NHRA NEWS: PRO STOCK’S COUGHLIN READY FOR ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP RUN HEADING INTO O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS

With a new alliance and potent new ride, Jeg Coughlin Jr. is anxious for the season-opener at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and ready to make another championship push in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series alongside defending world champion Allen Johnson and the J&J Racing team.

“I’ve never been more fired up about getting behind the wheel and competing,” said Coughlin, who will be teammates with Johnson this season. “I feel like the pieces are there. I think we can mirror the success that Allen had last year.”

With four world championships, 52 victories, and a historically significant 83 holeshot wins in the 200 mph factory hot rod class, Coughlin will certainly be among the Pro Stock favorites at the 53rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, Feb. 14-17 at the tradition-rich Southern California dragstrip. Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the first of 24 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.

“I feel really good about everything we accomplished in the off-season,” said Coughlin. “We strengthened our relationship with Mopar, and our alignment with J&J Racing is going to be very exciting.”

Last season, Coughlin got off to a great start with a runner-up finish at the Pomona opener, a track where he has earned six wins over the years, including two at the Winternationals. Yet it was his only final-round appearance of the season, ending in a ninth-place finish.

“Last year nothing really went wrong per se,” said the popular Ohio Pro Stock driver. “We worked hard to put together a program in the short time frame that was available, and we did a good job. Last year, we just weren’t able to work a lot of magic, but it was not for lack of trying. I tried my best as a driver. Today, it’s so competitive that most drivers wouldn’t dream of being worse than .030 on the Tree, and if you’re facing a performance deficit, you’d better get under that.  I did what I could, but I also lost a lot of close races.”

After the discouraging 2012 season, Coughlin is enthused about the outlook for the new season and hopes to deliver a fifth Pro Stock world championship title in 2013.

“I’m as optimistic as ever,” said the 42-year-old driver. “We will be a team in every sense of the concept with our cars set up as identically as possible, sharing all of our data and benefitting from the expertise of the Mopar factory engineering. We’ve talked about going head-to-head on the track, and hopefully, when we do, it’s in a final round. That would be a win-win for the entire program.”

Newly-crowned world champion Johnson is also confident that this new partnership will be a win-win relationship and help him maintain his elite prowess in the new season.

“We just need to have more of the same from last year,” said Johnson, who won a career-best seven races and posted 10 No. 1 qualifying positions in an amazing 2012 season in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger. “We have to continue with the consistency that we established, make good decisions, and maintain strong engine and drivetrain reliability. Having Jeg on our team, along with Vincent Nobile, will be a challenge, and so I will just have to do the best I can behind the wheel. All of us will get good horsepower from my dad, and our goal is to have all three Dodges in the top five, maybe even in the first three positions. It will be up to the drivers to determine in which order.”

Coughlin and his new teammates will face a crowded field of talented contenders all trying to reach the top and stay there throughout the season. The KB Racing team of Greg Anderson and Jason Line will not holding back in their pursuit of a seventh NHRA Pro Stock title, while breakthrough sensation Erica Enders-Stevens is aiming for her first championship following a stellar 2012 season. Others to watch include veteran driver Mike Edwards, the 2009 champion, young gun Vincent Nobile, and V. Gaines, another Mopar driver whose performance surged in the final leg of the 2012 season.

In Top Fuel, Antron Brown returns to defend his historic world championship from a year ago and he will be challenged by a strong field, including seven-time world champ Tony Schumacher, defending event winner Massey, Shawn Langdon, Morgan Lucas, Brandon Bernstein, Doug Kalitta, Bob Vandergriff, Clay Millican and rookie Brittany Force.

The competition looks to be just as intense in Funny Car, as a host of challengers will try to unseat Jack Beckman as the world champion. Beckman teammates Ron Capps, Matt Hagan and Johnny Gray will lead that charge, along with defending Winternationals winner Force, Robert Hight, Courtney Force, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria, Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca, and Del Worsham, who is returning to the driver’s seat after a year spent working as a crew chief.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful motorsports attraction on the planet. While visiting the pits, interactive NHRA Nitro Alley and the NHRA Manufacturers Midway, fans will also want to check out NHRA’s popular Hot Rod Junction presented by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum that offers a spectacular display of many nostalgic dragsters, race cars and hot rods on display.

