There’s very little multi-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion driver Erica Enders hasn’t done right this season.

She proved that again Saturday during qualifying at the Denso Sonoma (Calif.) Nationals this weekend.

Enders took the No. 1 qualifying spot with a 6.506-second elapsed time at 210.97 mph.

“It always good to qualify on the pole,” Enders said. “Other times when we have qualified No. 1, we carried it through Sunday and got it done. Hopefully the trend continues but either way the field is stacked and super tough and we will have to go to work (Sunday). To end Saturday (No. 1) it definitely makes you sleep a little easier Saturday night knowing you have a really great Hot Rod underneath you.

“In years past here at Sonoma we never had super successful Sundays and we are hoping to change that tomorrow.”

This is Enders’ third No. 1 qualifier as she also paced the field in Pomona, Calif., and Norwalk, Ohio. This is the 26th No. 1 qualifier of her career. She arrived in Sonoma first in the points standings on the strength of five wins and one runner-up finish in nine races this season.

“You have to have that positive mindset and the success you want to happen and believe in it and do it,” Enders said. “It is way easier said than done but we have been able to turn really crappy Sunday morning starts into victories at the end of the day by having a positive attitude and positive outlook and working really hard to get there.”

Enders faces Fernando Cuadro Jr. in round one.

“On thing I have is the best team in the world,” said Enders, who drives a Camaro for Richard Freeman’s Elite Motorsports team. “They are super supportive and super positive, and I wouldn’t else standing behind me, that’s for sure. The start to the season we have had has been absolutely tremendous and a dream season up to this point, winning five of nine races and my teammate (Aaron Stanfield) winning two of them. 

“We definitely have what it takes. We have good people. We have the work ethic. We have the parts and pieces. We just have to put it all together (Sunday). We need to focus on what we want and not dwelling on what you don’t. We are going to do our best (Sunday). The important thing is to have fun, relax and do your job and we are pretty good at that.”

Enders took a moment to talk about how her season has gone so far.

“This year we started off on a different foot,” Enders said. “I came into it with a different mindset. I’ve been at this for 18 years now and you never know when it is going to be your last and you want to make it count. I came in mad. Not in a negative connotation. I really worked hard in the offseason. The fashion that we lost the championship in last year, (Greg Anderson) crushed all year long and it still went down to the wire in Pomona. I just feel like the guys really went to work and we came out swinging and we had a performance advantage and I have been doing my job for the most part behind the wheel.

“Nothing really matters prior to the Countdown (the final six races of the season). So, we just have to make it last, and I think we can do it. I’m hopeful we can put together the rest of the season like we put together the first half and if that’s the case we will definitely be holding the big shiny (trophy) at the end. We definitely have a lot of races ahead of us and a lot of work to do.”