and Pam are very good friends of mine. I knew that [Allen] wanted to sweep [the Western Swing], but I told him I was going to take that dagum broom out of his hand, and he wasn’t leaving here with it. I’m just very proud to do it for Gaston Kirby and the team.”

With the win, Enders clinched her spot in the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs that start in Charlotte, Sept. 14-16.

Texas native Torrence also had a successful weekend in the Northwest as he earned his first victory at Pacific Raceways. The hot conditions made it tough for the CapcoContractors Top Fuel team but they made the most of their day earning theirthird win of the season.

“We’ll take them anyway we can get them,” Torrence said. “It wasn’t pretty. We definitely had to work for it today, but we got our third win of the season and I’m so proud of my team.”

Torence raced fellow young-gun pilot Shawn Langdon and his Al-Anabi Racing dragster in the final round. The final-round wasn’t a picture perfect pass, but Torrence’s 4.168-second pass at 261.98 mph was enough to take out a tire-smoking Langdon.

“Shawn had me nervous in the final,” Torrence said. “He’s a great leaver and a great race car driver. Alan Johnson has had that Al-Anabi car runnin’ all day. I counted on Richard Hogan and had a lot of confidence and did my job. I felt it start to knock the tire off in the final round and went as quick as I could to get it back going. Today, we were just on the right side. We’re living lucky.”

Torrence also clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship.

Seattle-native Megan Ellingson also won Super Street in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA's sportsman category, making even more history as this is the first NHRA event where three women have claimed victories across all categories of NHRA competition. 

The next NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event is the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Aug. 16-19 at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn.

Pro Stock star Enders makes more history with win in Seattle

With a second NHRA Pro Stock victory in her hands, KLR Group driver Erica Enders and her GK Motorsports team have their sights set on a higher goal: The 2012 championship.

Enders stormed to victory in the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways on Sunday, her second win in five races.

The popular Enders beat defending Pro Stock champion Jason Line in the finals after halting Allen Johnson's two-race winning streak in the semifinals and taking out four-time champion Greg Anderson in the second round.

She remains sixth in the points standings, but her recent performance rightly puts her among Pro Stock's elite and makes her a title contender.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I was," Enders said. "We've got the team to do it. My dad has been helping me with the mental side of the game, staying positive and focused on the things I want to have happen and not dwelling on the negatives. The head game of drag racing is the most important part of this deal because that's something that can make or break you.

"We've definitely got the hot rod, we've definitely got the team, and I'm going to do my best to be that driver."

Enders' victory came a little more than a month after she became the first female to win in NHRA's ultra-competitive Pro Stock class, on July 1 at Chicago. Enders made more history Sunday, as she and Funny Car winner Courtney Force became the first women to share the pro winner's circle in an NHRA national event.

"This is a big family out here," Enders said. "All the girls tend to stick together for the most part. I couldn't be more proud of her. She's an awesome driver. She gives a heck of a interview, so I hate following her! But she did a tremendous job. I was hoping she'd get the win when we won in Chicago, but to share the stage with her, I was very honored and very proud of her.

"That's very cool to make history. To be a girl in a man's sport, it means a lot to all of us, I guarantee you."

Not only has Enders won two of the last five races, but she's also qualified in the top half of the field in every event over that span.

"I've said it over and over: People are the most important part of the puzzle, and I certainly have the people," Enders said. "That's something you cannot buy. They give me a great car week in and week out. They spend time away from their wives and kids to do this, to bring home the trophy on Sunday night. I'm honored to be their driver."

Enders qualified No. 4 for Seattle, beating Ron Krisher in the first round with a pass of 6.596 seconds at 209.56 mph to outrun Krisher's pass of 6.640 at 209.56. That set up an interesting matching with Anderson, whom Enders beat in the Chicago finale July 1.

But Enders was first off the line (.038 seconds to Anderson's .054) and stayed out front the entire lap, winning with a pass of 6.638 seconds at 209.20 mph over Anderson's 6.646 at 209.62.

Then, Enders had to face No. 1 qualifier Johnson, who had dominated the Pro Stock class of late, winning two races in a row on the Western Swing and posting the lowest elapsed time in the last 12 qualifying sessions.

"Allen and (wife) Pam are very good friends of mine," Enders said. "I know he wanted to sweep it, but I told him I was going to take that broom out of his hand. He wasn't leaving here with it."

Enders left first again (.030 to Johnson's .037) and was quicker again, going 6.624 seconds at 209.33 mph to beat Johnson's run 6.747 of 209.14 mph.

"I wasn't worried because yesterday on a 133-degree track, we went out and ran a 6.609 in the right lane," Enders said. "The hot-track setup is something that (crew chiefs) Dave Connolly and Tommy Utt are awesome at. If I hear a little bit of question in their voice on the radio, then I might start to worry. But they were confident. (Connolly) said, 'You've killed the Tree. We're going to the finals.' We all did our job, and it was awesome.

