Enders Wins Fan Vote: K&N Horsepower Challenge Field Set

Voting has closed and the fans have spoken, as Erica Enders earned the eighth and final position in the 27th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge, which will be held on Saturday in conjunction with this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk.

The annual special event pits the seven Pro Stock drivers who accumulate the most points during qualifying throughout the last year, along with a racer determined by a fan vote, in a three-round affair that awards a lucrative $50,000 to the winner. But it isn’t just the racers with a chance to win big, as eight lucky fans who have been selected in an online drawing via the K&N Filters website will be in attendance in Norwalk and paired with one of the eight participants, with the fan matched to the K&N Horsepower Challenge champion driving away in a brand new 2011 Ford Explorer.

“On behalf of everyone at K&N, I would like to congratulate Erica Enders and the entire Cagnazzi Racing team on winning this year’s fan vote for the K&N Horsepower Challenge,” said Steve Williams, vice president for K&N. “Their performance this year, starting with their capturing the pole in Pomona, shows that they deserve to be in the field, and it’s great that Erica’s fans rallied behind her. We have an interesting mix of drivers in this year’s race, and I believe it is shaping up to be one of the best.”

Jason Line was able to hold onto the number one seed in the field with his qualifying effort in Bristol, which was the final opportunity for drivers to secure their spot in the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge. Enders, making her second start in the bonus event, will meet Line in the opening round. No. 2 seed Allen Johnson will meet first time participant Shane Gray, Mike Edwards will face Rodger Brogdon, and three-time and reigning Horsepower Challenge champion Greg Anderson will square off with Ron Krisher.