Erica Enders is back.

The two-time Pro Stock champion – and her Elite Motorsports team – put on a dominant performance Sunday to win the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. She broke a 20-race winless streak, dating back to Epping, N.H., last June.

"It's a first for us, and it's exciting," Enders said of her first Four-Wide victory. "We've had a lot of success, but it been a long time since we've had success. This is, hopefully, the start of what will be a tremendous year."

Her victory also extended a couple other streaks: 1. She was the sixth winner in six Pro Stock races this season; 2. Since Drew Skillman lost in the final, no No. 1 qualifier has won this season.

Enders' Elite team, led by crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones, powered her to low elapsed time in the first and second round, and then her left foot powered her to the victory.

Enders' 6.500-second run at 212.56 mph was the quickest in the first round, and she ran 6.517 seconds in the second to reach the final, so the pressure was squarely on her shoulders.

"I like that kind of pressure," Enders said. "I really enjoy when the weight is on my shoulders. Knowing we have a fast car was great – it's the first time we've had a fast, really consistent race car in a long time. … The pressure is significant, but I feel like I thrive under it; I love it. We got it done – that's all that matters, I guess."

Enders got it done with a .014-second reaction time, and as Skillman and Chris McGaha slowed with problems, it came down to the Elite-powered cars of Enders and Nobile. Nobile ended up with a quicker ET, 6.520 seconds, but his .095 light had him trailing Enders the entire quarter-mile.
 
Enders won the 2014-15 Pro Stock championships, but a switch from Chevrolet to Dodge in 2016 kept her out of the winner's circle in '16. Elite Motorsports went back to Chevy for 2017, and she won in Epping but finished sixth in the points as the team struggled to get her Camaro back toward the top.

Enders drove a new Chevrolet in Houston last weekend and reached the final round. Now, she has a victory – the 23rd of her career – to continue the momentum.

"We made a car change going into our home race in Houston, Texas last week – Jeg Coughlin and myself. That was a change that we, unfortunately, were needing, to have some on-track success. We went to the finals in Houston … and this is definitely significant and special for me. I'm very excited."

Her victory exorcised some demons from the 2012 Four-Wide race, where the win light came on in her lane in the final round – but Greg Anderson got to the finish line first. The light on the scoreboard on Anderson's lane didn't come on, and Enders had initially celebrated what would have been her first career victory.

"Funny story – but not really," said Enders, who described what happened six years ago here. "We got to the end of the track and pulled off. All the TV cameras and photographers were down there, and they were banging on my car, taking pictures. I was like, 'Oh, my God.' This was my first win in Pro Stock and first for a female. I put my head down to take my HANS off, and I look back up, and it's ghost town. They were all gone – they got word that the win light didn't go to our team but it went to Greg Anderson.

"To be able to come back and finally win Four-Wide six years later – that's a long time – we're very excited."

Was that on her mind after the win light came on today?

"No," Enders said with a laugh. "My crew chief was screaming in my ear, so I knew we got it done."