It’s no surprise that five-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders is making headlines five races into the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
What’s surprising is why she is making news.
After winning her fifth Pro Stock title in dominant fashion last year — adding 10 Wallys to her collection along the way — expectations were high for the 39-year-old to continue to lead the class.
However, the first five events of this year’s 21-race campaign has been a bit jarring for the defending champion, as she’s struggled to find her groove on the drag strip. She made a first-round exit during eliminations at the first two races, finished in the quarterfinals at the third and fourth events, then made another first-round exit at the recent Circle K Four-Wide Nationals.
Enders is 13th in the Pro Stock standings after five races.
To combat the tough losses, the Elite Motorsports team will take the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro for a test session at Oklahoma’s Tulsa Raceway Park this weekend to help move the car’s setup in the right direction.
Some of the changes the team plans to introduce during testing are based on Fernando Cuadra Jr.’s car, as he was the only Elite Motorsports driver to make an appearance in the final round of eliminations during the Four-Wide Nationals.
While the team rallies to smooth out the bumps in the road, Enders has been fighting to keep the faith.
“It’s been a bit of a lackluster start for us,” Enders said. “It’s no secret that we’ve really struggled with my car this year. But we’ve started off way worse and finished way better, so we’ve not given up hope.”
With 18 seasons of Pro Stock competition under her belt, Enders has been through the test of time. She knows what it feels like to walk away a winner, but she’s also familiar with the bitterness of defeat. It took seven years for Enders to score her first professional Wally, which she earned during the Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill., in 2012.
“A lot of people forget the challenges and the valleys you have to crawl out of on your hands and knees to be able to have a triumph like that,” Enders said. “It was seven years and seven final round appearances before we finally got it done.”
Almost ironically, as Enders aims to snap her winless streak, the next opportunity to do so will be when NHRA visits Route 66 Raceway on May 21 — 11 years after her first trip to the winner’s circle.
Enders will enter the sixth round of the season seeking a 45th career win and, hopefully, her first victory of the season.
“I have all the faith in the world that we’ll be just fine, roll around mid-summer. Got some work to do. I’m hopeful that this test in Tulsa goes the way we’re planning it to go,” Enders said. “Not a whole lot of positive answers, but I know that with this group, we can get there.”