BY NATE VAN WAGNEN

Enders and her Elite Motorsports boys started answering right out of the gate when she won the inaugural SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout presented by JHG at Bradenton Motorsports Park in February . A month later , she dominated the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway by qualifying No . 1 and racing past Elite teammates Kelley Murphy and Aaron Stanfield and rival Greg Anderson to reach the final round . There , she used a 6.494-second pass to defeat another teammate , Cristian Cuadra , to win the Gatornationals for the first time . Enders collected the Wally and a special Golden Gators 55th anniversary trophy .

“ We ’ ve been chomping at the bit to get this done ,” Enders said of her long-awaited first Gators victory . “ I ’ ve been to three final rounds here and we finally got it done . It ’ s pretty cool to win this one . There ’ s certain tracks that have special ( trophies ) and to get the Golden Gator and the 55th win , it ’ s awesome . It will sit proudly on our shelf . Seeing a packed house at the Gators , it ’ s so special . Being able to check off these boxes and get a win like this , it ’ s really special and we ’ re just going to keep working .”

Enders has kept the success rolling as the

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season has progressed . As of this publication , she ’ s earned more No . 1 qualifier awards than she ever has to this point in the season with three in eight races . The Texan has also claimed Mission Foods # 2Fast2Tasty Challenge wins at Phoenix , Charlotte 1 , and Bristol , worth three championship bonus points apiece .

“ It ’ s always fun to have a race within a race , going back to the K & N Horsepower Challenge , before that , the Holley Dominator Duel , and now this Mission Foods # 2Fast2Tasty Challenge ,” Enders said . “ It is definitely a fun specialty race . It ’ s really neat that you have to earn your way into each week by at least advancing to the semifinals . It adds some extra fun and a little extra pressure on Saturday . It makes you stay on your toes for race day .”

The No . 1 qualifiers and Mission # 2Fast2Tasty Challenge wins speak to both Elite ’ s mechanical abilities and Enders ’ driving prowess , and they come with small bonus points that add up at the end of the year . Still , Enders and company realize those big wins on Sunday afternoon are what will net them a seventh world title .

“ The guys have been working hard , studying up ,” Enders said . “ Our brain trust , as I like to call our crew chiefs , made some changes and we saw the positive results in Epping with TJ [ Troy Coughlin Jr .] and I qualifying No . 1 and 2 and racing against each other in the finals . We almost had an all-Elite semifinal . We ’ re in a good spot , but I think we ’ re due for a visit to the winners circle .” DI

PHOTOGRAPH BY NHRA Gainesville Raceway | Gainesville , Florida | Sunday , March 12 TH , 2024

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