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NHRA: Enders Girls of houston to be Featured on National TV

25 October 1998

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 23) - Team Pennzoil Junior Drag Racers Erica and Courtney Enders spent the last two days in Hollywood filming a feature segment of the brand-new Donny and Marie Show. The program, which airs in their hometown of Houston on the Warner Brothers (WB) Network, is a nationally syndicated Dick Clark Productions show that is aired in over 200 markets. The show featuring the Enders will be shown on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

The segment on the Enders begins with host Donny Osmond introducing a taped highlight of the girl's head-to-head race at the Pennzoil Nationals in Baytown, Texas, which took place in March at Houston Raceway Park.

The scene then changes to the set of the popular program where the girls - in full Pennzoil and Gumout fire suits - talk to the Osmonds about Drag Racing. Donny then brags about winning a celebrity race in California and challenges the girls to a race. Extra-spunky golf carts are brought in and the Enders duo load into one cart while Donny straps in the other. The race begins in the studio and proceeds out to the Sony Pictures movie studio backlot. A real battle ensues and the course winds up at the finish line back in the studio. Without revealing the winner, suffice it to say that there were smiles all the way around. An in-studio victory celebration finishes the segment.

Other celebrity guests on the show include: actor Charles Shaughnessy, who is known for his role as the father on the television show The Nanny; actress Judith Light, who played opposite Tony Danza on Who's the Boss; and 16-year-old heartthrob actress Jessica Biel of the popular new show 7th Heaven.

Erica and Courtney became fast friends with Biel and were invited to appear as extras on a later episode of 7th Heaven. In turn, they invited Biel to take a spin in their junior dragsters whenever she had time to come to Houston.

Erica, who is 15 years old, and Courtney, 11, reside with their parents Gregg and Janet Lee on Houston's west side. Erica is a freshman at Cypress Springs High School while Courtney is a sixth grade standout at Watkins Junior High. The two compete across the state and the country in the Junior Drag Racing League, which is sanctioned and governed by the National Hot Rod Association. Erica, who pilots the Pennzoil Junior Dragster, has amassed 31 Junior titles in her six years of racing. Courtney has put her Gumout Junior Dragster in the Junior League's Winner's Circle 16 times in four years.