ERICA ENDERS BECOMES FIRST WOMAN TO WIN NHRA PRO STOCK RACE!

JOLIET, Ill. (July 1) – FINALLY!!!!!

After 20 years of racing, eight years in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class and six final-round appearances, KLR Group driver Erica Enders won the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway on Sunday.

Enders beat nemesis Greg Anderson – who knocked off Enders in Chicago’s final one year ago – to become the first women to win a Pro Stock national event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

“For pioneers like Shirley Muldowney and Shelly Anderson-Payne, they were my heroes growing up, and all the women who paved the way,” Enders said. “There are a lot of little kids who look up to me. I’m blessed enough to be in the position to be a role model for them through the Disney movie. I hope that they see me win and know that no matter what, anything is possible. You’ve just got to set your mind to it and follow your dreams. With hard work, anything’s possible.”

To top the historic win off, longtime boyfriend Richie Stevens proposed Sunday night, and Enders accepted. A December wedding is in the works.

Enders began racing at the age of 8, after convincing her father, Gregg Enders, to buy her a Jr. Dragster to able to compete in the new class NHRA created for younger drivers. Enders moved up the ranks into NHRA Sportsman classes, winning a Super Gas national event in 2004. The next year, she moved to Pro Stock with Cagnazzi Racing, becoming the first woman to reach the final round in Chicago in 2005.


In 2011, after being reunited with the Victor Cagnazzi-owned team, Enders raced Anderson in the final round at Chicago in one of her three finals in 2011. But Anderson won that day, saying after the race that he didn’t want to be the first driver to lose to Enders in a Pro Stock final.

Sunday, though, the tables were turned, as Enders left first and outran the four-time champion with a run of 6.627 seconds at 207.40 mph. Anderson came up short after a pass of 6.641 at 208.36 mph.
“It’s awesome. I think if I could’ve planned it, I would’ve asked to run Greg in the finals,” Enders said. “He made it clear that he didn’t want to lose to me. He’s a very competitive guy, and I love him, but I couldn’t wait to beat him.

“I’m really glad it was here in Chicago. This is actually the place of my first final in Pro Stock in 2005, so it’s nice to circle back around and get it done here.”

Anderson was gracious in defeat.“He grabbed my shoulder and said, ‘Well deserved,’” Enders said. “That means a lot coming from an eight-hundred-billion-time champion and somebody I’ve been trying to beat for eight years since I first let the clutch out in one of these cars.

“To have him in the other lane when I got my first win is awesome. Steve Torrence had Tony Schumacher in the other lane when he got his first (Top Fuel) win. Two Texas kids who dreamed of doing this our entire lives, to be able to beat the best in the finals like that, I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”

Like every successful athlete, Enders’ career has had difficult moments. She raced part-time in 2007-2010 as she looked for sponsorship and the right situation. Finally, sponsor Gaston Kearby helped back an effort with Cagnazzi for the 2011 season, and Enders has emerged as one of the top talents in the sport.

“I’m a Christian, and I’m not shy to admit,” Enders said. “I believe there’s a plan bigger than mine. I always have faith that there’s a reason that things happen. Am I disappointed when we lose six times in a row? Absolutely. But I thank God for the blessings and the safety and focus on the things He puts on front of me. I’m a firm believer that he doesn’t give you what you can’t handle. This is 20 years of racing and eight years in Pro Stock, and it finally came together. I said my prayer before the final round: ‘If it’s your will, Lord, it’s my way. I can’t wait.’”

Enders, who moved up to fifth in the Pro Stock points standings, now has one win, two final-round and four semifinal appearances this season. She’s won at least one round in each of the last five races and has reached the semis in the last three.

“My guys back at the shop have been really working their butts off to get us power, and we’ve been trying some new R&D stuff that we’ve been trying to figure out for forever,” Enders said. “We did a last-minute test at Rockingham last week with over 100-degree weather. I guess it was good that we went there and prepared for this hot mess.

“I’m so excited. The testing is really paying off. Pro Stock’s tough. It’ll humble you in an instant. You think you’ve got it figured out, and you go to Bristol and blow all your things up. I can’t say enough for my guys. They’re amazing, and I love them. I couldn’t be more proud for them.”

The victory was a popular one for the 28-year-old from Houston who now lives in New Orleans. Enders is one of the most liked figures in the sport, among fans and competitors alike.

“When I hit my chutes – I hit them before we crossed the finish line – I went straight from focusing on the end of the track to the wall where the win light is,” Enders said. “When I saw that thing come on, I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ My guys are screaming in my helmet. I’m like, ‘Thank you guys so much.’ They’re the reason why I’m able to do what I do.

“When I came around the track, the guys who are turning us off are all pumping their fists – all the Safety Safari guys were lined up around the corner, and the NHRA employees.

“It was just like everything came together. I dreamed of this day my entire life. When I can’t sleep at night, I think about winning and planning my speeches. It’s so awesome that it finally came true.”
Asked where the Wally trophy will go, Enders said she’ll give it to Gregg Enders.

“That one goes to my dad, who’s been my rock and my best friend,” Enders said. “He’s the reason I am who I am and why I’m in this position.”

WELL DONE, ERICA!  CONGRATULATIONS!


