REIGNING PRO STOCK WORLD CHAMPION ERICA ENDERS RELYING ON LESSONS LEARNED WITH LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS APPROACHING

BRAINERD, Minn. – Along with making history a year ago in becoming the first female NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion, Erica Enders learned a number of valuable lessons.

She will need to rely on those as she heads to the more uncharted waters: preparing to defend that world championship for the first time during the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. But along with a strong team that’s already delivered four wins in her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in 2015, Enders is excited for the journey ahead.

The final stretch before the Countdown starts at this weekend’s 34th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, where Enders, currently second in points, hopes to replicate her Brainerd victory from 2012.

“The experience that we gained last year is definitely crucial,” Enders said. “I talk about my team all of the time because of how much I love them and how much fun we have together, but the coolest part of our group is that we all have one goal and we do whatever we can to work together. There are no pointing fingers, there are no egos – it’s just this awesome camaraderie we have and the natural team chemistry.

“What I learned from our experience last year is that, with the right people, absolutely anything in the world is possible. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. You can’t buy what my team has. I feel really blessed. We’re tough cookies, we’re capable of anything and we perform well under pressure. We dig deep and play with every ounce of heart that we’ve got.”

Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the pivotal event that will once again be televised on ESPN2. Pro Stock Motorcycle will make its return to Brainerd in 2015 after a two-year absence. It is also the 17th of 24 races in the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Series season, serving as the penultimate race of the regular season.

Enders knows the importance of performing well in Brainerd, with catching points leader Greg Anderson, who also has four victories in 2015, before the Countdown begins as one of her main objectives.

“That’s a crucial 30-point cushion that could have changed a lot of things last year,” Enders said. “Definitely, our goal is to head into the Countdown as the No. 1 seed. We are going to do the best we can and see what happens. I have all the faith in my guys. We’re two-and-a-half rounds out of first place right now. We could’ve changed that the past couple of weeks when Greg exited early, but we just weren’t able to capitalize on it. Our job now is to focus our attention forward and do it with a positive outlook.”

That positive outlook has carried Enders, who has 16 career victories, through any adversity during her Pro Stock career. She lauds the backing of a strong team, led by crew chiefs Rick Jones and Rickie Jones, which have continued to deliver a championship-caliber car in 2015.

Enders has posted victories in Las Vegas, Houston, Topeka and Bristol, and while she has hardly fallen off over the past five races, posting two semifinal appearances in that span, Enders is eager to return to a final round before the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and the Countdown to the Championship begin.

“We’re not making killer runs like we were, but that’s OK because we’re learning,” Enders said. “We’ve just got to get our swagger back, but that’s not something I’m concerned about in the least. We’ve definitely got the right group in place, and (team owner) Richard Freeman has done a wonderful job organizing that. I have all the faith in the world in them. I pride myself on my driving, and they pride themselves on the setup. We’re going to go out there and swing for the fences because this is our championship to defend. We’ve got the target on our back, and we want to take it home again.”

There are a host of Pro Stock stars trying to keep Enders from back-to-back championships, including four-time world champion Anderson, his teammate and reigning event winner Line, Allen Johnson, Shane Gray, Jonathan Gray, Chris McGaha, who has won back-to-back races, Vincent Nobile, Drew Skillman and Larry Morgan. But Enders is ready for the latest challenge, which is putting together a strong performance in Brainerd, where there has been a first-time Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals winner each of the past three seasons at the track.

“I’ve always enjoyed racing at Brainerd,” Enders said. “It’s a beautiful part of the country and definitely a unique atmosphere with the fans. They really enjoy the race and the extracurricular activities that take place in the Zoo. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve had some luck there in the past, winning in 2012, and it’s always cool because you get to put your name on the Countdown board.

“It’s an exciting time for all of us and it’s definitely an important race to us, being that there are only two races left before the Countdown starts. Our attitudes are great, our confidence is high, and we’re really looking forward to getting that momentum to swing back to our team. Brainerd is a very important race for us.”

In Top Fuel, Lucas earned his first victory of the 2014 season at Brainerd while competing on a limited schedule. He hopes to repeat that feat this year, while his Morgan Lucas Racing teammate, Richie Crampton, has three wins in 2015 and will be looking to solidify his position in the Countdown. Other standouts include points leader and reigning world champion Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, Spencer Massey, J.R. Todd, Larry Dixon and Shawn Langdon, as well as Brittany Force, Steve Torrence, Clay Millican and Dave Connolly, who are all competing for the final Countdown playoff spots.

In Funny Car, Capps raced to the winner’s circle at Brainerd for his second victory of the 2014 season and he has won this event five times, including the last three in a row. Jack Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champ, failed to make the Countdown last year, but has had quite the turnaround season in his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T, currently sitting second in points with five wins. The rest of the star-studded class includes reigning world champion and points leader Matt Hagan, John Force, Cruz Pedregon, Seattle winner Tommy Johnson Jr., Tim Wilkerson, Del Worsham, and Robert Hight and Alexis DeJoria, who both hold a 73-point lead over Courtney Force for the final Countdown top 10 spot.