Fans also will want to take advantage of the popular Championship Sunday Track Walk, which is free to all Sunday ticket holders. This popular event gives fans the opportunity to walk down the legendary drag strip alongside some of the NHRA’s biggest stars.

Also, on Thursday at the track, fans will have the rare opportunity to attend a special Nitro Pit Party and Press Conference to kick-off the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season in the pro pits prior to the first qualifying session of the season. Many of the top stars in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be featured during the Press Conference, which starts at 11 a.m., including Antron Brown, Courtney Force, Tony Schumacher, Brittany Force, Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, Allen Johnson, John Force and Del Worsham.

As NHRA continues its Nitro Generation celebration, NHRA is offering free general admission for children 12 and under with a paying adult. Tickets are available online at www.NHRATIX.com or by calling the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-NHRA (6472).

• SCHEDULE:  Mello Yello Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15 and continue at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17.

• TICKETS: Tickets are available online at www.NHRATIX.com or by calling the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-NHRA (6472).

• TELEVISION: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Feb. 16 and on Sunday, Feb. 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 8 p.m. (ET).

• ON THE WEB: Get instant results, access to photos, video and audio clips, and the latest news updates from every NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.NHRA.com.

Line Hopes to Get on Indy’s Good Side

Up until a year ago, reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion Jason Line was not necessarily a fan of Lucas Oil Raceway, site of this weekend’s 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.  He acknowledged the importance of the event, and the long and storied history behind what is universally considered the biggest drag race of the season. In fact, his lack of enthusiasm was rooted in his on-track struggles at the Clermont, Ind. quarter-mile dating back to his days competing in the Stock category.

However, his opinion may have shifted slightly to the positive side one year ago when the Summit Racing ace scored his first No. 1 qualifying position at “The Big Go” and powered his way to the final round, where he was narrowly edged by his teammate Greg Anderson. Even though he enters this year’s event with an extensive to-do list, returning to the winner’s circle and claiming his first Indianapolis win remains a top priority.

“Although I still wouldn’t consider this to be one of my favorite tracks, I certainly respect the history and tradition behind the U.S. Nationals,” said Line.  “It’s a cool race to go to, and I would certainly like to add an Indy Wally to my trophy case, as well as the increased payout for winning.  I’m a muscle car guy, so I really enjoy watching all the Stockers that come out to run during the class runoffs, taking me back to the days when I raced in that category.

“But we’re not there to be spectators.  We’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks testing our Summit Racing Camaros, working to get a handle on what they need to perform, and we’re looking forward to seeing how we’ve done.  I’m confident we will be putting a better product on the track than we have at the last few races, allowing us to hopefully be in a position to win on Monday.”

As Line indicates, the format of this race is unlike any other on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Circuit.  For example, there are five qualifying sessions instead of the normal four, which are spread out over Friday through Sunday, with final eliminations set for Labor Day.  Although this does allow teams to have an additional chance to obtain data on the Lucas Oil Raceway surface, they must also pace themselves to be ready for the extra day of competition.

In addition, this year everyone will be keeping an eye on the progress of Hurricane Isaac, as computer models are currently predicting the remnants of the storm will arrive in the Indianapolis area during the weekend, with the potential for heavy rains putting any qualifying attempts at a premium.  Even so, Line prefers to take a simple approach, seeing it simply as another variable out of their control that the team will have to deal with.

“Naturally, we would prefer to have five days of sunshine and cool temperatures, just like everyone else, but we’ll just have to see what happens, and deal with it accordingly,” said Line.  “This is a long and difficult race, and we have to be ready to handle any situation that gets thrown at us over the course of the five days. 

