CHARLOTTE – The wait for a victory might be over, but it’s hardly made Erica Enders content. The two-time Pro Stock world champ broke through for her first win of 2019 in St. Louis, putting her in prime position to compete for another world title.

The victory also has Enders and her Elite Motorsports team even more fired up heading into this weekend’s NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, which marks the halfway point of the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship.

“I’m more determined than I’ve ever been, my team is confident and it’s all coming together at the right time,” said Enders, who has 24 career Pro Stock wins. “Winning definitely encourages us to keep going. Not that the fire is ever gone, but (a win) just reignites it. I’m very excited about the four remaining races. We have every intention of going to the next four and trying to win them.”

Enders is certainly energized after the St. Louis triumph in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, a race that included her 50th career final round and her second straight No. 1 qualifier.

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ST. LOUIS – The wait is over and after a dominant weekend in St. Louis, Erica Enders is rolling at the perfect time.

The two-time Pro Stock world champ qualified No. 1 and raced to the NHRA Midwest Nationals win at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday, going 6.598-seconds at 208.36 mph in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro to slip past Matt Hartford’s 6.621 at 207.30 in the final round.

It gave Enders her first victory since her four-wide win in Charlotte last year, putting the team in prime position to compete for another world title following the second of six NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff races.

“We redeemed ourselves after our poor performance in Reading. I’m ready for the remaining four races. I put my money on us,” said Enders, who earned her 24th career Pro Stock win. “It’s all come together at the right time. It feels like it’s been an eternity since we last won in 2018. We just continue to keep our heads down and working hard, and this definitely means a lot to our entire program.”

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ST. LOUIS – Erica Enders dominated qualifying and moved up a place in the points standings to kick off the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. But the two-time Pro Stock world champ left Reading, Pa. wanting more and hopeful she make an even bigger statement in St. Louis.

A second-round defeat loss didn’t make it a complete weekend at Maple Grove Raceway, something Enders hopes to change in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Another world title remains within her grasp, but as the NHRA’s six-race playoffs hits the second event, Enders knows there can’t be any let-up.

“We felt like we let one slip through our fingers in Reading, but we’re moving forward with a positive attitude,” said Enders, who has 23 career Pro Stock wins. “We just have to focus on what’s ahead of us and that’s the mindset we need to have. We moved up to fourth and picked up a lot of qualifying points, so it’s all within reach. Now we have to go out and execute.”

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READING, Pa. – When Erica Enders thinks back to her first Pro Stock championship run in 2014, she vividly remembers a noticeable change in the atmosphere during the Countdown to the Championship.

That will again be evident as the NHRA’s six-race playoffs begin this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway, but just like she did five years ago, the two-time Pro Stock world champ plans to embrace that intensity as she aims to add another world title to her collection.

“Just the gravity of it was insane. It’s kind of cool, actually,” Enders said. “I definitely think the intensity can be sensed. You definitely feel a difference. It’s just about taking that pressure and making it positive.”

There are plenty of positives for Enders and her Elite Motorsports team heading to Reading thanks to back-to-back final round appearances in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

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Indianapolis – After what appeared to be a dream weekend at the biggest race of the year, Erica Enders’ impressive run at the U.S. Nationals ended in heartbreaking fashion in the final round.

But with the Countdown to the Championship up next, the two-time Pro Stock world champ is determined to rebound in an impressive way.

Enders qualified third at Indy and rolled to her 49th career final on a flurry of consistent performances, but a mechanical failure in the final round against Elite Motorsports teammate Alex Laughlin on Monday came at the most inopportune time. Enders called it a “gut-wrenching” loss, but she’s also eager to use it as motivation to finish her 2019 NHRA Pro Stock season.

“It’s kind of like playing golf,” Enders said. “You have a bad shot and you can’t drag it to the next hole. I told my crew chiefs before we left that I’m absolutely more determined than I’ve ever been. I am not letting up and I know they’re not. I feel like they have their confidence back. We’re going into the Countdown fifth and 50 points back, and it is game freaking on. I am not letting up.”

