Sun, 19 Jun 2011, 07:30 PM Erica Enders Fan Vote Earns Final Spot K&N Horsepower Challenger

Courtesy of Mike Geylin

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- K&N officials today announced that on the basis of a fan vote, Erica Enders had earned the eighth and final position for the 27th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge, which will be held as part of next weekend's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

The Horsepower Challenge is a special event pairing the seven Pro Stock drivers who accumulated the most qualifying points over the last year as well as one final participant selected by the fans in a three-round, high-dollar shootout with the winner taking home $50,000. In addition, eight lucky fans who were selected in an online drawing on the K&N Web site will be brought to the race and paired with each of the drivers, with the fan teamed with this year's K&N Horsepower Champion winning an all-new 2011 Ford Explorer.

"On behalf of everyone at K&N, I would like to congratulate Erica Enders and the entire Cagnazzi Racing team on winning this year's Fan Vote for the K&N Horsepower Challenge," said Steve Williams, Vice President for K&N. "Their performance this year, starting with their capturing the pole in Pomona, shows that they deserve to be in the field, and it's great that Erica's fans rallied behind her. We have an interesting mix of drivers in this year's race, and I believe it is shaping up to be one of the best."

Enders, 28, is in her second stint driving for the Cagnazzi Racing team with whom she made her Pro Stock debut in 2005. Although her ZaZa Energy Cobalt has consistently been among the top qualifiers throughout 2011, her limited schedule with another team in 2010 precluded her being able to secure one of the seven guaranteed positions. However, thanks to her fans' support, she will be making her second start in the Horsepower Challenge next weekend, where she will take on No. 1 qualifier Jason Line.

"It's huge for us to win the Fan Vote, especially because we have such a competitive car," said Enders. "I really owe it all to my fans, friends and family who voted for me. I'm excited to have the opportunity, and want to thank Steve Williams and everyone at K&N for putting on the Horsepower Challenge and making this all possible."

K&N Engineering, Inc. is the world's leader in performance filter technology, serving the needs of the automotive, motorcycle, marine, industrial and military markets. With headquarters in Riverside, Calif., K&N is heavily involved in nearly every form of motorsports from off-road and powersports to drag racing, stock cars and road racing. For more information about K&N Filters, please visit http://www.knfilters.com