Erica Enders (2 Viewers)

[Dragracer]

What's happening with Elite Motorsports? Just read where Erica will be sitting out some races again this year due to lack of funding. NOT GOOD! If she sits out some races it might make a repeat championship out of reach for her. Not good for the sport. Would like to see her race the full series. A World champion should be able to run the full season.

 

[Paul]

What's happening with Elite Motorsports? Just read where Erica will be sitting out some races again this year due to lack of funding. NOT GOOD! If she sits out some races it might make a repeat championship out of reach for her. Not good for the sport. Would like to see her race the full series. A World champion should be able to run the full season.

It wouldn't surprise me if this is the case, but where did you read this?

 

[Paul]

I found a article on this. http://autoweek.com/article/nhra/nh...hampions-erica-enders-stevens-jeg-coughlin-jr

 

[FABMAN]

It's hard to believe that last years Pro Stock champion can't find funding to run more than 15 races. I think I will wait to make judgement until I hear from the team owner.

 

[Butch]

Just adds more reason to end the CLOWN DOWN.
If points earned all season, towards the Championship
nobody would be sitting out races.

 

[vegasnitro]

Missing 2 races last year wasn't the end of the world for Erica. They just have to do like they did last year, come out and go rounds and win races (and hopefully repeat in the K+N Challenge). They were only slated for 15 races last year, but due to their success and prize money they just about made the full pull until they could get some sponsorship help in the Countdown.

 

[parrotwhisperer]

A lot of Erica's budget may still come from her Dad. After she won last year he said he had spent something like $22 mil over her career. He has always been in the oil and gas business and we all know where that is right now. I hope she can find some outside money, but she has been trying to find money for years without much luck.

 

[Nitro Cane]

I don't get it. Great team,great driver I don't know.......

 

[Nunz]

What's so hard to get? Winning a championship doesn't really make it a no-brainer to secure funding. Especially for Pro Stock. Getting sponsorship has always been tough, and now it's tougher than ever, while the costs are exponentially higher than even a few years ago. If John Force is having to work as hard as he is to find funding, does anyone expect other drivers to have an easier time of it?

 

[T.Smith]

A lot of Erica's budget may still come from her Dad. After she won last year he said he had spent something like $22 mil over her career. He has always been in the oil and gas business and we all know where that is right now. I hope she can find some outside money, but she has been trying to find money for years without much luck.

If that's true, then know should feel sorry about her missing a couple races.

 

[Dragracer]

I found a article on this. http://autoweek.com/article/nhra/nh...hampions-erica-enders-stevens-jeg-coughlin-jr

Thats where I found it also. I was totally amazed with the latest Autoweek as they don't normally include drag racing. Nice spread this issue.

 

[Dragracer]

I have known Erica's dad (Greg) since the 1980's and he has never been in the oil business - he may have worked briefly for someone but has never owned anything substantial in the oil & gas business. That is not where he made his money. He did it by buying and selling companies.

NHRA once again has missed the boat by not publicizing the women in drag racing, especially the winning ones. What should I expect as the God's who rule in Glendora still are trying to keep NHRA a Old Boys Club.

 

[StockersRock]

NHRA once again has missed the boat by not publicizing the women in drag racing, especially the winning ones. What should I expect as the God's who rule in Glendora still are trying to keep NHRA a Old Boys Club.

Really??

NHRA can be faulted for a myriad of things. However, not promoting their winning women is not one of their weak points. I'd say a fair portion of their non-typical mainstream press goes towards just that subject.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Many seemed stunned that a world champion is struggling to secure funding, but to me it's fairly simple. Yeah, we're talking about a world champion here, but the bottom line is she's a world champion of a class that is given second-rate coverage and attention with regards to the nitro classes, in an organization that isn't popular enough in the mainstream to garner any real attention from the folks who have the money to spend.

Sean D

 

[Dave]

WJ won the 1992 Pro Stock championship and showed up at Pomona in 1993 with a blank white Olds. It happens.

 

[Randy]

At least she didn't do endless interviews about her upcoming announcements over the winter and she refrained from whining about lack of funding for next year (2015) while she chased down the championship last year. Yea, no one does that.

 

[Terry]

Bingo!!!

 

[parrotwhisperer]

Erica referred to Gaston Kearby as her dad Gregg's "partner". Gaston Kearby is the GK Motorsports that "sponsored" Erica with Victor C. Kearby started "Omega Energy" in Corpus in 1988. "ZaZa Energy" is another private energy company started by Kearby which publicly listed Gregg Enders as Chief Operating Officer. Gregg Enders may have numerous other business interests, but if his daughter says he is a "partner" and he is publicly listed as the COO of an energy company I would and did conclude he is in the energy business.

 

[Mary]

WJ won the 1992 Pro Stock championship and showed up at Pomona in 1993 with a blank white Olds. It happens.

Yes it happens !!

 

[cantdrive55]

Different era, different time. Pro Stock is exponentially more expensive to run in 2015 than it was in 1993. Sponsors come and go, but as each year passes more are leaving than arriving. It doesn't help that NHRA has prioritized nitro racing above everything else.