"I put it into fourth gear, and I looked over, and it didn't see him. I put it in fifth, and I looked again. I was like, 'Oh, my God we're going to beat him."

Enders' day wasn't done, of course, as she lined up in the final against two-time Pro Stock champ Line, who was the No. 6 qualifier. The left with nearly identical reaction times, but Enders' run was quicker, as she went 6.614 seconds at 209.65 mph to beat Line's 6.631 at 209.72 mph and secure her second career victory.

"Awesome," Enders said. "When I saw the win light on the wall, and heard my guys yelling in my helmet, I turned the corner and took a deep breath and thought, 'How blessed am I to get to be able to do this?'

"I'm hopeful we can continue to do really great things together."

Erica Enders brings fast KLR Group Chevy to Seattle

KLR Group driver Erica Enders is ready to bring the Western Swing to a successful close with a victory in this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

The Western Swing is the three-race stretch where the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series races in Denver, Sonoma, Calif., and Seattle.

"Seattle's next. It'll be cool and at sea level, so that's good," Enders said. "It's similar to Sonoma, which is on the coast, just like Seattle is. The tuneup should translate well from Sonoma, where we were able to set the track record. I'm excited about our chances."

Enders lowered the track record at Sonoma with a pass of 6.512 seconds, close to her career-best 6.502-second lap set last year in Gainesville. Her GK Motorsports team has been on top of its game recently, winning in Chicago and qualifying in the top half of the field in nine of the last 10 races, including No. 3 in Sonoma.

"There's a lot of oxygen in the air because of all the trees around the race track," Enders said. "That means more power, which we always love.

"It's a pretty part of the country, and I'm excited to go back. I'm hopeful we'll do well there."

Enders, too, is ready to bounce back from a red light in the second round in Sonoma. She won't have much time to dwell on the past and will instead look to perform well in Seattle.

"We're not exactly coming off of a bad weekend, because we were fast in Sonoma," Enders said. "But we get to try again in a few days. That's nice that I won't go home and sit and think about it for very long."

Enders is sixth in the Pro Stock points standings with two races remaining after Seattle before the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA's playoffs that will determine the 2012 Pro Stock championship.

"We're hoping to peak at the right time and battle for the championship," Enders said. "My GK guys have worked their butts off this year, and we're seeing the results now. We've got a fast hot rod, and if we do our jobs, there's no reason why we can't contend for more wins and the championship."

Historic win still on Enders' mind as next race approaches

The luster of KLR Group driver Erica Enders' first Pro Stock victory still shines as bright as the smile on her face, even several days after she became the first woman in history to win in the class at Route 66 Raceway on Sunday.

"The smile isn't close to being gone off my face yet," Enders said. "It's a crazy feeling, and it's awesome that it's finally happened."

Enders beat four-time world champion and current points leader Greg Anderson in the finals of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, securing her historic victory. Enders also got another victory late Sunday, as boyfriend Richie Stevens – who won an ADRL race recently – proposed marriage, and Enders happily accepted.

The proposal came where Enders had won hours earlier: In the left lane at the finish line of Route 66 Raceway, capping a memorable day. She cradled the Wally trophy for most of Sunday night and wouldn't let it out of her hands on her flight home, prompting numerous questions at the airport.

"Then there was a guy who works on a team that was in X Games, and he was on his way from LA back to Vermont, and he congratulated me," Enders said. "I just carried it through the airport. It didn't go through the x-ray machine, because the TSA guy knew what it was and said it was awesome."

In the days since, Enders has been busy catching up on e-mails, phone calls, texts and social media messages, all while conducting interviews with various media. Of course, she's found time to celebrate, thanks to family members.

"Richie's best friend and best friend's girlfriend came to the airport Monday night, and they had a big sign and balloons and flowers," Enders said. "We walk outside, and his parents had sent us a limo with Dom Pérignon champagne in there. That was pretty cool and unexpected.

"Then we get home, and his sister had decorated the house, with a sign that said, 'Congratulations on the two wins and the engagement.' She also had flowers, a bottle of wine and a card – and some wedding cake cupcakes. A lot of people have taken the time to make it special."

Enders' sister, Courtney, also traveled to New Orleans to celebrate, and she also spent the July 4 holiday at Stevens' parents' house.

Now, though, her focus moves on to this weekend's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. Though many have told her the victories will pile up after she broke through with the first, Enders knows Wallys won't simply be handed to her, especially not in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class.

"Winning is not easy," Enders said. "I've had a lot of former champions tell me that once the first one comes, the rest will follow. I hope they're right, but we've still got to work hard to get there."

This weekend's race also includes the K&N Horsepower Challenge, a special, eight-car race within a race for Pro Stock's best. Enders was voted in last year's Challenge, but she and her GK Motorsports team earned their way in the 2012 event based on qualifying since the '11 race.

"I'm real excited that we earned a position in it this year," Enders said. "It's a fun race, but there's a lot on the line. It's really cutthroat because there's $50,000 to win, and a lot of the teams out there could really use that money. We'll be fighting tooth and nail for it."

