ENDERS CONFIDENT OF PRO STOCK CHANCES AS SHE GAINS SECOND STRAIGHT NO. 1 START

Written by Susan Wade, photo by Roger Richards    Sun, 2019-09-29 04:05

 

For the second time in as many NHRA Countdown races, Erica Enders will lead the Pro Stock field into Sunday’s eliminations.

The Houston native took over the top qualifying position from early leader Bo Butner Friday evening and held onto it through two Saturday sessions at the AAA Midwest Insurance Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Her 6.552-second pass at 209.85 mph on the Madison, Ill., quarter-mile in the Melling Chevrolet Camaro gave Enders her 21st career No. 1 start.

“I have a great car underneath me, and we’re ready for race day. It definitely makes going to sleep on Saturday night a tick easier,” Enders, who’s seeking her first victory of the year after runner-up finishes at Chicago, Brainerd, and Indianapolis, said.

If she can beat No. 16 Dodge Dart driver Alan Prusinesky in the first round Sunday, she will reach the 20-round-win plateau this season. It would be another achievement to add to her list of happy memories here, where in 2005 she announced she would be stepping up in 2006 from the sportsman-level Super Comp class and turning professional to race Victor Cagnazzi’s Pro Stock car. She also won the Pro Stock trophy here in 2012 and 2013.

But she doesn’t have her head in the past. She’s completely engaged in the details of the present.  

“Something that I’ve worked on all weekend is my reaction times,” she said, “and we’ve been between .011 and .017 on all four runs. And that’s pretty great, and that makes me feel good. Just having that confidence means everything.”

She relied on that self-assurance when she made her first pass Saturday, for she already had been moved down in the order to seventh by the time she rolled to the starting line. Her crew told her, “If you stage right and shift right and we have our stuff together, we’ll go right back to the top. And sure enough, we did.”

Enders and No. 2 qualifier Jeg Coughlin packed a 1-2 punch for Elite Motorsports as the only two to dip into the 6.55-second elapsed-time range.

Steve Graham barged into the field in the final session at No. 14 to spoil a lineup that would have included Fernando Cuadra and two sons, Fernando Jr. and Cristian. The father will start from the No. 10 slot and face Bo Butner, and Cuadra Jr. will race out of the No. 13 position and meet Greg Anderson. But Cristian Cuadra missed the cut along with Wally Stroupe and Robert River.

Enders celebrated her father’s birthday Friday by capturing the provisional top spot. That performance allowed her – in her words - “to redeem myself.” She said she was the cause of a sub-par first-session run that left her in a respectable but distasteful fourth place – and cost her the chance to have low elapsed time in all four qualifying sessions. She knew the reason right away – her new helmet with what she called a “badass” paint job but ineffective padding to suit her driving style.

“I drive with my ears,” she said. The padding, she said, made her feel like she had her hands over her ears. And she said not being able to hear the pitch of the engine threw her off enough to miss her gear-shifting points. It was an especially annoying fate, because she said her car was prepared perfectly.

“When I drive it right, the sky’s the limit,” Enders said.

And she said she’s optimistic and confident heading into race day. And the two-time series champion said her crew members “have their swagger back” as the team continues to “crawl our way back to the top.”

This weekend’s overall strong performance, coupled with solid ones at Brained and Indianapolis to end the regular season and at Reading to start the Countdown, has her feeling that way with five races remaining in the season.

“We have struggled the last couple of years. Perseverance pays off,” Enders said. “It’s been frustrating, for sure, with the guys I have and the ability they have to not see win lights and winners circle pictures as often as we might expect them or think they should happen. But they’ve done a tremendous job sticking with me. We’re not giving up. I promised them I’m going to drive my tail off.”

So far she is keeping her promise.

 

 
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