After not being able to coax all she wanted from her Pro Stock mount at the past two races and a test session at St. Louis, Erica Enders-Stevens said, "It's very refreshing to see Old Red is back to herself."
 
"Old Red" – officially the Engines Inc. Chevy Camaro – picked the perfect time to perk up and strut her stuff.

After not being able to coax all she wanted from her Pro Stock mount at the past two races and a test session at St. Louis, Erica Enders-Stevens said, "It's very refreshing to see Old Red is back to herself."
 
"Old Red" – officially the Engines Inc. Chevy Camaro – picked the perfect time to perk up and strut her stuff.

As the six-race Countdown to the Championship kicks off at Concord, N.C.'s zMAX Dragway with the Pep Boys NHRA Carolinas Nationals, "Old Red" has Enders-Stevens' chances in the pink.

Quickest in all four qualifying sessions, Enders-Stevens improved her elapsed time and speed early Saturday with a 6.568-second, 210.37-mph quarter-mile run to hang onto her No. 1 qualifying position, her third of the season and ninth overall.

Her feat and Alexis DeJoria's top-qualifying effort in Funny Car mark the fourth time this season and seventh time in all that two female drivers have earned No. 1 positions at the same race. DeJoria and Enders-Stevens, both among the favorites to win series crowns in their respective classes, also shared the qualifying spotlight in May at Atlanta.

"The car is acting right again, and we seem to have our ducks a little bit more in a row than we have had at Indy and Brainerd, leading up to this event. It could not have come at a better time," Enders-Stevens said.

She credited her entire team for the turnaround: "Hat's off to my team, my crew chiefs, and all the guys who work their tails off to give me a great, consistent race car. That track was pretty tricky this afternoon. They nailed the tune-up."

Enders-Stevens, who led the standings virtually all season long but yielded to Jason Line two races ago after sitting out of the Sonoma and Seattle weekends, is ranked No. 2. She entered this event 30 points off Line's pace as the NHRA reset the points for the Countdown two weeks ago. But she earned 12 qualifying bonus points – ones she and her team are calling "baby points" – more here at zMAX Dragway than any other racer in any Mello Yello Drag Racing Series class.

"We picked up 10 on [Line], which is so, so crucial with only 24 rounds of racing left," she said. "These baby points . . . they all add up."   

Enders-Stevens is the class' only driver this season to win from the No. 1 qualifying spot. In Sunday's opening round of eliminations, she'll take on No. 16 John Gaydosh Jr.

Vincent Nobile, who gained four places Saturday, was No. 2 in the lineup at 6.587 seconds. He'll take on No. 15 Larry Morgan. No. 3 Dave Connolly will race No. 14 Shane Tucker. And it will be No. 4 Jonathan Gray versus No. 13 Rodger Brogdon, No. 5 Allen Johnson vs. V Gaines, and points leader Jason Line (No. 6) vs. Chris McGaha (No. 11).

Jeg Coughlin, who won this race last season on the way to his fifth series title, qualified seventh and will meet No. 10 Greg Anderson. The other pairing will be a clash between No. 8 Shane Gray, the Indianapolis winner, and No. 9 Richie Stevens, Erica Enders-Stevens' husband.

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