Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

Strong Run Ensures Erica Enders Averts Near Disaster In NHRA Pro Mod At Topeka

A strong run by Erica Enders in her turbocharged Elite Motorsports Camaro made sure things didn’t get a lot worse during a first-round Pro Mod matchup with Jeremy Ray at Sunday’s NHRA Heartland Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park.

Ray got loose near half-track, went left and then darted back to the middle, shooting across both lanes and going hard into the right wall. He narrowly missed Enders, who went a strong 5.808 at 258.57 mph to claim the first-round win and just escape colliding with Ray, who got out of the car under his own power.

“He’s a blower car and I was a little behind at the start of the race, but as my boost starting rolling in, I got up next to him and could see him out of my peripheral vision,” Enders said. “I saw the right corner of his car turn and I could see him come across. Fortunately I was on a good run.”

It was the first run of a wild first round in Pro Mod, which also included Enders’ Elite Motorsports teammate, Alex Laughlin, crashing into the wall and Todd Tutterow colliding with Steven Whiteley just past the finish line.

In the midst of her race with Ray, Enders said she was simply trying to concentrate on finishing off a solid run to escape any potential damage.

“Right at half-track, you’re going almost 210 mph, and it’s a hairy ride when all goes well. To still try to focus on what you’re doing and know the other car is in trouble, it’s definitely interesting,” Enders said. “It all happened really fast. I’ve not seen that happen beside me before. All kinds of things could have happened, but I’m just thankful Jeremy, Todd, Steven and Alex are all okay.”

Enders, who qualified eighth with a 5.877 at 257.14, and her team regrouped with another good pass, going 5.833 at 260.11 in a losing effort against eventual winner and points leader Stevie Jackson.

It marked yet another 260 mph-plus run for Enders and her team, a sign that things are rounding back into form in Pro Mod, especially after back-to-back first-round losses in warmer conditions at Atlanta and Virginia.

Things were decidedly different in Topeka, as Enders put together a string of consistent passes in qualifying and had two more strong runs during eliminations. It’s the start of three straight race weekends in Pro Mod before a lengthy two-month break, and Enders, who stayed ninth in points, is confident the team is back on track.

“We had a really respectable run against Stevie and I like that we were able to go out and run consistently like that,” Enders said. “We’re going A to B, and we have a fast car, so that’s definitely good. We’re still learning and working on it, and it’s just getting my car to the point where it’s happy. But I feel like the program is moving in the right direction. We’ll go into Bristol and try to keep improving.”

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

The E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service continues June 14-16 at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn. It is the seventh of 12 races during the 2019 season.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

News

The star-studded STREET OUTLAWS: No Prep Kings series is set to return for its 6th season in the summer of 2023. Fans can expect to...

News

Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings star and renowned engine builder Pat Musi joined the recent episode of The Wes Buck Show and provided an update...

News

Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings star Lizzy Musi announced today that she has been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer via her Youtube channel....

News

Tony Christian, one of the pioneering drivers of the Pro Street movement, passed away Thursday, June 9. Christian was infamous for his battles with...

Since 2005, DI has informed, inspired and educated drag racers from every walk of the racing life - weekend warrior and street/strip enthusiasts to pro-level doorslammer and Top Fuel racers. From award-winning writing and photography to binge-worthy videos to electric live events, DI meets hundreds of thousands of racers where they live, creating the moments that create conversations.