COMMERCE, Ga. – It was a beneficial three-race Pro Mod stretch for Erica Enders, but the two-time world champion is ready to add Pro Stock back to the mix.
This weekend’s Arby’s NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway marked the last of a three-race stretch where Enders and her Elite Motorsports team solely raced in Pro Mod. Despite a first-round loss, it was a highly beneficial stretch for the team in their new Pro Mod venture, but Enders is ready to add Pro Stock into her busy schedule again.
“I’m very excited to get back to what I know in Pro Stock. That’s my jam,” Enders said. “I’m excited to have that back. It was definitely beneficial to have three races where it was just Pro Mod and we made a lot of progress.
“It was good to focus on that program, but getting back into the swing of things with two classes, that’s the most exciting thing for me. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the two cars.”
It’s a situation that should bring out the best in Enders, and with the progress the team has made in their turbocharged RJ Race Cars Camaro over the past month, she’ll have a chance to win in two classes starting in two weeks at Virginia Motorsports Park.
She qualified 11th in Atlanta with a 5.871 at 255.53 mph before falling in a first-round matchup to Sidnei Frigo. Enders’ Camaro was loose on the starting line and, despite an impressive effort, she couldn’t chase down Frigo, going 6.062 at 252.57.
“We were definitely optimistic heading into raceday, but it didn’t work out the way we wanted,” Enders said. “It shook really bad and I tried to recover and get down the track, but it wasn’t the weekend we hoped for.”
Still there were plenty of good signs in Pro Mod, as Enders sits ninth in points after the fourth of 12 races, setting the speed record in Houston and then again in Charlotte, advancing to the final quad there.
Now, after several weeks off, Pro Stock will resume its 2019 schedule with the fifth of 18 races at Virginia. Enders is currently fifth in that class and she is excited to jump back into the mix. The Elite Motorsports team will test in both classes leading into the double-duty weekend in Richmond, as Enders gears up to what will be a particularly busy stretch in both classes.
“I’m excited to get back to racing Pro Stock,” said Enders, who has 23 career wins. “We’ll test before Richmond, and it will be nice to get in the swing of things and get back to the pure mechanics of driving that car.”
The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues May 17-19 with the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Va.
This story was originally published on May 6, 2019. 
