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."