Enders-Stevens Inks Husky Liners For NHRA Countdown Run

NHRA Pro Stock standout Erica Enders-Stevens will get the chance to race for a Mello Yello Series championship in 2013 thanks to a new major sponsorship agreement with Husky Liners that will allow the five-time professional race winner to rejoin the tour for the final six races that make up the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. Enders-Stevens solidified her spot in the 10-driver Countdown lineup at Brainerd despite missing a number of races due to a lack of sponsorship and was prepared to miss the title run and watch from the sidelines before a last-minute deal was struck between team owner Victor Cagnazzi and Husky Liners founder Bob Tyler.

“This is very exciting for us,” Tyler said. “There’s not a lot of things you can do that can make an instant impact on your sales, but we know that vehicle sales are on the upswing and this is the time of year that historically we do pretty well. To have Erica and Cagnazzi Racing promoting our line of Made In America products now is just an unbelievable opportunity for us.”

Cagnazzi met Tyler at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis when the COPO Camaros they own met in the semifinals of the Factory Stock Showdown. There, Cagnazzi driver Dave Connolly defeated Todd Patterson, who was driving the Husky Liners-backed Camaro owned by Tyler.

“We got to talking about Erica and I told Victor I felt she’s someone that should be out there,” Tyler said. “She’s so good for the sport. Of course, we’re always interested in getting more exposure for Husky Liners, so after a few texts back and forth we struck this deal. I think it’s going to be great. I can’t wait to see how it goes.”

Enders-Stevens missed six of the 18 regular season events, beating out some strong full-time contenders thanks to her fifth series victory in Phoenix earlier this year, along with runner-up finishes at Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Bristol.

“I can’t believe how fortunate we are that Mr. Tyler and his company have signed on to support us,” Enders-Stevens said. “It’s pretty crazy because I’m a Texas girl and in high school I had a 4×4 pickup truck that had floor mats and mud flaps from Husky Liners. Their stuff is awesome. I know from first-hand experience.
 
“The guys are super pumped. This has given us new life, for sure. I think everyone in the class knows what we’re capable of doing and at the same time we know what it takes to compete at this level. We all kind of feel like we need to make a statement, and winning some races and contending for the championship would say a lot about us. We went to the final in Charlotte last time through, and that’s the home track for Victor Cagnazzi Racing, so we hope to get off to a fast start. We’ll be ready.
 
“I encourage everyone that supports drag racing and my team to go to HuskyLiners.com and check out their products. And when they order something, tell them thanks for the support. Sponsors are so hard to get, and I want to make sure these guys get their money’s worth from us.”