When the door closes on Erica Enders’ Chevrolet Camaro, her championship hopes rest entirely on her shoulders. However, it was in the seconds after the green light that Enders’ day at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals was brought to an early close when she lost to Matt Hartford in the semifinals. By the end of the regular season, Enders had built a remarkable 200-plus point gap over Aaron Stanfield, who was second in points. “You always have a positive, mental attitude, and you try to will things to happen,” Enders said. “A semifinal finish is nothing to shake our heads at,” Enders said. “This is just the second race of the Countdown, we’ve got four remaining and I think we’ve got a pretty hefty points lead.

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