ENDERS-STEVENS KEEPS ROLLING AT HOUSTON




Winning remains a constant for reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion Erica Enders-Stevens.

Enders-Stevens won her second national event in a row and for the second season in a row at her hometown track - Houston’s Royal Purple Raceway. She clocked a 6.571-second time at 211.73 mph to edge first-time finalist Chris McGaha, who came in at 6.598 seconds at 211.66 mph.

“The competition that we face every week is so fierce and to be on two weeks in a row is just an incredible accomplishment,” said Enders-Stevens, who pilots the Elite Motorsports Camaro for Richard Freeman.

This was Enders-Stevens' 14th career NHRA national event win, which is the third most by a female behind Angelle Sampey (41 wins) and Shirley Muldowney (18). Enders-Stevens has two wins this year – the other coming at Las Vegas. In Vegas, she also captured the $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge for the second consecutive year April 11.

The latest victory at Houston almost didn’t happen. If it wasn’t for a frantic 11-minute engine swap prior to her semifinal race against Jonathan Gray. Enders-Stevens beat Gray with a 6.570-second lap compared to his 6.574-second run.

“You have to believe with all your heart and I give the glory to God,” Enders-Stevens said. “This one goes to my guys, not just my team, but Drew Skillman’s Chevy Camaro team as well. Everybody on our team jumped on our race car to make that 11-minute motor change, and they are the reason why were able to make it to the semis, and then come here and get around Chris (McGaha). Hat’s off to Chris. He has done a tremendous job and he’s going to get his win one of these days. I’m so excited. This probably like one of the most emotional wins for me because of what my guys accomplished. When the adversity is there, they rise to the top and that’s why they are the world champions.”

Enders-Stevens' victory also included wins over Allen Johnson and Vincent Nobile in the first and second round, but she still couldn’t stop praising her Elite Motorsports team for its effort in the pits before the semis.

“We did our normal in between round routine, service the car and made a transmission change,” Enders-Stevens said. “After we change the transmission we always go through the gears and make sure everything is OK. As I finished high gear, I whacked the throttle like I always do and it went back to idle and I heard it break. Then it started missing so I shut it off as quickly as possible. My guys pulled the valve covers and determined what it was and it wasn’t something we could fix so we had to pull the motor out and at that point we were supposed to be in the water box in 15 minutes. It would have been easy for them to say we are not going to make it because an engine change in a Pro Stock car is easily a 30 to 35-minute job. We pulled together, not just my team but the entire Drew Skillman team and we pulled guys from (Rodger) Brogdon’s pit. That’s what it is all about, there was not one guy sitting still in that pit area. I just want to give them all the credit because people have no idea how hard that is.”

Enders-Stevens will attempt to win three Pro Stock national events in a row for the first time in her career at Atlanta May 15-17.

 

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