By Mike Haag, Raceday San Antonio
BAYTOWN, Texas – Houston Raceway Park has always been a special place for NHRA Pro Stock driver Erica Enders.
The four-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion, who started her career at Houston Raceway Park, will try to close out the final NHRA SpringNationals event this weekend with a win at her hometown track.
Win or lose this Sunday, Enders’ last run down the track during the elimination rounds will definitely be an emotional one for the 37-year old Houston native.
“It’s a little bit sad in a way because if I ever had kids, I won’t be able to take them back and show them where I got my start in professional drag racing,” Erica Enders said. “I mean I had my first runs ever when I was eight years old in a Junior Dragster down that racetrack.”
Enders and her sister Courtney Enders raced Junior Dragsters at Houston Raceway Park for several years. In 2003 Disney even released the movie, Right on Track, which is based on their success in drag racing.
“I’ve been going there for 31 years and before that my sister and I were going out there to watch my dad (Gregg Enders) race. He raced sportsman for a lot of years and it just holds a lot of really fond memories there.”
Enders won her first national event here in 2004 when she triumphed in Super Gas.
“I was able to race my college roommate at the time in the finals,” Enders said. “It was definitely a lot of fun.”
Ten years later in 2014 she won her first career NHRA Pro Stock race by defeating Allen Johnson. Then in 2015 she won again at Houston Raceway Park when she beat Odessa’s Chris McGaha to the finish line.
“In 2014 that was the first race that my dad was at Pro Stock wise to see me win,” Enders said. “Just a lot of really special memories. Sad it’s going away but we’re going to try to make the best of it and go out with a bang.”
Enders, who is the most recent winner on the circuit after winning in Las Vegas earlier this month, is second in points and trails class leader Aaron Stanfield by three points in the standings. She will be aiming for her third Pro Stock win in Houston and a victory here Sunday would be her third of the season after winning the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. It would also be her 36th career win.
“Hometown races are always a giant cluster with people and family and friends,” Enders said. “But you just try to focus a lot harder when you’re in those environments. I’m looking forward to going home and see if we can grab us another one.”
