ERICA ENDERS
by the teammate tandem of Greg
Anderson and Jason Line.
That will test the resolve of even
the steeliest of drivers, but Enders
remains unfazed and focused only
the road ahead. It’s an attitude and
demeanor shaped by her father and
further developed by team owner
Richard Freeman, who Enders’
jokes has a “give-a-crap level that
is pretty low.”
“He’s taught me how to handle a
lot of that stuff and that’s been extremely helpful because I think the
Internet gives people a platform to
spew hate and voice their opinions
with absolutely no consequence,”
Enders says. “We’re real people
and we’re working hard to get better. Instead of tearing somebody
down, maybe either say something
positive or don’t say anything at
all. Richard certainly helps with
that aspect and I’m thankful for it
because I’ve become a much stronger person and a better driver because of it.”
The team remains equal parts
mystified, frustrated and agitated that things haven’t clicked to
this point, but Enders is quick to
point out that the group has taken every means necessary to get
things on track.
It is a point exemplified perfectly
following a disappointing first-round loss in Sonoma where Enders’ Dodge
Dart had an engine issue and she was forced to shut off before reaching the
starting line. It was the latest blow in a year where not much has gone right,
leading Freeman, Mark Ingersoll and Nick Ferri to take drastic measures.
“After Sonoma, we brought back everything we had in a body bag,” Enders
admits. “Our guys, Richard included, got in a rental van and drove the
motors home. That’s a pretty stout list of names there and they all got in
a mini-van and drove all night. They switched drivers – 28 hours total
drive time – to get back to Oklahoma to just take the engines apart, see
what failed and rebuild them. We just all do whatever it takes to get where
we need to go.”
At some point, Enders and the rest of a talented team hope to see those
endless hours translate into something positive.
Regardless, though, it won’t change the way Enders feels about her
team. Hand-picked as the last
part of the puzzle before the 2014
NHRA season, Enders has meshed
flawlessly with a group loaded with
impressive accomplishments. Fivetime world champion Jeg Coughlin
joined the group in a full-time role
this year, and has had his own share
of struggles through much of 2016,
but Enders has praised this group
at every turn. None of it has ever
seemed forced, though, and it’s
that camaraderie that hasn’t made
Enders question a thing this year,
even in the midst of a multitude
of challenges.
“I knew (the team) was different
the moment I stepped foot on the
pit mat of the test session before
Pomona,” Enders says. “We have
a great group of guys and a lot of
natural team chemistry and we’re
able to overcome a lot of stuff together. To see what the guys have
done in the past and their racing
history, it’s absolutely mind-boggling there’s no ego. They’re pretty
sharp and successful, and I’m lucky
to be teamed up with them. You
can’t buy what we have, that natural team chemistry. It’s just a really
unique atmosphere and the biggest thing is we have respect for
one another. We trust each other.
I know exactly where they stand at
all times. It’s something I’m really,
really proud of.”
Enders maintains she has stayed positive through a trying year, though
not much can top the fun and enjoyment of standing in the winner’s circle
race after race. The year has proven to be every bit the challenge – and
then some – that Enders expected, but she believes there is a storybook
ending still left in this chapter. After what Enders has already done with
this team in only two years, it may be hard to deny that.
“I don’t think any of us assumed we would still be struggling this late
in the season but what I have learned about us is regardless of the lack
of trophy collection this year, it’s still an extremely positive environment,”
Enders concludes. “I say it to make people laugh but I mean it from the
bottom of my heart: I’d rather go to the bottom with these guys than the
top with anybody else. It’s just part of the deal right now, and I feel like
it’s these challenging times and the adversity that we’re facing, it proves
what champions are made of.”
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30 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 112
PHOTO: NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER
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