For as long as she can remember, Courtney Enders has been immersed in drag racing – not just as a competitor, but as someone who’s experienced nearly every angle of the sport. Her path has been anything but linear, from Jr. Dragster racing to managing media content and pit reporting.
Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #195, the Women of Power Issue, in July/August of 2025.
“We were thrown into the world of PR before I even really knew what PR was,” she explains. “From the start, my dad made sure to ‘market’ us differently than any other Jr. drag racer in the country in the ‘90s. We had corporate sponsors with Pennzoil and Gumout, and my dad involved us in every step of the way. Then add on the movie [Right On Track], and we were fully immersed in the media side of the sport as it happened to us.”
Enders’ journey has involved plenty of pivots, especially when it comes to developing her own identity.
“This has been the real journey,” Enders confesses. “It’s gone from racing with and against my sister, to being her right-hand man as her career progressed, leaning on her name to get us places, to getting my own opportunities and trying to become Courtney again, not Erica’s sister.
“It’s not that I want to distance myself from her. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. I have been trying to get to the point where the rest of the world recognizes me for the talents I have,” she continues. “For the hard work I’ve done for her program, and not just where our hard work got Erica.
“It’s been tough and I have learned to answer to ‘Erica’, ‘Erica’s sister’, ‘that girl on the starting line with Erica’, and everything else except Courtney. For the last 15 years, anytime someone introduced me, it was, ‘This is Erica Enders’ sister, Courtney.’ Not ‘Courtney, also Erica Enders’ sister.’ Taking the full-time gig at FloSports was a huge step in the right direction of becoming Courtney again. I’d say I’ve got a pretty solid balance now.”
That balance began with a single opportunity to try something new – stepping in front of the camera.
“I had the random opportunity to pit-report a Duck X Productions Race when Jamie Howe had a schedule issue during COVID. I had never picked up a microphone before and was so nervous. After one race, I loved it! My work with Wes Buck and the team at Kingsridge Media really helped prepare me for this when it came to interviews. I had gotten used to asking the questions – I just had to transition into being comfortable on camera with the stars. After about a year of a couple of random contract gigs with Flo, I was offered the full-time job.”
Though her full-time role wasn’t clearly defined, that didn’t stop Enders from building something of her own, which eventually turned into the FloDragRacing brand under the FloSports umbrella.
“I now touch all sides of the partnerships and execution of our events at Flo, and I’ve learned so very much about the business, live timing, the partnerships, and more,” she says. “I truly love what I do, and the position continues to evolve, which is something that really keeps my attention.”
Now, her on-camera experience and history with the sport have opened yet another door. Enders was asked to join the 2025 NHRA.TV broadcast team.
“I think the unique perspective I bring to NHRA.TV is the ‘view’ I’ve had for three decades in this sport,” Enders shares, mentioning the many roles she’s held in drag racing. “I’ve grown up with all of these drivers, and I think having a personal relationship with them helps to get a certain side out of them in an interview that someone who doesn’t know them personally may be unable to reach.”
Her perspective as a woman in the sport is also part of what’s helped her carve out a space.
“I’ve always seen this as a perk. Yes, you get some shit along the way, people tell you you don’t belong, or that you’re just someone’s sister, but that drives me,” Enders says. “I’ve always been comfortable being different or sticking out in a room. When that room is an entire sport, I’ve used it as a way to catapult myself into situations that some may not think I should insert myself in.
“I am in a unique position to have some of the most talented, smartest people all around me at all times,” she adds. “I’m constantly a sponge until I’m educated enough to speak on something. There’s always a seat at the ‘big boys’ table that I’m dying to occupy.”
Even if she’s not actively part of a formal initiative, she still values opportunities to connect with other women in the sport.
When asked how she balances everything, she laughs. “What personal life? I am lucky to have my personal life also revolve around drag racing. My sister is my best friend. Team Elite is my family. Our competitors are my circle of friends, acquaintances, and foes. My boyfriend, Spencer Hyde, is involved in the sport as well. What else does a girl need?”
As for what’s next? “I want to continue to climb,” Enders says. “I will continue to push myself into rooms I never thought I would belong in and earn those seats at the big boy tables. Where will that take me? Who knows, but I’m game!”
The post WOMEN OF POWER 2025: Courtney Enders Is Stepping Into Her Own first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
