ATLANTA, GA — Erica Enders’ bid to win three NHRA national events in a row fell a little short Sunday when she lost in the semifinal round of the 35th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, but not before she pushed her streak of elimination round-wins to 10 in a row, the longest such streak of the season in any pro category.
“It’s hard to be disappointed with a semifinal round showing, but I kind of feel that way because I know we have the car that can win,” said Enders, driver of the Elite Motorsports Camaro. “You can’t win them all, but it sure is addictive when you get on a roll. You feel so much confidence that it’s really weird when you come up a little short.”
In a class where races are routinely decided by thousandths of a second, this day was no different as Enders was quicker than everyone at the track except Greg Anderson. She posted a 6.543 at 211.49 mph in beating first-round opponent John Gaydosh and used a 6.561 at 210.97 mph opposite Shane Gray in the quarterfinals. But Anderson was fractionally better each time, running a 6.541 in Round 1 and a 6.560 in Round 2.
“That thousandth of a second he got us by in Round 2 was enough to give them lane choice in the semi’s, and when a track is as hot and tricky as this one you need every little edge you can get,” Enders said. “I think that right lane was just a touch better and our race pretty much proved that. I could have been better on the Tree, but it may not have mattered because he had a .015-second light.
“This is a Summit race and I know those guys put a premium on winning their title sponsor’s races. We spun a lot and the car moved around and we ended up with a 6.582 to his 6.562. Game over. I’m still really proud of this team, and winning 10 rounds in a row is special. We’ll have to just start another streak.”
It won’t be long until Enders, who is married to fellow Pro Stock driver Richie Stevens, and the Elite Performance team are back on track as the NHRA tour quickly turns to next weekend’s NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka, Kan.
“I love Topeka,” Enders said. “The first ever national event was in Kansas and there is some question whether we’ll race there again after this year, so it would be extra special to get another Wally there.
“We’ll stop by the shop in Oklahoma and freshen everything up. We did switch to our new Rick Jones car this weekend and it was perfect every time down. It’s like driving a Cadillac the thing is so smooth. We’re just getting to know each other but so far, so good. We’ll definitely be ready for Topeka.”