Pro Stock champ Erica Enders reaches new heights with No. 2 spot in Denver

DENVER – Pro Stock champion Erica Enders would have loved to have held on to the No. 1 spot for the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals on Saturday at Bandimere Speedway, but though she fell .007-second short of that lofty perch, Enders and her Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge team can hold their heads up high after qualifying No. 2.

“It would have been cool to get a green hat,” Enders said, referring to the special hats given to No. 1 qualifiers. “And tomorrow would have been a little cooler than normal because we would have a bye in the first round (because there are only 15 cars in the field).

“But I was talking to my guys about it on the radio before we even made the run — the benefit of running last is that you get to see what everybody does — after we knew that a handful of people had run 6.93s. I told my guys, ‘Either way, stay on the pole or not, get it back or not, what an awesome turnaround we have had this weekend, and we will out-tune and outdrive them tomorrow.’ And we will.”

Enders held the No. 1 spot through three qualifying sessions, but after a rain delay helped cool conditions in the Denver altitude, five cars went quicker in Q4 before Enders and Alex Laughlin made their runs.

Enders made a terrific pass of 6.933 seconds at 198.03 mph, though Laughlin was a tick quicker. However, her run wasn’t the best by her Dodge.

“Considering what happened in that run, to be able to throw up an e.t. like that is pretty cool,” Enders said. “I mean, I was way over by the wall and it was loose, so there was definitely some e.t. there, but either way it’s such an awesome step in the right direction, and it goes to show that hard work really pays off.

“This is where we get to really, really dig deep and see if we can battle back into the Countdown.”

Enders sits 11th in the Pro Stock points standings, with only the top 10 advancing to the Countdown to the Championship. Five races remain before the Countdown starts, and Enders is only nine points out of 10th.

She’ll battle Alan Prusiensky in the first round Sunday after he qualified No. 15 with a pass of 7.477 seconds at 159.91 mph.

“I’m super proud of our showing thus far, and we’ve got our day cut out for us tomorrow, but I wouldn’t want to go to battle with anyone else,” Enders said. “I’m proud to have performed so well in our Mopar Dodge Dart at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals, and we will see if can bring home a Wally to Detroit.”

Pro Stock eliminations start at noon, Sunday, and will be broadcast live on FOX from 1 to 4 p.m. (All times listed in MDT).