Erica Enders is giving Sienna Wildgust the playbook to success in the NHRA.
“She’s going to have access to what I know and what I’ve been through,” Enders (pictured at right, above, with Wildgust) told RACER ahead of Saturday’s announcement that Wildgust has joined Elite Motorsports. “She’ll get all of our data and Mark Ingersoll’s playbook, too. So, she’s starting with the best tools, and I think that’s all anyone could ever ask for.”
Wildgust, who turned 18 earlier this month, will be under the wing of Enders, championship crew chief Ingersoll, team owner Richard Freeman and the rest of the Elite Motorsports team. It’s a move for Wildgust from one championship-winning organization, KB Titan Racing, to another. A move rooted in resources and family connection.
Wildgust’s father, Scott, has been a customer and friend of Freeman’s for quite some time and its well-known Elite Motorsports operates its large organization with a fun, close-knit, family atmosphere. Wildgust also looks up to Enders, the six-time Pro Stock champion and winningest woman in motorsports.
“She’s young and impressionable, and she hasn’t been tainted by the sport yet,” Enders said. “It’s kind of like a clean slate. She doesn’t have many bad habits yet, from what I’ve seen, because I watch a lot up there. She does a very nice job. She does better burnouts than half of the class that have been doing it for a really long time. So, she has a great baseline, and we at Elite can be a great asset to her.”
Wildgust (above) made her NHRA Pro Stock debut at the Gatornationals in March but is not competing full-time. A third-generation driver who, like Enders, started in the Junior Drag Racing League, Wildgust makes three active female drivers in the class.
“I’ve had many interactions with Erica and usually, it’s at the top end when I get out of my car,” Wildgust told RACER. “She’s always at my door, giving me a hug and saying she’s proud of me. That’s one of the biggest things — she was always there. We were on two different teams, so that was huge for her to come up to me and make me feel proud about what I’m doing. I know some of them, but I’m excited to join the family and get to know everybody better.”
Regardless of gender, Enders embraces competition. But there is no denying that being a female in a male-dominated profession makes it easier for Enders and Wildgust to relate and for Enders, it provides a chance to hopefully make someone else’s path easier than what her own was.
