One year removed from a quarterfinal finish at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, six-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders arrived in Bradenton for the 2025-26 Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J & A Service with both a new car and new combination.

Last year, Enders piloted Scott Tidwell’ s Pro- Charger-powered’ 69 Camaro, ultimately falling in the round of eight against event winner Steve King. This year, for the first time in her career, Enders was behind the wheel of a screw-blown Camaro with Elite Motorsports. While the results weren’ t what her team hoped for, Enders was still excited about the experience while figuring out the new car.

“ I have a blast at these races,” Enders says.“ It’ s an honor to be invited to them, first of all, but to be able to compete has been a lot of fun for me. Last year, I got to drive Scott Tidwell’ s ProCharger car, and this year we built our own screw-blower car. It’ s a new program. We didn’ t have the results that we wanted, but it’ s still a super awesome event that I was glad to be a part of, and we’ ll continue to support Wes [ Buck ] and whatever he does for however long he does it.”

At the WSOPM, Enders just missed out on the field by. 001, qualifying No. 34 with a 3.603 at 208.10 mph. From there, she entered the Outlaw Beer Wild Card Shootout for non-qualifiers, where she fell to Luis de Leon in the second round.

Her best showing of the Winter Series came at the U. S. Street Nationals presented by M & M Transmission, where she qualified for the quickest field in Pro Mod history with a 3.595 at 209.46 mph. In the first round of eliminations, she lost to Mike Decker III in heartbreaking fashion, once again by a miniscule. 001. Enders had the advantage on the tree –. 030 to Decker’ s. 046 – but Decker’ s 3.582 at 209.72 was just enough to slip by Enders, who ran a 3.599 at 207.27.

According to multiple drag racing historians,

Enders also made history at the Winter Series, becoming the only known driver to have wheeled a Pro Mod with all four major power adders – screw blower, centrifugal supercharger, nitrous, and twin turbos. It’ s an accomplishment not even Enders realized she’ d achieved.

“ I think that’ s pretty cool,” Enders says.“ When I drove Keith Haney’ s nitrous car back when I didn’ t have a Pro Stock sponsor, that was my first dabble in Pro Mod. Then I got my feet really wet in the twin turbo car and had a lot of success in the centrifugal car. I’ m hoping to have some success in our new car this year, but it’ s been cool to drive. I’ ve always prided myself on being able to get in anything and wheel it. Either way, it’ s a cool stat to have driven every different power adder.” – CRAIG COOK DI DI DI

DI DI DI DI DI DI DI

May / June 2026 DragIllustrated. com | Drag Illustrated | 117