Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / ELITE MOTORSPORTS – JOLIET, IL – Erica Enders and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / SCAG Power Equipment team landed their second No. 1 qualifying position of the season Saturday at the Gerber Glass & Collision Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.
Enders, who had her first Pro Stock win at the facility in 2012, had a solid 6.548-second pass at 209.69 mph on Friday evening that would hold through Saturday’s sessions to pick up her 36th overall No. 1 and first at Route 66 Raceway. With the top spot, Enders will face John DeFlorian Jr. in the first round of eliminations. She’ll roll into race day looking for her 50th national event victory, 49th in Pro Stock.
On Saturday, after calling out Greg Anderson in the Gettrx All-Star Callout, Enders’ hotrod ran into trouble to go only 7.096 seconds at 203.09 mph falling short to Anderson’s 6.566 at 208.46. Enders would recover in the final qualifying session for a 6.595 pass at 209.01 in the heat of the day.
“That first round of the Callout was obviously not ideal for Elite Motorsports. Troy Coughlin Jr. was our loan soldier after first round and even his run wasn’t great. I didn’t get down the track, Aaron (Stanfield) didn’t get down and neither did Cristian (Cuadra),” Enders said. “We had a huge meeting in the crew chief lounge with everyone, our brain-trust and, if you look at our performance in the final session, we definitely learned something and are hopefully headed in the right direction for tomorrow. We’re looking forward to it, race day the Wally and the points are what’s important. And winning our potential 50th. We got out crap together hopefully and we’ll go to work.”
Tory Coughlin Jr. in the JEGS.com / White Castle machine rallied to the No. 2 qualifying spot and was the lone Elite Motorsports vehicle to make it out of round one of the Gettrx Pro Stock All-Star Callout. Troy Jr. earned the No. 2 spot with a 6.554-second pass at 209.75 mph on Friday evening.
Troy Jr. kept up the performance by running a 6.592 pass at 208.65 mph to defeat Dallas Glenn in the first round of the Callout early Saturday. He’d end his competition in the specialty race during the semifinals to eventual winner Greg Anderson.
Jeg Coughlin Jr., driving the SCAG Power Equipment / Outla Mile Hi Light Beet Camaro, will look to tally his seventh win at Route 66 Raceway when he starts from the No. 4 spot against Chris McGaha.
Stanfield in the JHG / Melling / Janac Brothers Racing machine and C. Cuadra representing Corral Boots, Cuadra and Columbia Impex came up short in the first round of the All-Star Callout, but they will start race day from the No. 5 and No. 6 positions, respectively.
Eliminations at the Gerber Glass & Collision Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway are slated to begin at 11 a.m. with Pro Stock first round at noon. Television coverage of the event continues on FOX Sport 1 (FS1) with a special broadcast of the Gettrx All-Star Callout Saturday at 7 p.m. A second qualifying show will be Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Eliminations will feature two shows Sunday at 4 and 10 p.m. ET.