Dirt
TRUMP / BENZA
and we ’ ve got a lot more to accomplish , but being recognized by the most powerful man in the world is pretty incredible . And not just us , but our team and our sport . Look at the number of people who could now watch because it was put in front of them by our President .”
It was an unbelievable and unprecedented way to cap off one of the biggest weekends in Enders ’ standout career . With 86 million followers on Twitter , Donald Trump ’ s message to Enders gave the sport remarkable reach , with it drawing nearly 20,000 retweets between Trump and his son , as well as nearly 100,000 likes .
It put Enders in rarified air as far as receiving acknowledgement from the President , a fact not lost on Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman .
“ For the President to tweet directly to Erica and what she ’ s done , it speaks volumes for them and it speaks volumes for the sport ,” Freeman says . “ There ’ s no doubt it ’ s good for the sport .”
Bob Benza made his first appearance of the 2020 Pro Stock season at the race , and brought a noteworthy friend with him , as he and Elite
Motorsports played host to Eric Trump .
Benza and Trump have been friends for several years , and Benza ’ s daughter , Kimberly , is his chiefof-staff and also in charge of communications for the Trump Organization .
The schedule aligned for Trump to attend the race on Friday , where he spent the entirety of the day at the track , leading to one of the biggest moments of the entire weekend at the Big Go .
“ Eric knew I was going racing and he wanted to come watch ,” Benza says . “ He ’ s very personable , very open , very down-toearth , and he really wanted to understand everything that was going on at the track . It was a good time .”
To say the least , it was a memorable event for everyone in the Elite camp , as well as a massive amount of racers and fans who showed their support .
While at the track , Trump was entrenched in the happenings of the U . S . Nationals , especially in Pro Stock . He sat in a car and went through a warm-up in the pits , watched on the starting line and conversed with team members and drivers throughout the day .
“ It was unbelievable . [ Eric ] treated us like we had been friends forever , and they ’ re for real ,” Freeman says . “ Bob loves Pro Stock and loves what we do , and Eric fell right into it . I don ’ t think we really understand how much it could impact what we ’ re doing . The support that was shown , it was just cool .”
Trump ’ s down-to-earth demeanor was mentioned by several , and it was noticed when he arrived the night before . He conversed with the Elite Motorsports team members for a handful of hours that night at the hotel , arriving early at the track the next day to take in all the action .
He was greeted by droves of fans and racers , many who proudly displayed a Trump sticker on their car .
“ Obviously in a very politically charged climate as a nation , it was good to see the NHRA fans and the racers welcome him with open arms ,” says Benza , a part-time Pro Stock racer who plans to race 6-8 times in 2021 with the Elite Motorsports camp .
“ It was a great place to have him and he was just taking it all in and having a good time . I think it helped the NHRA and did a world of good to everyone there .”
That included Enders , who entered the weekend intent on redemption after her crushing loss in the final to teammate Alex Laughlin in 2019 .
After not finding their mark during the first two Pro Stock races of the NHRA restart in Indy , things came together when it mattered at the U . S . Nationals .
Enders was . 009 on the starting line and ran 6.606-seconds at 208.55 mph in the final round to wrap up the win .
The congratulatory message from the President soon followed , making Enders ’ 27th career win one she will always treasure .
“ It was an epic event and it showed how amazing our sport is ,” Enders says . “ To end up on top is just unbelievable . You ’ re grateful for every win you have and you try to soak it in and enjoy the moment , and Sunday was so spectacular . The emotion , the nerves , the whole storyline from last year and then what happened after the win , it was amazing . I would put it right up there with winning the final round in Pomona to lock up the championship [ in 2014 ].” DI
PHOTOS : SHAWN CROSE , BENZA RACING
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