Erica Enders and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / SCAG Power Equipment team rallied to their third Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory of the season Saturday at Bristol Dragway during qualifying for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
In a rematch of the semifinals from the New England Nationals, Enders started her Saturday with a win over teammate Jerry Tucker. Enders would lay down a 6.643-second pass at 207.62 mph to defeat Tucker and the Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer / SCAG team’s 6.685 at 205.54.
In the finals, Enders would take on rival Dallas Glenn who reached the final round by defeating the JEGS.com / White Castle car of Troy Coughlin Jr. The JHG / Melling machine had 6.644-second run at 207.30 mph to defeat Glenn’s 6.663 at 205.32.
“We wanted to get a handle on our hot raceday setup so we just put our heads down and did our own thing and had two pretty good runs today,” Enders said. “It’s always fun to have a race within a race, going back we had the K&N Horsepower Challenge, before that, the Holley Dominator Duel, and now this Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, it is definitely a fun specialty race. It’s really neat that you have to earn your way into each week by at least advancing to the semifinals. It adds some extra fun and a little extra pressure on Saturday, it makes you stay on your toes for race day.”
With the win, Enders earns a cash prize and championship bonus points that will add up after the points reset in the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six race playoffs. Enders currently has earned nine bonus points.
“Those points mean an awful lot at the end of the year and my first championship in 2014, had I lost the final round, I would have lost the championship by one point – and we won by 19,” Enders said. “It’s always down to the wire, so those points are very important and huge thank you to Mission Foods for putting on the race.”
Enders qualified No. 2 for Sunday eliminations at the Thunder Valley Nationals. Her 6.631-second run at 206.92 mph from Friday night will earn her a first-round race against teammate Fernando Cuadra Jr. and his Corral Boots / Cuadra / Columbia Impex car.
Eliminations at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway have been moved up to a 10 a.m. start due to impending rain. Pro Stock first round is slated to start at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will continue on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with a second qualifying show Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
This story was originally published on June 8, 2024. 
