NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Erica Enders was dominant in her recent St. Louis win and the two-time champion doesn’t appear to have lost a thing as the NHRA Mello Yello tour has moved to zMax Dragway for the NGK NHRA Carolina Nationals. Enders, now ranked No. 2 in the standings, ran a 6.534-second run on Friday afternoon to go to the top of the Pro Stock field. She later lowered the boom with a 6.506 to sweep all six available bonus points.

“My Elite team is awesome and really feel like we’re back in championship form,” said Enders. “We watched Jeg [Coughlin, teammate] make a really nice run ahead of us. My guys said to stage shallow and hit all the shift points and we’re going right to the top. My guys are bad to the bone and I’m lucky to be driving this car.”

Enders has a track record of success at zMax Dragway that includes a win at the 2018 Four-Wide race. She also won the Carolina Nationals title in 2015, a win that was essential to her run to a second-straight Mello Yello Pro Stock championship. After a slow start to the season, Enders has come on strong lately with a win in St. Louis and runner-up finishes in Brainerd and Indy.

Coughlin Jr., held on to his following his 6.524 in his JEGS.com Camaro, which is adorned in a special pink paint scheme to support breast cancer awareness month. Coughlin was fourth-quickest after the first session. Coughlin is sixth in the points standings, but he’s less than 100-points out of the lead.

Championship leader Jason Line also made a pair of solid and consistent runs in his Summit Camaro with a 6.538 and a 6.534 for the No. 3 spot. Line is the defending event champ at the Carolina Nationals, and has four career wins in eight final rounds at zMax Dragway.

During the second round of qualifying, Alan Prusiensky’s Dodge Dart crossed the centerline then made contact with the wall and rolled before coming to a rest. Prusiensky exited the car under his own power. He was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

With two runs remaining on Saturday, Cristian Cuadra is on the bump spot with a 6.611 in the Mustang his team recently purchased from Jeff Isbell. Cuadra is holding off Prusiensky, Wally Stroupe and Jeremy Martorella for the final two spots in the field.