NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Of all Erica Enders’ incredible accomplishments throughout a sterling Pro Stock career, there is one thing that has eluded the six-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series champion and that’s a win at historic Gainesville Raceway.

Enders will have an opportunity to grab that victory at this weekend’s 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, and she is determined to knock that item off her bucket list. Gainesville Raceway is the only track on the current NHRA tour where Enders has not won, and she’s determined to change that this year.

Last year, Enders’ car wouldn’t start before the first round of eliminations, the latest in a string of unfortunate and downright unlucky occurrences in Gainesville.

“This is the one that has evaded us for 20 years,” Enders said. “We had a car good enough to win last year, and then it wouldn’t fire for the first round. We’ve not had the greatest luck here, but we’re looking to change that. What happens in the past doesn’t dictate the future.

“We know we have a fast car, and we’re ready to change things here. That [Golden Gator] trophy looks pretty cool, and this is the last track we need to get a Wally. I promise this one is high on our to-do list.”
 
Last year’s struggles in Gainesville represented an uncharacteristic slow start for Enders and her Elite Motorsports team last year, but it simply made for a memorable turnaround to close the year.
 
That led Enders to her sixth world championship – tying her with Warren Johnson for the second-most in NHRA Pro Stock history – while a late-season win in Dallas made her the winningest female in all of motorsports.
 
Enders added another victory in Las Vegas and heads into 2024 with 47 Pro Stock wins and 48 overall national event victories. That adds another milestone on the horizon for Enders, but it won’t be easy in a loaded Pro Stock category that includes Greg Anderson, Matt Hartford, Aaron Stanfield, defending event winner Coughlin, and Dallas Glenn, all of whom won events in 2023.
 
Enders would love a quick start this year, but the veteran also learned valuable lessons while overcoming the early-season struggles to end the season with a championship.
 
“When I first started Pro Stock, I never got that many wins, and here we are. A 50th victory would be really cool, and it’s a milestone within reach if we continue to do our jobs,” Enders said. “What we were able to accomplish last year was really cool to me. The biggest personal lesson for me is to not get too wrapped up in it. I can only control what I can, and I want to go out there, have fun, and make every round count.”