At every NHRA national event Pro Stock race there’s one constant: Never count out Erica Enders.

Enders, a world champion 2014-15, 2019-20, and 2022-23, is always a factor to step into the spotlight.

The Houston, Texas, driver did exactly that at the Northwest Nationals late Friday night.

Enders clocked a 6.500-second run at 209.98 mph, which was good enough to give her the No. 1 qualifying spot after Saturday’s final two sessions at Pacific Raceways.

Enders’ first run Friday wasn’t so great as she slowed to 10.525 seconds. That’s what made Q2 even sweeter for her while driving her Johnson's Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment Camaro for Elite Motorsports.

“That first run by no means was anything that we were proud of, and just super frustrating when something like that happens,” she said. "We've had a couple of issues with that particular failure, so it's beginning to get a little frustrating and I knew when I aborted the run, I did it to save my clutch. But at the same time, as I was coasting down, I'm, like, (crew chief Mark) Ingersoll is freaking out right now because we're going to be first out for the night session. But they continue to prove over and over that that really doesn't matter.

“When their backs are against the wall and the pressure's on, they always seem to do really great. I'm very proud of them. They gave me a good race car and we threw a really nice number up there. It would've been cool to go one faster and put it in the 40s, but whatever. Just super happy to turn it around.”

On Saturday in qualifying, Enders remained consistent, clocking 6.571 and 6.561 runs to keep her top spot.

“Everybody's pushing the envelope, but the track is very different this year than it has been in years past, so everybody's trying to change the way that they approach it,” Enders said. “The starting line obviously in Pro Stock is very important because you're trying to use all the horsepower you have while managing the crazy torque numbers that we make. That first session, all our cars were really sluggish to 60 feet, and the couple of the KB guys were in the .970s. When you're getting crushed, two-plus hundredths going by the Christmas tree, that's equal to three or four at the other end.

"It makes it really hard to win when you don't get after it down low. I feel like you see a lot of people shaking for that exact reason. But that isn't because we forgot how to race, it's just the variables are very different this year than they have been in years past.”

The Pro Stock class didn’t race at Pacific Raceways a year ago. Enders, the winningest female driver in NHRA history with 49 Wallys –- one in Super Gas in 2004 and 48 in Pro Stock –- has one national-event win in Pro Stock in Seattle in her career in 2012.

Like so many great drivers, Enders remembers her most recent trip to Seattle’s final round when she lost to T.J. Coughlin, her Elite Motorsports teammate.

“It was his first (Pro Stock) win, so an honor to be next to him for his first Pro Stock win,” Enders said. “It was really cool to obviously have two Elite Motorsports cars in the finals. But yeah, we miss coming out west, and we get all kinds of hate mail from our fans, they think that we choose to not come here. But we missed Seattle and Sonoma (Calif.) last year. I love racing on the West Coast. Sonoma and Bristol are my favorite tracks to race at. Then coming here, when you pull in the gate with the trees and the way everything is set up, and that nostalgia feel with the tower and the grandstands and whatnot, I love racing here.

"We've had some success here. I won my second-ever Pro Stock race here, and I did it with Courtney Force. We became the first two professional females to ever win a national event together. Lots of history at this racetrack for me. And again, love racing here. I'm glad we're back.”

Enders said she enjoyed racing under the lights for the first time in Pacific Raceways history when the Pro classes started Q2 after 9 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Pacific Raceways has been open since 1958.

“Pro Stock, we don't get to run when it's dark very often. Thankful that we paused for the sunset, because that used to be brutal and we'd have to run into the sun on the night session,” Enders said. “But yeah, under the lights, it always makes it more exciting. I don't know why, but it is just like your heart rate gets up a little bit and you look out your windshield and you see all the fans and the lights shining on the track, it's pretty cool. Kind of one of those pinch me moments.”

With renowned track Bandimere Speedway closing last season after being part of the NHRA national event circuit for four-plus decades, there’s not a three-race Western Swing anymore.

“Obviously it's a different feel without the three-race swing, the Western Swing without Denver. But, yeah, after what happened with my car first session and all the Elite cars were just ... we did not make successful runs,” Enders said. “We had a meeting and I'm like ... It's always frustrating, but also, we try to keep it as positive as possible. And instead of focusing on the struggle, I said in the crew chief lounge, I said, ‘Well, we have four races to figure this out, because the Countdown is when you have to step off on the perfect foot and just do your best for those solid six.’

"Yeah, these are very crucial because we're getting to the point where it's super crunch time. Obviously, we want to perform for our great sponsors and marketing partners, but also, just get in the right head space for the battle for the championship.”

The six-race Countdown to the Championship begins with the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa., from Sept. 12-15.

Enders has her place – right now as the winningest female driver in NHRA history – and it is something that fills her with pride.

“Wow, that's pretty cool. That's substantial. Yeah. I remember when I got to join that list with Karen Stoffer in 2004. She won in Pro Stock Motorcycle, and I won in Super Gas, and that was my first national-event win,” Enders said. “That was super meaningful for me.”

"We don't need a diversity program because it's supernatural," Enders said. “NHRA provides an amazing platform. Like for me, JR Todd, Shawn Langdon, Leah Pruett, we started off in junior dragsters and we've accomplished our dream by becoming professional drag racers and started off at the very beginning and dedicated our whole lives to it. I think the platform that NHRA provides is the reason for that.

"And then the family atmosphere, you go down the list of every great in the sport and it's a family ordeal. From Kalitta to Schumacher to Force to Coughlin, Stanfield, it's just all family based, and that's something that we talked about this morning. I'm proud to be a part of that whole female deal, and it's definitely really cool.”