Troxel hangs on to No. 1 in Topeka qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 9 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS
Heartland Park Topeka (Kan.)
Race Date: May 26-28, 2006


TOPEKA, Kan. (May 27, 2006) - Under extremely hot and sunny conditions, with
temperatures in the 90s and track temperatures reaching 130 degrees today,
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel points leader Melanie Troxel held
on to the No. 1 qualifying position she earned Friday night.

Troxel captured her second career No. 1 qualifying spot and her second of
the season, with her solid 4.567-second elapsed time at 321.50 mph. Her
other passes included a 4.761/264.29, a 4.753/294.11 and a 4.738/271.24.

"Everybody knows that Friday night qualifying means absolutely nothing when
it comes to Sunday," said Troxel. "We felt pretty good about how the car's
running. The track's awfully slick down there (at the top end) so we haven't
actually run it (all the way) to the finish line on any pass but Friday
night's. 

"We assume it would probably make it, but we're trying to take it easy on
parts and tomorrow if we can't keep it hooked up down track we're just going
to have to leg it down there. That's probably our biggest concern, hurting
parts and potential oil downs down track.

"No. 1 spot hasn't really been a good place for people to be so far this
year, but we're planning on breaking that jinx tomorrow. That's our game
plan, to go out and make more consistent runs."

Troxel faces No. 16 qualifier Alan Bradshaw in first round of eliminations
on Sunday.