Pro Stock Motorcycle hasn’t competed at BIR since 2012 when Eddie Krawiec rode his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to victory. Krawiec is the current points leader and will face off against top challengers like reigning world champion Andrew Hines, Hector Arana Jr., Karen Stoffer, local favorite Jim Underdahl and alligator farmer Jerry Savoie.

The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals also will feature thrilling side-by-side competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds of racing, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Aug. 21, with sessions at 3 and 5:30 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Sunday, Aug. 22, at 1 and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23.

To purchase tickets, call 218-824-RACE (7223) or visit www.brainerdraceway.com. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.

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LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: 34th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, the 17th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Drivers in four categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – earn points leading to 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: Brainerd International Raceway and Resort, Brainerd, Minn. Track is located a few miles north of the Brainerd area off Highway 371. The track is located on the east side of the highway.

COURSE: Championship drag strip; Track elevation is 1,200 feet above sea level; Track direction is west to east.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, Aug. 20-23

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, Aug. 21 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 3 and 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Aug. 22 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1 and 3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, Aug. 23 – Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:

Saturday, Aug. 22, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 11 p.m. (ET).

Sunday, Aug. 23, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations coverage starting at 9 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):

Saturday, Aug. 22, 7 – 7:30 p.m. (ET), SES 1/Transponder 05C

Sunday, Aug. 23, 7 – 7:30 p.m. (ET), SES 1/ Transponder 05C

(3800 MHz, vertical; Data Rate: 40.46147055 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)

Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.

2014 EVENT WINNERS: Morgan Lucas, Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Funny Car; Jason Line, Pro Stock.

MOST VICTORIES: John Force, 11, FC; Joe Amato, 6, TF; Kenny Bernstein, 5, FC/TF; Antron Brown, 5, TF/PSM; Ron Capps, 4, FC; Jeg Coughlin, 4, PS;.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.722 sec. by Doug Kalitta, Aug. ’14; 328.54 mph by Richie Crampton, Aug. ’14.

Funny Car – 3.998 sec. by Alexis DeJoria, Aug. ’14; 320.89 mph by John Force, Aug. ’14.

Pro Stock – 6.542 sec. by Erica Enders, Aug. ’12; 210.87 mph by Allen Johnson, Aug. ’12.

Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.865 sec. by Andrew Hines, Aug. ’12; 196.82 mph by Andrew Hines, Aug. ’05.

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ‘12, Reading, Pa.; 332.51 mph by Larry Dixon, June ’15, Norwalk, Ohio.

Funny Car – 3.921 sec. by Jack Beckman, Aug. ’15, Sonoma, Calif.; 325.06 mph by Courtney Force, May ’15, Topeka, Kan.

Pro Stock – 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.

PS Motorcycle – 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.88mph by Hector Arana Jr., April ’15, Charlotte, N.C.

TICKETS: Order tickets by phone at (218) 824-RACE (7223). Tickets also are available online at www.brainerdraceway.com.

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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. — Point standings (top 10) following the 16th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel: 1. Tony Schumacher, 1,289*; 2. Antron Brown, 1,202*; 3. Larry Dixon, 1,034; 4. Richie Crampton, 969; 5. Doug Kalitta, 944; 6. J.R. Todd, 896; 7. Shawn Langdon, 872; 8. Spencer Massey, 855; 9. Brittany Force, 851; 10. Steve Torrence, 835.

Funny Car: 1. Matt Hagan, 1,177*; 2. Jack Beckman, 1,172*; 3. Tommy Johnson Jr., 1,063; 4. John Force, 1,025; 5. Del Worsham, 1,004; 6. Ron Capps, 988; 7. Cruz Pedregon, 872; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 870; 9. (tie) Alexis DeJoria, 819; Robert Hight, 819.

Pro Stock: 1. Greg Anderson, 1,322*; 2. Erica Enders, 1,271*; 3. Chris McGaha, 1,175*; 4. Jason Line, 1,102*; 5. Allen Johnson, 951; 6. Larry Morgan, 906; 7. Shane Gray, 834; 8. Jonathan Gray, 823; 9. Vincent Nobile, 787; 10. Drew Skillman, 779.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 702; 2. Hector Arana Jr, 596; 3. Andrew Hines, 546; 4. Karen Stoffer, 468; 5. Jim Underdahl, 459; 6. Jerry Savoie, 429; 7. Hector Arana, 417; 8. Matt Smith, 389; 9. Scotty Pollacheck, 376; 10. Angelle Sampey, 336.

* Secured a berth in Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoffs.