JORDAN ENSSLIN

“ Sometimes our stuff ain’ t as fancy, but it gets us by,” Larry adds.

That home-built aspect makes it all the more rewarding for Larry and Jordan when they’ re able to have success while competing against teams that have more equipment, more crew members, bigger budgets, and more experience in the class.

“ It makes me feel good knowing that two rednecks from Poke County can compete with some of the guys that spend $ 7,500 a day for their tuners to be there and here we are duking it out with them and able to compete at this level with just our knowledge and what we’ ve learned throughout the years,” Jordan says.

The biggest breakthrough for the team came with their Thunder Valley Throwdown win during DragWars. It marked one year since they reached their first final round at Bristol in 2024. Plus, Jordan picked up his first career No. 1 qualifier award in the DragWars portion of the event and notched a runner-up finish to Drinkwater.

“ That was a major accomplishment,” Larry says of the Bristol win and their overall performance at GALOT.“ We’ ve been behind the eight-ball trying to fight little issues and one little change made all the difference in the world. It really felt good to win.”

For Jordan, it was proof that their small, lowbudget team does belong on the big stage that is

Mountain Motor Pro Stock. A proud grandson, he once again shared credit with Larry and the relationship they share as driver and crew chief.

“ Most of the stuff that he’ s taught me helps us excel as a team, but it also helps me as a driver because I can rely on my strengths that I was taught from a young age on how to drive and I apply them every time we go down the racetrack,” says Jordan, who thanked his team and supporters like

CJW, PJP, Thomas Towing, Boone Motorsports, and Allen Competition Engines.“ Then when we get back, most of the time I’ m hollering at him what I felt in the car because we have that much of a bond that he knows what I’ m saying and I know what he’ s saying. Now sometimes we don’ t always click, but most of the time we’ re saying the same thing with different words. I wouldn’ t change it for the world.” DI

30 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 197