More info:  http://www.cagnazziracing.com/

ERICA ENDERS AIMS FOR MORE HISTORY AT HOMETOWN HOUSTON TRACK

HOUSTON (April 24) – GK Motorsports driver Erica Enders carries some confidence and momentum into this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway.Enders is coming off a runner-up finish in the 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, a result that prompted a phone call from Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden, a 10-time world champion.


“Bob Glidden actually called me on Monday after the race,” Enders said. “We talked a couple weeks ago, too, when I called him after Grumpy (Bill Jenkins) died. He called me on Monday, and the conversation starts out as, ‘Gosh darn it, I thought you were going to win.’”


Enders worked with Glidden on another team a few years ago, and Glidden continues to be a mentor to the 28-year-old driver.


“He told me that he was proud of me and that I’m doing a really good job,” Enders said. “He said he’s been doing this a long time and that the luck will turn. I believe him. Who better to believe than Bob Glidden?”


Glidden won 85 races in his Hall of Fame career, while Enders continues to gun for her elusive first victory in Pro Stock. She’s raced to four final rounds in the last 19 races dating back to last year and has been driving like a champion recently.


Reaction time is crucial to success in Pro Stock, and no one has been better than Enders. She’s had an average launch time of .029 seconds over the last two races, including lights of .017 and .016 in the semifinals and finals, respectively, in Charlotte.


Enders advanced to the semifinals in Las Vegas, and then qualified fourth and reached the finals in Charlotte.


“I am a believer in momentum,” Enders said. “We’ve just got to keep plugging away at it. I’m blessed to have guys who want it as bad as I do. They work their butts off at the shop all week long and they give me a great race car. We know what happened in the finals in Charlotte, and we stayed after and tested to figure some more things out. If I can keep driving the way I’m driving and we keep having a good car, we will keep momentum going.”


Enders will feel at home in Houston as she’s raced at Seth Angel’s facility for more than 20 years. Plus, as a Houston native, Enders will be surrounded by family and friends all weekend.
“I’ve been going there for a really long time, so it’s always fun and exciting to come home and reconnect with family and friends,” Enders said. “I get to see people I haven’t seen forever, and that’s always nice. We’re gone most of the year, so it’s good to have some familiarity.”


Enders scored her first NHRA national event title there in 2004, winning in Super Gas.


“That was really cool because I grew up at that race track,” Enders said. “I won my first Junior Dragster race there when I was 8. That track’s got a lot of memories, and I’m really close to Seth.”


Enders beat her college roommate, Jonathan Johnson, in the finals that day. “He and I had grown up racing Jr. Dragsters, so it was one of those Cinderella stories,” Enders said. “It’s something I’ll never forget."


“I’ve had all my first wins there, from Jr. Dragsters to Super Comp to Super Gas to Top Dragster. It’d be cool to have my first Pro Stock win there, too, but we have to go out and earn it.”

Click here to follow Erica's career!

ZAZA ENERGY TEAM NAMED NHRA'S "HARDEST-WORKING" CREW!

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Nov. 15) – Erica Enders always knew her ZaZa Energy Pro Stock team was the hardest-working crew in the NHRA pit area. Now, she has tangible proof.

Enders’ crew was voted as winner of the Full Throttle Hard-Working Crew Award in the Pro Stock category, getting the nod in a fan vote on NHRA.com over the teams of Jason Line, Kurt Johnson and Vincent Nobile.

Enders’ Cagnazzi Racing team joined her on stage at the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series awards ceremony Monday night at the Grand Ballroom at the Hollywood and Highland Center to accept the award. The team also earned $15,000.

Members of the ZaZa Energy team, led by owner Victor Cagnazzi and crew chief Dave Connolly, are Todd Bevis, Danny Burke, Rich Saulino, Mike Smothers, John Utt and John Wright.

“They are the hardest-working crew, with or without the trophy,” Enders said. “But it just goes to show that hard work really does pay off. These guys spend so much time away from their wives and their kids and their families – all because we have the same love for drag racing. I couldn’t be more proud of them.

“They mean the world to me. I love them with all my heart. They’re the reason why I’m where I’m at today, and the reason why I got to stand on the stage for the first time in my career. It means the world to me that they worked their butts off for this team.”

Enders had her best season as a professional, finishing sixth in the Pro Stock standings and setting career bests for final rounds (three), semifinals (four), quarterfinals (11), No. 1 qualifiers (two) and won-loss record (28-22).

The award was given to a team in each of the four NHRA pro categories, with a fan vote determining the winner. This was the second time Enders claimed a vote of the fans, as she won a spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge thanks to the fans.

“It also goes to show that we have the greatest fans in the whole sport,” Enders said. “We were the only team on the ballot that hadn’t won a race or a championship. It just goes to show that the fans really stand behind us. I have to thank them just as much as I thank my crew. It means a lot to me.”

In true hard-working fashion, Enders’ team slowed down only for one night to celebrate, for the crew will be hard at work preparing for 2012.

“The hardest-working crew in the world is going back to work Tuesday,” Enders said, “and we’re going to come out swinging next year.”

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Contact: Lee Montgomery at 704-258-0903 or lee.montgomery@zazaenergy.com.