Team owner Ken Black celebrates the Pomona win and the Pro Stock championship. (Tim Marshall photo)

Shane Gray drove in his last NHRA event before turning the keys over to son Tanner next season. Dad turned in a 6.582/210.93 to defeat Matt Harford’s 6.631/209.49 in round one, but fell to Anderson with a 6.596/210.47 to Andeson’s 6.592/210.37. (Ron Lewis photo)

Erica Enders-Stevens. (Ron Lewis photo)

After winning two championships in a row and pushing her career win total to 21 national events, Erica Enders went an entire year without reaching the final round. At Pomona she raced to the semifinals.

Switching manufacturers and a slew of significant rule changes to the Pro Stock class combined to wreak havoc with the Elite team, but finding a silver lining in it all, Enders said she's learned a lot about herself and her team along the way.

"The struggles were endured are a testament to what my team is made of. It's not always about the trophies. Yeah, we want to win races, that's what we get paid to do, but it's more about the chemistry and the camaraderie we share. It's something money can't buy, that's why it's so coveted, and it's a big reason why people are envious of us. I so proud to be this team's driver. I am so blessed. Richard Freeman could have chosen anyone, and he chose me and our puzzle is complete."

Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Ron Lewis photo)

Jeg Coughlin Jr. bowed to Elite Motorsports teammate Vincent Nobile in Sunday's first round.

Coughlin put up a fight, matching Nobile's sharp .025-second reaction time and racing him door-handle-to-door-handle most of the way down the strip, but in the end it was Nobile's 6.600 at 209.95 mph that put him slightly ahead of Coughlin's 6.626 at 209.14. mph.

 
"We were a day late and a dollar short once again," Coughlin said. "Unfortunately that's the way it's been for most of this season. We've been trying to claw our way through this field all year and as we say in bracket racing, our package has just been too far from zero.”

The 76-time national event winner added, "We really look forward to the transitions we have before us in the off season. Looking forward to 2017, I wish it was starting next Friday but it's not and we've got a couple of months to get our act together and get prepared for a full assault in 2017."