Success in Sonoma on the mind of reigning world champion Erica Enders

SONOMA, CA – Two against one may not be fair, but reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders’ season-long battle with rival teammates Greg Anderson and Jason Line hasn’t phased the popular professional from Texas. If anything, the two-pronged attack against her has only served to motivate the sport’s top female Pro Stock racer, who has been ranked first or second in the points for the last four months.

“With the exception of two races early in the year, either Greg, Jason, or I have been in the No. 1 spot and we’ve swapped it around nine times already in 14 races, so it’s been another super tough year in Pro Stock,” said Enders, who lives in New Orleans with her husband, fellow Pro Stock driver Richie Stevens. “It’s a huge challenge every week but that’s why we race. It’s stressful but fun at the same time.

“We knew coming into this year with the No. 1 on the side of our Elite Motorsports Chevrolet that we were going to be the hunted, and that’s proven to be true. Everyone takes their best shot against us, and we’ve had to raise our level to keep up the fight.”

Enders enters this weekend’s 28th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals just 37 points, or roughly the equivalent of two elimination rounds, behind Anderson. Line is a distant but always dangerous third, 176 points in arrears of Enders. To date, Enders has a 4-2 record in head-to-head matchups with Anderson and is 1-0 against Line.

Although Sonoma Raceway isn’t one of the places where Enders has hoisted a Wally trophy, she still ranks the track as one of her favorites and is excited to get back to wine country and regain the top ranking in her class.

“Sonoma is definitely in the top three on my favorite’s list,” Enders said. “I’m excited to be able to go back, especially with a really fast, consistent hot rod.

“It would be really awesome to get it done in Sonoma. It’s wine country and along with the Wally you get a giant bottle of wine from the track if you win. I’m fortunate to have a bunch of winos on my team, so we’d love that.

“My team owner, Richard Freeman, has never been there and has never raced there, so it’s new territory for him. A couple of my crew guys have never been out there, either, so it’ll be a fun, exciting weekend.

“We’ve definitely got a lot of confidence, even though we’re not coming off a win in Denver. We’ve got momentum and confidence heading into Sonoma, and that sits well with me.”

Pro Stock qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4:15 and 6:45 p.m., Friday, and 1:10 and 4:15 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations begin at noon Sunday. ESPN2 will carry both qualifying and elimination action.

Elite Motorsports Pro Stock champ Erica Enders enters this weekend’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals just 37 points out of the lead in the standings.