It was two decades ago this week that Erica Enders and her sister Courtney became drag racing movie stars.

The Disney Channel released an original movie, Right On Track, based on the lives of the drag racing siblings.

Right On Track premiered on March 21, 2003, and starred two young actresses who’ve gone on to have standout careers in show business. Beverly Mitchell (7th Heaven, Candy Cane Christmas) played Erica and Academy Award winner Brie Larson (Room, Captain Marvel) played Courtney.

The basis of the movie came about because of the stellar drag racing careers of the two sisters growing up.

Erica Enders, now a five-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion, began competing in the newly formed NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League when she was just 8 years old.

Soon after, her younger sister Courtney followed suit and the two became a dominant duo, capturing victories all over the country.

Their success didn’t go unnoticed.

A People Magazine journalist wrote a piece about the sisters which led to interest from the Disney Channel. Back then, the network was focused on creating original content with a focus on unique true stories in the world of sports. Right On Track was an instant favorite, reaching new fans outside the drag racing world.

In the movie, Erica and Courtney not only made cameo appearances, but they also did most of the stunt driving required to make the feature-length film.

There are a few Hollywood embellishments like a crash and some pretty intense rivalries.

However, the movie accomplished its goal of depicting the personality differences between Erica and Courtney, which allows them to have such a tight bond to this day.

By competing in the Jr. Dragster ranks, Erica learned to embrace the competitive pressure and Courtney learned to embrace the spotlight so Erica can remain focused on driving while Courtney handles all the public relations aspects.

“At the time, Right On Track felt like the peak of our careers,” said Courtney.“To have a movie made about your life when you’re still just a teenager is unheard of, but we had already accomplished so much. I wish I could have absorbed every moment more as it happened.

“Fast forward 20 years and it’s still unbelievable to see the impact this movie had and still has on our sport. We get parents at the ropes introducing their kids to us saying they made their kids watch their favorite movie from 20 years ago and now their kids want to race. It’s wild. To know we had anything to do with the youth and female participation in the sport we love so much really wows me. I’m so proud of not only the movie and the story it told but where Erica and I have both taken our careers since then.”

Erica shared the same thoughts as her sister about the film.

“It’s crazy to think that Right On Track was released 20 years ago,” said Erica in a press release. “To be a high school kid and have a movie made about your life is pretty surreal. It was fun to be a part of making a movie from start to finish – especially since we got to do all the stunt driving. At the time, it was hard to comprehend the gravity of it. Looking back, it is so cool to see the impact the movie had on us, our sport, and the Jr. Drag Racing League.

“To this day, I still hear kids talk about how they started racing because of this movie. To hear little girls (and grown women) tell us how our story impacted them and changed the course of their lives is unbelievable. When the movie was made, about 25% of Jr. Dragster drivers were girls. Now it’s around 50%. Courtney and I are perfect examples of normal kids who had big dreams. We were able to accomplish great things through hard work, determination and surrounding ourselves with the right people. It goes to show you that the sky is the limit when you never give up.”

Right On Track received a resurgence of interest in late 2019 when Disney launched its streaming service, Disney+, which featured all the Disney Channel Original Movies. Larson has been known to mention the movie on talk shows when promoting other projects.

Erica, who drives for Elite Motorsports, is NHRA’s reigning Pro Stock world champion and has won 43 national events in the class.

In addition to being Erica’s brand manager, Courtney Enders is the head of Drag Racing Content and on-air talent for FloRacing. She works with Elite Motorsports and several other drag racing entities doing team management, PR, and content creation.