Enders Makes Pro Stock History!

CHICAGO, IL – It isn’t often that Greg Anderson gets beat in the final round of eliminations.  But it has never been the case to say that a woman did it!  Erica Enders, only the sixth woman to compete in NHRA ProStock, has become the first female driver to win an NHRA ProStock event.  One-by-one, Enders took out Kurt Johnson, Vincent Nobile and V. Gaines to be matched up against ProStock points leader Greg Anderson in the final round.  Erica ran a 6.627 sec, 207.40mph run against Andersons more-than-respectable 6.641 sec, 208.36 mph run and made history.  “It’s awesome,” said Enders, who becomes the 12th female to win an NHRA Pro category race.  “I think that if I could have planned it, I would have asked to run Greg in the final. You know that he made it very clear that he didn’t want to lose to me. He’s a very competitive guy, and I love him to death, but I couldn’t wait to beat him.  I’m glad [the win] came here in Chicago.  I had my first final in Pro Stock here in 2005, and so it was nice to circle back around and get it done here.  Pro Stock is tough.  It will humble you in an instant…  I can’t say enough about my guys [crew].  They’re amazing, and I love them.”  That also was not Erica’s only special moment of the weekend as her boyfriend and drag racer, Richie Stevens, proposed marriage to Erica.

In Top Fuel, Antron Brown took top honors with a final round victory over Steve Torrance.  It was an easy victory as Torrance fouled at the start.  Browns’s team was also celebrating as it was announced that team-owner Don Schumacher will be installed in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.  “What he [Don] has done for the sport, and our teams, is amazing” said Brown.

Jeff Arend achieved his first Funny Car win of the season defeating Courtney Force in the final round.  Jeff clicked off a 4.131 sec, 309.20 mph blast against Courtney’s 4.454 sec, 272.67 mph, easily winning the match.  This was a real team effort this weekend,” Arend said.  “I didn’t do the best job as a driver, at least not with my lights, but we were able to get it done.

We hope that you all had a great 4^th of July celebration.  Though it sometimes feels that the world is out-of-control, and that politics sometimes gets in the way of progress, we can rest assured that we live in the finest country “on God’s green earth.”  236 years ago, 57 brave men signed the Declaration of Independence with a solemn promise, “In support of this Declaration we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”  This constituted a treasonous act and as such, these men were wanted men, sought by the Commander of the armed forces of the most powerful nation in the world.  What could possibly cause these men of wealth and stature to put everything on the line?  Just one simple word, Truth.  The Declaration begins with the words “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them …” It is a statement of absolute truth that we can find hope and solace.  These truths are not based on the whims of man, but on the solid foundation of the God of the universe.  We should also place all of our faith and trust on this Truth.