NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Only one driver in Pro Stock history has ever won at Texas Motorplex three years in a row. Defending world champion Erica Enders has the chance to match legendary driver Warren Johnson with a victory at this weekend’s 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, which would also enhance her championship prospects in the process.
 
Enders, who is third in points, has won the Texas NHRA FallNationals in back-to-back years, with each win helping carry her to two straight championships. Last year’s victory made her the winningest female in motorsports and remains a special win for Enders, but another victory couldn’t come at a better time for the six-time world champion.
 
She remains on the hunt for her 50th career national event win and is looking for her first victory since the season-opener in Gainesville in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car. Enders is also racing for her crew chief, Mark Ingersoll, who is recovering after a double lung transplant last week.
 
That puts a lot on Enders’ mind heading into the key race in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, but a victory at her home track would be welcomed for a variety of reasons.
 
“I am just focused on the task at hand,” Enders said. “We’ve got to go out there and we need to win here, honestly. Vegas is a really great track to me as well, so hopefully these next two races we'll do some good and maybe get that 50th off our back. But, you know, mindset coming in here is, it's kind of a lot of things. There’s a lot going on, there's a lot on the table, and there's a lot on our hearts. So, we just have to put our heads down and focus.
 
“A win puts us right back in the mix. The first three races of the Countdown, it's been the (same) four drivers (points leader Dallas Glenn, Aaron Stanfield, Greg Anderson and Enders) every semifinal. That kind of makes it hard take a step in front of somebody. We've won here the last two years in a row, so that would be pretty awesome to get three in a row and to do it for Mark.”

Last season, Leah Pruett (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all collected NHRA wins in Dallas and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage airing at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday Oct. 13. It is the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship and the 18th of 20 races during the 2024 season.

A Texas-sized playoff showdown starts with “Friday Night Live,” which offers more than $40,000 in bonus money to the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The low qualifier under the lights on Friday night will net Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the quickest qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
 
That kickoff to the weekend is one of the many reasons Enders loves racing at Texas Motorplex. But the intensity will be at a fever pitch as she looks to make a move in the standings. After back-to-back wins, Glenn is back in the points lead, holding a 31-point advantage over Enders’ Elite Motorsports teammate, Stanfield. Enders is 90 points back and Anderson trails by 116 points, and Enders knows she has work to do. But she’s looking forward to the challenge at a facility she has always cherished.
 
“I love it and it's no secret that I'm extremely fond of Texas and I'm a proud Texan,” Enders said. “What the Meyer family does for our sport is pretty awesome. I love coming in here and feeling so welcome and blessed, and it's that typical Texas hospitality. This race is different than any other. Friday night, it’s super fun for the “Battle of the Saddle,” and then obviously winning the race and getting the cowboy hat and the Corral Boots is always pretty epic, too, so I love it here.”

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 11, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 13. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday and as well as action from eliminations at 4 p.m.

To purchase tickets to the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, call 800-668-6775 or visit tickets.texasmotorplex.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admissions areas with a paid adult.