Troxel out early in Brainerd after loss to Dixon

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 16 of 23
LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS
BRAINERD INT'L RACEWAY
BRAINERD, MINN.
Race Dates: Aug. 12-14, 2005

TROXEL OUT OF LUCAS OIL NATIONALS AFTER EARLY LOSS TO DIXON

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 14, 2005) - The Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels team
believed it had fixed the mechanical problems plaguing the Top Fuel dragster
all weekend as it lined up for first round of eliminations at the Lucas Oil
NHRA Nationals today. Driver Melanie Troxel looked forward to racing in the
cool Minnesota air, and gaining her first round win for the newest Don
Schumacher Racing team in the 2005 NHRA POWERade Series.

The 32-year-old Colorado native launched first off the starting light
against two-time POWERade champion Larry Dixon, with a .075 reaction time
(.000 is perfect) to Dixon's .106. By the 60-ft. mark, however, Troxel was
in trouble as the car smoked the tires just past the starting line, then
coasted to a 6.824-second finish at 131.46 mph to Dixon's winning
4.804/264.70.

"It looks like we over-powered the track," she said. "The car shook
violently. By the time it settled down enough, I tried stepping back on it,
but Larry was out there past the thousand-foot mark. I don't think we had
any shot at catching him at that point.

"It's unfortunate, but, at the same time, I think there's a positive side to
it. We think we have the cylinder-dropping problem fixed.

"We need more passes on the car with all eight cylinders, so that we can
make adjustments and get down the track each time out."

Next up is the O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, Tenn., on Aug.
19-21.