Enders becomes first woman to win NHRA Pro Stock race

After 20 years of racing, eight years in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class and six final-round appearances, KLR Group driver Erica Enders won the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway on Sunday.

Enders beat nemesis Greg Anderson – who knocked off Enders in Chicago's final one year ago – to become the first women to win a Pro Stock national event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

"For pioneers like Shirley Muldowney and Shelly Anderson-Payne, they were my heroes growing up, and all the women who paved the way," Enders said. "There are a lot of little kids who look up to me. I'm blessed enough to be in the position to be a role model for them through the Disney movie. I hope that they see me win and know that no matter what, anything is possible. You've just got to set your mind to it and follow your dreams. With hard work, anything's possible."

To top the historic win off, longtime boyfriend Richie Stevens proposed Sunday night, and Enders accepted. A December wedding is in the works.

Enders began racing at the age of 8, after convincing her father, Gregg Enders, to buy her a Jr. Dragster to able to compete in the new class NHRA created for younger drivers. Enders moved up the ranks into NHRA Sportsman classes, winning a Super Gas national event in 2004. The next year, she moved to Pro Stock with Cagnazzi Racing, becoming the first woman to reach the final round in Chicago in 2005.

In 2011, after being reunited with the Victor Cagnazzi-owned team, Enders raced Anderson in the final round at Chicago in one of her three finals in 2011. But Anderson won that day, saying after the race that he didn't want to be the first driver to lose to Enders in a Pro Stock final.

Sunday, though, the tables were turned, as Enders left first and outran the four-time champion with a run of 6.627 seconds at 207.40 mph. Anderson came up short after a pass of 6.641 at 208.36 mph.

"It's awesome. I think if I could've planned it, I would've asked to run Greg in the finals," Enders said. "He made it clear that he didn't want to lose to me. He's a very competitive guy, and I love him, but I couldn't wait to beat him.

"I'm really glad it was here in Chicago. This is actually the place of my first final in Pro Stock in 2005, so it's nice to circle back around and get it done here."

Anderson was gracious in defeat.

"He grabbed my shoulder and said, 'Well deserved,'" Enders said. "That means a lot coming from an eight-hundred-billion-time champion and somebody I've been trying to beat for eight years since I first let the clutch out in one of these cars.

"To have him in the other lane when I got my first win is awesome. Steve Torrence had Tony Schumacher in the other lane when he got his first (Top Fuel) win. Two Texas kids who dreamed of doing this our entire lives, to be able to beat the best in the finals like that, I couldn't have asked for a better situation."

Like every successful athlete, Enders' career has had difficult moments. She raced part-time in 2007-2010 as she looked for sponsorship and the right situation. Finally, sponsor Gaston Kearby helped back an effort with Cagnazzi for the 2011 season, and Enders has emerged as one of the top talents in the sport.

"I'm a Christian, and I'm not shy to admit," Enders said. "I believe there's a plan bigger than mine. I always have faith that there's a reason that things happen. Am I disappointed when we lose six times in a row? Absolutely. But I thank God for the blessings and the safety and focus on the things He puts on front of me. I'm a firm believer that he doesn't give you what you can't handle. This is 20 years of racing and eight years in Pro Stock, and it finally came together. I said my prayer before the final round: 'If it's your will, Lord, it's my way. I can't wait.'"

Enders, who moved up to fifth in the Pro Stock points standings, now has one win, two final-round and four semifinal appearances this season. She's won at least one round in each of the last five races and has reached the semis in the last three.

"My guys back at the shop have been really working their butts off to get us power, and we've been trying some new R&D stuff that we've been trying to figure out for forever," Enders said. "We did a last-minute test at Rockingham last week with over 100-degree weather. I guess it was good that we went there and prepared for this hot mess.

"I'm so excited. The testing is really paying off. Pro Stock's tough. It'll humble you in an instant. You think you've got it figured out, and you go to Bristol and blow all your things up. I can't say enough for my guys. They're amazing, and I love them. I couldn't be more proud for them."

The victory was a popular one for the 28-year-old from Houston who now lives in New Orleans. Enders is one of the most liked figures in the sport, among fans and competitors alike.

"When I hit my chutes – I hit them before we crossed the finish line – I went straight from focusing on the end of the track to the wall where the win light is," Enders said. "When I saw that thing come on, I was like, 'Oh, my God.' My guys are screaming in my helmet. I'm like, 'Thank you guys so much.' They're the reason why I'm able to do what I do.

"When I came around the track, the guys who are turning us off are all pumping their fists - all the Safety Safari guys were lined up around the corner, and the NHRA employees.

"It was just like everything came together. I dreamed of this day my entire life. When I can't sleep at night, I think about winning and planning my speeches. It's so awesome that it finally came true."

Asked where the Wally trophy will go, Enders said she’ll give it to Gregg Enders.

"That one goes to my dad, who's been my rock and my best friend," Enders said. "He's the reason I am who I am and why I'm in this position."