Enders at Houston in 2015.  (Joe McHugh photo)

Erica Enders, who was born and raised in Houston, won the Pro Stock title at her home track in 2014 and 2015, which propelled her to NHRA championships those same two years. Now, with sponsorship from Houston-based Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurants, Enders is hoping another Lone Star victory will spur a successful journey to this year's Mello Yello world championship.

"We're looking for nothing less than another win," Enders said. "I love this race above all the others. It's home, not only for me but for my guys as well because we're close enough to the shop (in Wynnewood, Okla.) that all of our family members and friends are able to come to the race.

"We are all thinking about eating at Lupe Tortilla every day. Stan and Sheila Holt (Lupe Tortilla owners) have been my best friends forever. I love them so much and to have their support again for this race is extra special. We've won with Lupe Tortilla on the doors before so we know they are good luck!"

This year's visit to Royal Purple Raceway will feature Enders racing the same Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro she piloted to the 2014 Houston title and world championship.

Aside from her duties in Pro Stock, Enders will be competing in Super Gas in Buddy Wood and Cody Ortowski's ORTEQ Energy Technologies Chevrolet Camaro roadster. "Another chance to win," said Enders, who won Super Comp at the Houston track in the past. [04/18/17]

(Jon Van Daal file photo)

Rider Chris Matheson kept his Australian Thunder 400 Championship points lead after the Santo’s Super Thunder event at Willowbank Raceway, but a tagged timing cone near the finish and then a struggle to stop the Nitro Voodoo Top Fuel Motorcycle kept him from the win. Matheson faced off with long-time rival Chris Porter, beating Porter to the line only to hit a timing cone, resulting in disqualification.

“It’s all part of the deal with these machines,” Matheson said. “Some days luck is on your side, other days it’s not. In the final I struggled to see due to my visor ‘fogging’. It was getting too risky in the dark, with little vision drifting, hence my brush with the timing marker.” [04/18/17]

(Lee Bektash Racing photo)

Lee Bektash piloted his Dodge Avenger through two round wins on Good Friday getting to the final round against championship points leader Aaron Tremayne.

With his nicknamed “Spare Engine” in the car for the weekend, co-crew chiefs Paul Drady and Tony Caroscio knew they had their work cut out against Tremayne, who had been the front-runner all meeting.

Bektash staged deep and hit the tree hard. Unfortunately, just a little too soon as the red light signaled his runner-up finish.

Bektash’s #DontHoldBack tour has only two more meetings to run, May 5-6 at Sydney Dragway and June 8-11 back at Willowbank. [04/18/17]

Number-one qualifier in Real Street, Joey Gladstone, in the near lane, was defeated by Johnny Dobrin in a major upset at the Man Cup season opening event, April 9 at SGMP.

See the results at here.

The next race for the Man Cup Series will be June 3-4 at Memphis International Raceway for race number two of the five-race series. (Tom McCarthy photo) [04/18/17]

A reliable source tells the Agent that Center Line Wheels soon will be closing its doors. The company was founded in 1970 by Ray Lipper, an originator and pioneer of the aftermarket wheel industry, SEMA Hall of Fame member, and motorsports driver. A sad day. [04/18/17]

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has renewed its commitment to the International Drag Bike League (IDBL) as official tire sponsor for the 2017 season. Additionally, the company will offer contingency awards to winning racers in all nine classes, starting with the 20th Annual Spring Nationals, April 21-23, at Maryland International Raceway.

The IDBL season consists of five three-day events from April to November, all hosted at MDIR. [04/18/17]

April 15 was not the dreaded Tax Day this year, but was the date for the Club Day racing at Tucson Dragway.

A rare turbocharged Fuel Altered made test runs during the Club Day event.  Sheldon Lofgreen, preparing for the upcoming Western Fuel Altered show on May 6 ran speeds at 200 MPH and low 6-second ETs.  (Brad Baker photo)

The Dodge D-100 truck of Scott Niles claimed the ADRA (Arizona Drag Racing Association) Pro title with a close final over teammate Paul Polito. Reaction times told the story as Scott posted a .054 to Paul’s .102.

ADRA Super Pro went to Joe Kidd of nearby Marana whose ’97 Yancer dragster bested Mike Gallagher, again with a much better reaction time. R1320 Club found Kevin Hartnett taking the win over Chris Sillman in a battle of Tucson racers.

The largest field of the night was the track operated Sport Competition Eliminator with 39 runners. After five rounds of action, it was an all Ford time. The winner was Chris Holbrook of Chandler with a .078 RT to Mike Gardner’s quite late .265.

Friday night’s Test & Tune for the event found two brothers in an all-out grudge battle. Dennis (Vega) and Gene Igo are huge supporters of drag racing and Tucson Dragway with their American Walk In Coolers Company. From the looks of the tree, Dennis declined a handicap start…probably not a good idea. (Brad Baker photo)

The next event is the Tucson Dragway Reunion on May 5-6 where you can join host Steve Gibbs and the newest Arizona Hall of Famers plus lots of action with Nostalgia racing and the Western Fuel Altereds. [04/18/17]

TorqStorm has a new carb hat to be included with all their 2017 and onward carbureted single supercharger kits. Cast in lightweight aluminum, it has shrunk to just 3.25 inches in height to reduce threats of minimum hood clearance. Air flow specialist Dave Visner collaborated in its creation. Measuring just under 8 inches in diameter at its widest, TorqStorm provides an O-ring to seal the hat to a 4150-style carburetor flange and three domed, stainless steel hexagon nuts – ¼-20tpi, 5/16-18 and 3/8-16 – one of which will secure the hat to the centrally located stud of the carburetor. The nuts are flanged and grooved on their undersides and each contains an O-ring. The hat’s flat-sided oval inlet uses a 3.5-inch silicone reducing elbow and a special Clampco 4-inch T-bolt clamp to connect with the metal tube and blow-off valve assembly.  [04/18/17]