"We got last lane choice, and I knew I had to get in the Tree and get after it," Enders said. "I was .17 in the semis and .16 in the finals. You really can't ask for much more than that. I knew I had to get all over it. I let the clutch out, and I was like, 'I got this.'

"I see my win light on at the end of the race track on the wall, and all I hear in my helmet are my guys on the radio: 'We freaking did it! We finally won! Good job! We love you!' Everybody's on the radio screaming, and I'm like, 'Thank you, guys! I love y'all. You're awesome!'"

Her Cagnazzi Racing crew members celebrated wildly for several moments, even high-fiving exuberant fans in the stands. Soon, though, NHRA officials confirmed Anderson had won, and the fans began booing.

At the top end, Enders was never told Anderson won, but she soon figured it out.

"We pull off the track, and everybody's coming around my car," Enders said. "I'm just stoked, and then two seconds later, I get out of the car, and everybody goes to Greg's car."

Enders' crew members could only shake their heads afterward, and engine specialist Rich Saulino said he'd never seen anything like that in his 48 years of racing.

Ron Lewis photos