Drag Illustrated Issue 152, January 2020 | Page 62

the repercussions.
She had a team that had her back, evidenced by
her relationship with crew chiefs Jones and Mark
Ingersoll. Their relationship has been imperative,
and Enders has continually said when her crew
chiefs are confident it has a profound effect on
her. That was never more noticeable than her
outstanding run through the Countdown to the
Championship this year.
“We worked really hard on getting our race
car right and worked on them for a long time.
When my crew chiefs got the car right, that’s
when their confidence changed because that’s
where they excel,” Enders says. “When our motor
stuff and race car stuff worked perfectly together,
it was kind of like the perfect storm at the end
of the year.
“When they speak with confidence, of course
it makes me feel confident, too, because we’re
fixing to make a good run and then the ball is in
my court, and that’s what I like.”
Enders thrived in those situations throughout
the playoffs, but it was far from the perfect season.
She didn’t reach her first final round until
the sixth race of the season as the team battled
through a number of issues. Enders preached
patience, waiting for the pendulum to swing,
and when it did, she was carrying the hammer.
She reached back-to-back final rounds in
Brainerd and Indy, and though the latter was a
crushing loss in the U.S. Nationals when the car
had a parts failure at the worst possible time, it
only served to motivate Enders.
Jones, Ingersoll, Freeman and Enders could all
see something special building heading into the
Countdown to the Championship, and Enders
knew it was time to deliver. “When they got back
to that point of being confident, I got back to
that point, and it was a really good combination,”
Enders says.
Starting the Countdown to the Championship
in fifth, Enders peaked at the perfect time, qual-
ifying No. 1 at the first three races of the playoffs,
and winning in St. Louis. It was her first win of
the year, vaulting her to second in points.
She took over the points lead a race later in
Charlotte, and then won in Las Vegas over Cough-
lin to head to Pomona riding high.
It was Butner who was hot to open the year,
winning four of the first five races, but it was
Enders who delivered the best in the clutch,
rolling through six playoff races to finish off the
journey back to the top.
“I was just more determined than ever to
prove to everyone that we are capable of winning
a third world championship,” Enders asserts.
“It’s the moments like the parts failures and
when you get your teeth kicked in when you’re
.007 off the line, those moments make you want
to win so freaking bad. I was determined and
“The tough times make you stronger
and what we went through those
years would've torn a lot of teams
apart," Enders believes. “There's
no ego in our pit and there's no
finger-pointing."
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I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 152