ERICA ENDERS WINS HER 50TH NATIONAL EVENT AT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 01, 2025) – Erica Enders and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / SCAG Power Equipment Pro Stock team rallied to victory Monday at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for Enders’ 50th national event win, 49th in Pro Stock.
Enders, already the winningest female in all of motorsports, defeated Matt Hartford in the final round with a clean 6.564-second pass at 209.95 mph taking down his 6.609 at 209.04. It is Enders’ fourth U.S. Nationals victory making her the winningest female in NHRA history at the prestigious event. The victory was her first of the year and ended a 30-race winless streak for the six-time world champion.
“That monkey’s been on our back since Gainesville season opener in 2024, and it’s been grueling. The only thing I can relate it to is our 2016 season when we changed manufacturers. The reason why this year’s more painful is because it was unexpected. We didn’t have anything crazy going on. We left last year, doing well, collectively as a team, and we came out this year and the scoreboard did not tell us what the dyno was telling us. It has been super challenging,” Enders said. “It kind of reminds me of the beginning of my career, when I was just gunning for that first win, and it took seven years and seven final rounds. Granted, it wasn’t that long, but it sure felt like it.
“It’s mentally tough, you lose confidence in yourself and your equipment, but my guys didn’t lose confidence in their abilities or in me, and without them, I wouldn’t be here. I kind of wondered if I still had it,” Enders continued. “And my team owner, Richard Freeman, he likes to yell and cuss at me and tell me how stupid I am for thinking that, but I really did think it, and it took a lot of overcoming, and a lot of help from my inner circle. Without my dad, my sister, my family and the boys that stand behind me, I wouldn’t be here.”
Enders qualified No. 3, her best qualifying effort of the season, with a 6.516-second pass at 211.39 mph to faceoff with teammate Greg Stanfield and the Janac Brothers Racing / The Rod Shop team in the first round. Both would make their quickest passes of the weekend. G. Stanfield would leave the starting line first but his 6.542 at 203.06 wouldn’t be enough for her 6.513 at 211.10.
Enders would have to make her way through another teammate, G. Stanfield’s son, Aaron Stanfield in the second round. The JHG / Melling Performance cars would both take the tree but A. Stanfield wouldn’t leave the starting line because of an engine malfunction. Enders laid down a 6.540-second pass at 211.00 mph for the win.
In the semifinals, Erica took on regular season champion Dallas Glenn. Enders would once again get the victory on the starting line with Glenn pulling through the beams to turn on the red-light. The red JHG / Melling machine would cross the finish line in 6.566 seconds at 211.00 mph setting her up for the 84th final round of her career.
“We finally got number 50,” Enders said. “As a little girl in 1994 rolling under that arch right there, for my first final round at the inaugural Junior Dragster Nationals, the feelings are very, very similar. And here we are, 30 something odd years later. To get my 50th here at Indy, at the US. Nationals, I don’t know a better book that can be written, and I thank the good Lord for that.”
The Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series continues with the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six race playoffs. The Countdown begins in Reading, Pennsylvania at Maple Grove Raceway September 12-14 with the 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals.
ERICA ENDERS, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment
Qualifying: No. 03
6.516 seconds at 211.39 mph
Race Results: Beat Greg Stanfield, Aaron Stanfield, Dallas Glenn, Matt Hartford
AARON STANFIELD, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Janac Brothers Racing
Qualifying: No. 11
6.540 seconds at 209.79 mph
Race Results: Beat Deric Kramer; Lost to Erica Enders
JEG COUGHLIN JR., SCAG Power Equipment/Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer
Qualifying: No. 10
6.538 seconds at 209.69 mph
Race Results: Beat Cody Coughlin; Lost to Dallas Glenn
TROY COUGHLIN JR., JEGS.com
Qualifying: No. 20
10.514 seconds at 85.18 mph
Race Results: DNQ
GREG STANFIELD, Janac Brothers Racing/The Rod Shop
Qualifying: No. 14
6.566 seconds at 209.46 mph
Race Results: Lost to Erica Enders
DAVID CUADRA, Corral Tequila / Corral Belts / Cuadra
Qualifying: No. 05
6.529 seconds at 210.08 mph
Race Results: Lost to Matt Hartford
CRISTIAN CUADRA, Corral Tequila / Corral Belts / Cuadra
Qualifying: No. 04
6.529 seconds at 210.08 mph
Race Results: Beat Cory Reed; Lost to Matt Hartford
FERNANDO CUADRA JR., Corral Tequila / Corral Belts / Cuadra
Qualifying No. 08
6.535 seconds at 208.49 mph
Race Results: Beat Eric Latino, Greg Anderson; Lost to Matt Hartford
STEPHEN BELL, 1320 LLC
Qualifying: No. 15
6.570 seconds at 209.98 mph
Race Results: Lost to Dallas Glenn
MASON WRIGHT, Pro Flow Pumping Solutions Pro Modified
Qualifying No. 16
5.756 seconds at 248.11 mph
Race Results: Lost to Steve Jackson
TAYLOR CHOMISKI, Competition Eliminator, E/SM
Qualifying: No. 8
8.459, UV/OV -0.641
Race results: Beat Larry Pritchett, Travis Gusso, Allen Wilson; Lost to Todd Frantz
RYLIE TRUMBLE, Stock Eliminator, A/SA
Qualifying: No. 39
10.000, OV/UV -1
Race results: Beat Jerry Bennett, Garry Emmons; Lost to Trey Datweiler
JACKIE FRICKE, Top Alcohol Dragster,
Qualifying: No. 9
5.262 seconds, 276.46mph
Race results: Beat Anthony Troyer; Lost to Matthew Cummings
MONTY BOGAN JR., Competition Eliminator, F/SMA
Qualifying: No. 41
8.710 seconds, -0.480
Race results: Lost to Bruno Massel
MELISSA MURPHY, Competition Eliminator, B/DA
Qualifying: No. 34
6.841, OV/UV -0.539
Race Results: Lost to Duane Robison
SARAH FREEMAN, Super Comp,
Race results: Lost to Derek Denney
