Erica Enders
By: NHRA
ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 11, 2024) – Only one driver in Pro Stock history has ever won at Texas Motorplex three years in a row. Defending world champion Erica Enders has the chance to match legendary driver Warren Johnson with a victory at this weekend’s 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, which would also enhance her championship prospects in the process.
Enders, who is third in points, has won the Texas NHRA FallNationals in back-to-back years, with each win helping carry her to two straight championships. Last year’s victory made her the winningest female in motorsports and remains a special win for Enders, but another victory couldn’t come at a better time for the six-time world champion.
She remains on the hunt for her 50th career national event win and is looking for her first victory since the season-opener in Gainesville in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car. Enders is also racing for her crew chief, Mark Ingersoll, who is recovering after a double lung transplant last week.
That puts a lot on Enders’ mind heading into the key race in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, but a victory at her home track would be welcomed for a variety of reasons.
“I am just focused on the task at hand,” Enders said. “We’ve got to go out there and we need to win here, honestly. Vegas is a really great track to me as well, so hopefully these next two races we’ll do some good and maybe get that 50th off our back. But, you know, mindset coming in here is, it’s kind of a lot of things. There’s a lot going on, there’s a lot on the table, and there’s a lot on our hearts. So, we just have to put our heads down and focus.
“A win puts us right back in the mix. The first three races of the Countdown, it’s been the (same) four drivers (points leader Dallas Glenn, Aaron Stanfield, Greg Anderson and Enders) every semifinal. That kind of makes it hard take a step in front of somebody. We’ve won here the last two years in a row, so that would be pretty awesome to get three in a row and to do it for Mark.”
Last season, Leah Pruett (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all collected NHRA wins in Dallas and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage airing at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday Oct. 13. It is the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship and the 18th of 20 races during the 2024 season.
A Texas-sized playoff showdown starts with “Friday Night Live,” which offers more than $40,000 in bonus money to the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The low qualifier under the lights on Friday night will net Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the quickest qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
That kickoff to the weekend is one of the many reasons Enders loves racing at Texas Motorplex. But the intensity will be at a fever pitch as she looks to make a move in the standings. After back-to-back wins, Glenn is back in the points lead, holding a 31-point advantage over Enders’ Elite Motorsports teammate, Stanfield. Enders is 90 points back and Anderson trails by 116 points, and Enders knows she has work to do. But she’s looking forward to the challenge at a facility she has always cherished.
“I love it and it’s no secret that I’m extremely fond of Texas and I’m a proud Texan,” Enders said. “What the Meyer family does for our sport is pretty awesome. I love coming in here and feeling so welcome and blessed, and it’s that typical Texas hospitality. This race is different than any other. Friday night, it’s super fun for the “Battle of the Saddle,” and then obviously winning the race and getting the cowboy hat and the Corral Boots is always pretty epic, too, so I love it here.”
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Richard Gadson remains in hot contention after a strong start to his first experience in the Countdown to the Championship. A candidate for the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year, Gadson advanced to a pair of final rounds to open the playoffs before being tripped up in the second round in St. Louis.
Still, the first-year rider in still in the thick of the championship mix on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, entering this weekend’s race in Dallas third in points and 65 points behind teammate and reigning world champion Herrera. Gadson will look to make a move in Dallas, while also contending with the likes of Matt Smith, who is 34 points back of Herrera, 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant, Angie Smith, Reading winner Hector Arana Jr., Angie Smith and Jianna Evaristo.
Top Fuel’s Pruett stepped out of her dragster at the start of the season and headed driving duties over to her husband and motorsports legend Tony Stewart. Stewart has a runner-up finish to his credit this season and will be looking for his first career Top Fuel win. He’ll be up against points leader and three-time champion Antron Brown, standout Justin Ashley, former champ Shawn Langdon and reigning champion Doug Kalitta.
Hagan is the reigning Funny Car champion, and his 2023 Texas NHRA FallNationals was a major reason he grabbed his fourth title. If he wants to go back-to-back in Dallas, he’ll need to get by Funny Car points leader and class newcomer Austin Prock, Bob Tasca III, J.R. Todd, Ron Capps and Jack Beckman, who is driving for John Force.
The Texas NHRA FallNationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers and begins racing on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The weekend will include the exciting new Holley EFI Factory X category and the Jr. Dragster Shootout, as well as a jet dragster exhibition after nitro qualifying on Friday.
Fans will also be treated to the JEG’s Allstar event, which pits sportsman racers from across the country against each other for the ultimate drag racing battle. After a successful first year at the famed Texas Motorplex in 2023, the unique specialty race is back as a major highlight of the 2024 Stampede of Speed as one of most highly-anticipated sportsman events of the year.
Fans will be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at Texas Motorplex can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the Texas NHRA FallNationals event winners.
As always, fans can get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food, and fun.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 11, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 13. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday and as well as action from eliminations at 4 p.m.
To purchase tickets to the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, call 800-668-6775 or visit texasmotorplex.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admissions areas with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.