“Fortunately, I have a very talented KB Racing team behind me, who has a long record of success in Indianapolis with my teammate winning six times.  With a larger than normal Pro Stock field expected, it certainly won’t be easy, but I’d like to join in the fun this weekend, putting my Summit Racing Camaro in the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals winner’s circle. It’s there for us as long as we remain error-free, which we are more than capable of doing.”

Jason Line & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Lucas Oil Raceway edition:

1 – a) No. 1 qualifying performances by Line at Lucas Oil Raceway, which came one year ago.

      b) Final round appearances by Jason in Indianapolis, which also occurred in 2011

4.89 – Average starting position for Line in his previous nine U.S. Nationals starts.

6.583 – Lucas Oil Raceway Pro Stock Elapsed Time Record, set by Line in 2011.

7 – Times Line has qualified in the top five positions in his previous nine starts in Indianapolis.

Anderson Relishes New Role at U.S. Nationals

For the first time in several years, Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team will be in an unusual position when they pull into Lucas Oil Raceway for this weekend’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind.  Even though they arrive as the defending event champions, they will not necessarily be seen as the favorites based on their struggles in recent races, which is certainly a departure from past seasons. However, having finally had time to thoroughly test their Chevrolet Camaros, Anderson is cautiously optimistic about his chances to prove the pundits wrong.

“We have a lot on our plate heading into Indy, with several things different from previous years,” said Anderson.  “For example, for the first time in a long while, we are not going into the race as one of the favorites.  This year, people are just not seeing us in that role because of the struggles we’ve had dialing in our new cars.  It’s no secret that we’re trying to make them better and faster, getting them ready for the playoffs.

“But the U.S. Nationals is the biggest and coolest race of the year, so I am not about to discount it as just another practice race before the start of the Countdown. That race means the world to me, and I want to go win it, which is why we are trying as hard as we can to have these Summit Racing Camaros on top of their game when we roll through the gates at Lucas Oil Raceway.”

Since returning from the last race in Brainerd, the Summit Racing crew has been balancing their normal between-race maintenance with research and development efforts both at the shop and on the racetrack. Taking advantage of the first break after a hectic summer schedule, numerous days were spent making as many runs down the track as possible without the pressure of national event competition, zeroing in on the proper tune-up, determining exactly what adjustments would work and which ones would not.

“We’ve spent a lot of time at the track during the off week, testing our Summit Racing Camaros so we won’t have to look for major improvements once we get to Indy,” explained Anderson.  “Basically we’re looking to have a better feeling about where we stand with the tune-up than we’ve had for the last couple Fridays at national events, which I am confident we will, putting us in a position to contend for the win. 

“We still have a lot of work to do, but I believe we’ve already learned a lot of things about these cars and made up some ground.  We still have some things to work on before this weekend, but I already feel we will be better than we have been at recent races.

“So while there are certainly a lot of things different about this year’s U.S. Nationals, including being the first time we’ll be there in Chevrolet Camaros, I stand by my statement that this is still the one race that means the most to win, so our goals have also not changed.  For this weekend we’ll put the playoffs on the back burner and concentrate on doing whatever it takes to successfully defend our U.S. Nationals title.”

Greg Anderson & the Summit Racing Camaro crew

By the Numbers – Lucas Oil Raceway edition:

3 - No. 1 qualifying performances by Anderson at Lucas Oil Raceway, most recently in 2006.

3.83 – Average starting position for Greg in his previous 12 Indy starts.

6 – U.S. Nationals wins by Anderson coming into this weekend, including one year ago, when he defeated teammate Jason Line in the final. Anderson’s win total is second only to Bob Glidden’s 9 for the most in Pro Stock history.

8 – Final round appearances by Anderson in Indiana.

9 – Times Anderson has qualified in the top five positions in his previous 12 Lucas Oil Raceway starts.

34 – Elimination round wins by Greg in his previous 12 starts at the “Big Go”, versus 6 losses for a .850 win percentage.

211.03 – Lucas Oil Raceway Pro Stock Top Speed Record, set by Anderson in 2011.

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." 

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."