PRO STOCK

In an all-Chevrolet, all Elite Motorsports final, it was Enders and Skillman, both in red cars. (Chris Haverly photo)

Erica Enders can now add U.S. Nationals champion to her growing list of accomplishments in what is becoming a legendary career. Enders won the event with a brilliant driving display, beating her final three opponents on holeshots, including Elite Motorsports teammate Drew Skillman in the final round.

The victory cemented her No. 1 spot in the Pro Stock points standings for the Countdown to the Championship, and it was her 18th career win, tying her for second all-time with the legendary Shirley Muldowney.

After dispatching V Gaines in the first round, Enders was actually outrun by Larry Morgan in the second round (6.613 seconds at 209.52 mph for Morgan to 6.617 at 209.01 mph for Enders), but her .036-second reaction time and .007-second head start was the difference.

Then came a big matchup in the semifinals against Greg Anderson, who was second in the points standings and the No. 1 qualifier here. But Enders drilled the Tree (.013 to .054) and overcame Anderson's 6.591-second pass at 210.41 mph with her 6.618 at 209.39 mph.

"It was a challenge all day long, and our big round was against Greg Anderson," Enders said. "Beating him allows us to go into the Countdown in the No. 1 seed. Those 30 points are going to be really, really crucial to us considering last year. Had we lost to Jason Line in the final (in Pomona, Calif., last year), we would have lost by a single point, so it's huge. It's huge for me, it's huge for my team, and huge for any kid that ever had a dream. I came here as a little kid and I wanted to be here. Twenty-three years later we finally made it."

In the final against Skillman, Enders had another .013 light to Skillman's .025, and her run of 6.611 seconds at 209.75 mph was enough to hold off his 6.606-second run at 209.98 mph. The victory was her sixth of 2015, and her career total now matches Muldowney.

And it came at the race where she was named grand marshal. Enders got the call from Chevrolet before the race in Seattle, but she thought it was a joke.

"I kinda was like, 'Are you joking?'" Enders said. "It's a huge honor. I'm a Chevy girl through and through, and I'm very proud to drive a Camaro. It's very neat, and it was a big honor to be up there today before the race. Jim Campbell has done a lot for our sport, as has everybody at Chevrolet. It's just an honor. It feels surreal because I have to pinch myself to believe that we're doing what we're doing."

Jason Line pushed hard to accomplish the task at hand but came up on the wrong side of the tree in the quarterfinals.
 
Line started from the No. 7 position and drew Deric Kramer as a first-round opponent. The pair launched nearly in sync, and it was a definitive win for the driver of the blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at the top end as he crossed the finish line first with a 6.626-second pass at 208.59 mph to his opponent's 6.665, 208.42.
 
With lane choice, Line was set up for a second-round meeting with KB Racing teammate Vincent Nobile, who joined Line and his Summit Racing counterpart Greg Anderson as drivers to have secured a spot to race in the Countdown to the Championship. Line was ready to go the distance, but a .063-second red light start shut him down with brutal immediacy. Nobile got the win light with a 6.621, 209.30 to Line's 6.647, 208.10.
 
"Today was a tough day for the Summit Racing team," said Line, who will start the Countdown to the Championship as the No. 4 seed. "We really wanted that Indy win, but the good news is that we are going into the Countdown with a positive attitude after making some good moves in the right direction.”