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Indianapolis – A video appeared on the NHRA Facebook page earlier this week showing the 2015 Pro Stock final round at the U.S. Nationals, as Erica Enders picked up one of the most memorable wins of her standout career.

While Enders watched the video on social media this week, it wasn’t to try to relive the emotion of that major victory. Those memories are already fully engrained for the two-time world champion.

“I remember everything about that weekend,” Enders said. “It’s one of the races that will stand out most to me. As a kid growing up, and as a fan and spectator before I ever became a racer, it was the most prestigious race in NHRA drag racing and it still is that way. To add my name to the list who have win in Indy is pretty significant for me.”

Enders rode that momentum to her second straight world title in 2015 and she would like to see that scenario repeat itself in 2019 approaching the 12th of 18 races in the Pro Stock season. After a final round appearance in Brainerd, Enders appears to be peaking at the perfect time in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro.

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Brainerd, MN – Erica Enders could feel things starting to swing her way, and after a final-round appearance on Sunday, the two-time Pro Stock world champion may be peaking at the perfect time.

Enders wanted her first win of 2019 at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, but she ended up with her second runner-up of the year and left Brainerd with a significant confidence boost.

“I’ve got a good racecar underneath me and the guys on the team have gained some confidence,” Enders said. “Hearing the confidence in their voice gives me confidence and it allows us to have a little bit of our old swagger back. We had the same motor all weekend in my car and hopefully we’re onto something. We just lost a really awesome drag race in the final round.”

That came to No. 1 qualifier Jason Line, when his 6.597 in the final round beat Enders’ 6.604 at 207.59 by a mere 20 inches in a thrilling duel.

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Brainerd, MN – Erica Enders has been around Pro Stock long enough to know that things go in cycles. Heading to Brainerd this weekend for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Enders is plenty ready for that cycle to swing in her favor.

It hasn’t yet this season, as Enders is still seeking her first win of the 2019 NHRA Pro Stock season, but the veteran isn’t lacking confidence, in part because of how her team continues to work.

“We prepare the best we can and if we continue to work hard, I feel good that it’s going to work out,” Enders said. “I think our time will come and we’ve got the tenacity to work through it. We’re not running poorly, we just need a little luck. There’s definitely a little pressure with just two races before the Countdown, but I’m confident we’ll be ready this weekend.”

Enders finished the Western Swing in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro with a quarterfinal showing in Seattle, and she’ll look to take a big leap at Brainerd International Raceway.

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KENT, WA – With a pair of strong qualifying runs last Saturday, Erica Enders felt confident she had a car capable of winning in Sonoma. While that didn’t happen, that belief has continued to the final race of the NHRA Western Swing.

The two-time Pro Stock world champion will head to Seattle for this weekend’s NHRA Northwest Nationals eager to pick up her first victory of the 2019 season. After what she saw in Sonoma, she’s hopeful she can end the Western Swing on a positive note in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

“My car was consistent and it was consistently fast (in Sonoma),” Enders said. “We were low (E.T.) in the third qualifying session and the third-quickest in the fourth session. That gives you some confidence and I was driving well. We totally could have won that race. But the good news is we have a good, fast and consistent car. I feel good with the handle we have on it, and it definitely gives us some confidence heading to Seattle. We’ll be ready.”

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SONOMA, CA – Before Erica Enders takes to the track at Sonoma Raceway for this weekend’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals, the two-time Pro Stock world champion has an important task she hopes gets the entire Elite Motorsports team on track.

“I requested to have a team meeting and hopefully it’s going to be a momentum-building and morale-boosting type of meeting,” Enders said. “It’s just going to be about getting back to where we started and get back to what we know.

“What we do comes with a lot of pressure and stress, so this meeting can help us get in the cracks of what’s going on. It gives us a chance to hit the reset button and get our swagger back.”

Enders booked a conference room at the hotel the team is staying at for the Thursday meeting, which she hopes proves to be a pivotal point in the team’s 2019 NHRA season.

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