Troxel makes early exit in Vegas

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
No. 21 of 23
ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nev.
Race Dates: Oct. 21-23, 2005


LAS VEGAS (Oct. 23, 2005) - No. 3 qualifier Melanie Troxel made an early
exit today in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations at the ACDelco Las
Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, on a track
that saw a number of Top Fuel cars go up in smoke in the opening stanza.

The driver of the Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels Top Fuel dragster, who was
matched up against IHRA competitor Doug Foley, took off at the starting
light with a .009 of a second advantage (.046 to .055), but instantly lost
traction, coasting to a 10.377-second pass at 82.09 mph. Foley took the win
with a 4.714/309.27.

An overnight change in track conditions may have been a factor. "It's hard
to say," said Troxel, "but we were definitely caught off guard on that.
There were some cars that made it down the track, but a whole lot of them
that didn't.

"I think the track played a part in it, but those kind of things happen.
We're trying to push these cars to the edge and every once in a while you go
a little too far."

Next up is the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona,
Calif., Nov. 3-6, which will close out the 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series.