Schumacher names Troxel to drive Torco Gear Top Fuel Dragster

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series

SCHUMACHER NAMES MELANIE TROXEL AS DRIVER OF THE TORCO GEAR TOP FUEL
DRAGSTER
 
Richard Hogan Signed as Crew Chief

INDIANAPOLIS (July 6, 2005) - Multi-team owner Don Schumacher today named
Melanie Troxel to drive the Torco Gear Top Fuel Dragster for Don Schumacher
Racing, beginning with the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway
in Morrison, Colo., July 15-17.

The second team Top Fuel entry will be a partner to the U.S. Army Top Fuel
Dragster driven by two-time champion Tony Schumacher, and will be tuned by
Richard Hogan.

Troxel, who was recently released as a development driver from Don Prudhomme
Racing, will actually rejoin the team for which she drove in a limited
number of NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events in 2000. In her 10 starts
that year, Troxel was runner-up once, reached the semifinals twice and the
quarterfinals seven times.

The 32-year-old Colorado native began drag racing in the Top Alcohol
dragster ranks, where she captured two NHRA national event victories in 1999
(Seattle and Topeka), claiming the runner-up spot in the point standings
before moving to Top Fuel in 2000. Troxel, who is married to Funny Car pilot
Tommy Johnson Jr. and lives in Avon, Ind., also drove a Top Fuel dragster at
select events in 2002 and 2003, with the Sonoma, Calif., event in '03 her
last stint in the seat of a Top Fuel dragster.

"I am excited to be able to bring Melanie Troxel back to drive our second
Top Fuel dragster through the completion of the 2005 NHRA season and
beyond," said Schumacher. "She has a tremendous presence and popularity in
this sport, and is an outstanding driver. Melanie did an excellent job for
us in 2000 and I'm delighted to have her return to our team.

"I have been working all season trying to get a second Top Fuel car out
there," he continued. "So, when the opportunity with Torco Gear presented
itself and with Melanie being available to drive, there was no question that
this was the right decision to make."

"It's kind of funny how things come around," said Troxel. "It's almost
exactly five years from the first time that I talked to Don. I'm thrilled to
be coming on board with the Don Schumacher Racing team. When I came to work
for DSR in 2000 I talked about what a great high-caliber team it is and I
feel the same way, and even more so, today. Opportunities to work with a
team like this only come around once and, I guess, twice, in my case.

"Obviously we won't be in the points chase this year," Troxel continued,
"but I think we have a great opportunity to go out and get in a lot of
passes, gain a lot of information, and get a lot of good experience for me.
At the same time, we're laying the groundwork for this team to be
competitive next year and be in the points chase."

"This car will always race against whoever pulls up next to it at the
starting line, including Tony," explained Schumacher.

"We're very excited," said Evan Knoll, president/owner of Torco Racing
Fuels, Inc., of which Torco Gear is a division. "I'm very proud of being
associated and affiliated with Don Schumacher and the teams that he has
brought into the NHRA drag-racing industry.

"We started a new Torco Gear soft-goods and wear program, and that's going
very, very well," he continued. "And what better way to kick off this
program than to support a full-time Top Fuel dragster underneath Don's
umbrella. We believe that Melanie is definitely going to be a marketing
genius for us. I'm very proud and honored to have her on board to represent
Torco Gear."

Crew chief Hogan, 45, comes to DSR from David Powers Racing, where he worked
through the first half of this year. From Ennis, Mont., Hogan grew up in
drag racing, watching his father Charlie "King" Hogan compete. In 1979, he
began his professional career working with Marvin Schwartz. He has also
worked with "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Kenny Bernstein, Don Prudhomme, John
Mitchell, and Alan Johnson.

"The multi-car team scenario is definitely the future of the sport," said
Hogan. "This is a good opportunity, to be with a well-funded team. I'm also
looking forward to working with Melanie. There's a small learning curve when
you change drivers. And obviously she's changing teams, so it's the same for
both of us. It's a new deal for everyone involved, and we'll try to adapt to
each other and the program as quickly as we can and get up to speed, go
rounds, and win races."

Don Schumacher Racing now includes nine professional NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series teams: The U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster driven by Tony
Schumacher; the Torco Gear Top Fuel dragster steered by Melanie Troxel; the
Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Funny Car of Whit Bazemore; the Mopar/Oakley
Dodge Funny Car piloted by Gary Scelzi; the Brut Dodge driven by Ron Capps;
two U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycles for Angelle Sampey and Antron Brown; and
two Pro Stock cars: the Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus driven by Richie
Stevens Jr., and the Jeg's Mail Order/Mopar Dodge Stratus of Jeg Coughlin
Jr.