Chevy Racer Erica Enders Takes Second Straight Pro Stock World Title

Erica Enders drove to her Chevrolet Camaro SS to a second consecutive Pro Stock world championship in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing, and Robert Hight earned his second event victory of the season as part of Team Chevy on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Enders, in Elite Motorsports’ Racing in Red Chevrolet Camaro SS, successfully defended her Pro Stock title in style with her fourth consecutive Mello Yello Series event victory at Las Vegas. She swept both NHRA events at the track for the second straight year by topping Bo Butner in an all-Camaro SS final at Sunday’s NHRA Toyota Nationals. Enders was perfect off the starting line – a 0.000 reaction time – en route to a 6.595/208.97 mph pass.Enders wrapped up the title with a second-round victory over Shane Gray, just moments after Greg Anderson – second in points – lost to Vincent Nobile in another Elite Motorsports Camaro SS. She became only the second female to win consecutive NHRA championships in Mello Yello Drag Racing Series history.

“We congratulate Erica Enders on successfully defending her NHRA Pro Stock Championship in her Camaro SS,” said Mark Kent, Director, Chevrolet Racing. “The very competitive Pro Stock field, consisting mainly of other strong Chevrolet Camaro SS competitors, made repeating as champion a remarkable achievement.  Erica’s performance, as well as that of Elite Motorsports, has been textbook week in and week out. That is evidenced by her nine event wins, a record for female drivers in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.”

Sunday marked the 22^nd victory for a Chevrolet Camaro SS and the 19^th time that two of them faced off in the Pro Stock finals.

In Funny Car, Hight drove his John Force Racing Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS to a victory over No. 1 qualifier Tommy Johnson Jr. Hight won for the fifth time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after finishing runner-up to team owner John Force in the spring event.Hight ran a 3.955/323.97 mph in the final for the second-quickest Funny Car pass of the day. He moved from eighth to sixth in points with the victory.

Before defeating Gray, No. 1 qualifier Enders beat Deric Kramer in the first round. For the second race in a row, she beat Elite Motorsports teammate Drew Skillman in the semifinal round on a red-light. Enders now has 22 consecutive round victories at Las Vegas and extended her record mark of single-season event wins by a female driver to nine.

She was the event’s No. 1 qualifier and set track Pro Stock records for low ET and top speed.

“It’s just an incredible day,” Enders said. “Vegas has always been really good to me, and it’s nice to keep our streak going with now 22 consecutive round wins. It’s mind-boggling. We came into the weekend and everyone was talking about the championship – what we have to do, crunching points and all that. My crew chiefs and I decided we weren’t going to talk about that and just take things one round at a time. Our goal was to make it 22. It’s an incredible thing to accomplish. The streak we have here is incredible. I’m excited to be part of a such a great group like Elite Motorsports.”

Butner, in KB Racing’s Butner Auto Sales Chevy Camaro SS, made the finals for the first time in his Pro Stock rookie season. He ran a 6.610/209.33 mph pass against Enders. The No. 3 Pro Stock qualifier, Butner’s road to the final included victories over V. Gaines, Chris McGaha in the Harlow Sammons of Odessa Chevrolet Camaro SS, and Vincent Nobile’s Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Hight won earlier this year at Brainerd (Minn.) and advanced to a Funny Car final round for the first time since the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in September. He was the No. 3 qualifier after Saturday’s time trials. He beat Gary Densham in the opening round and Funny Car championship leader Del Worsham in the second round. He topped Chad Head in the semifinal to get another shot at a Las Vegas victory.

“This has been a good weekend. We made a lot of good runs,” Hight said. “When you say it’s our second win of the season, it’s kind of depressing. We expect better than that. We’ve been working hard all year, and it’s starting to come together. We love coming to Vegas. Seeing these stands the way they were Saturday, it’s amazing. That makes me really proud. Drag racing is really doing what it’s supposed to be doing. NHRA is doing a lot with new packages and other things. It’s only going to get better in the future.”

Courtney Force advanced to the second round in her Traxxas Radio Control Cars Chevrolet Camaro SS. The No. 2 qualifier, Force beat Paul Lee in the opening round with the low ET and fastest time of eliminations before falling to Head. John Force, the No. 8 qualifier in the EiKO/Peak Antifreeze Chevrolet Camaro, lost to Alexis DeJoria in the opening round.

In Top Fuel, Brittany Force entered fourth in championship points and was the No. 8 qualifier after Saturday in her Monster Energy Drink/Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster. She was quicker off the line in the first round against Dave Connolly but didn’t take the victory.