Troxel in middle of tight Top Fuel championship chase

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 17 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA MID-SOUTH NATIONALS
Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park
Race Date: Aug. 18-20, 2006


MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 16, 2006) - Melanie Troxel is in the midst of an
exciting race for her first NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel
championship as she and the Skull Shine/Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels team head
to Memphis, Tenn., this weekend for the O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals.

Troxel, who led the Top Fuel point standing through the first 12 races of
the 23-event 2006 season, is now tied in second with teammate Tony
Schumacher and in a three-way battle with leader Doug Kalitta (81 points
ahead) and Schumacher for the crown.

The summer heat has taken its toll, and Troxel finds herself fighting to get
back on top of the rankings, with seven events remaining, following a string
of six early-round losses. But her strong No. 5 qualifying effort in
Brainerd, Minn., last weekend has heightened the team's hopes.

"We're looking forward to getting back to Memphis, even though we know that
the weather there can be tough on the entire team," she says. "We felt like
we made progress last weekend and we definitely like what we're seeing from
the performance side. We'll have to see whether or not that tune-up will
work in the different conditions that we'll have in Memphis, but we're
optimistic.

"It's going to be interesting. It looks like the forecast is calling for
warm weather, but we're hoping that the fact that we're running later in the
day will give us cooler temperatures and weather similar to what we had in
Brainerd. Hopefully, that will keep it from being as extreme as it would be
if we ran in the heat of the day."

As for the championship chase, "It's obviously shaping up to be a close race
down to the wire," she says, "and I think fans are going to be treated to
some really good racing through the end of the year."

In 2005, the Memphis event was Troxel's fifth race of the season after
re-joining Don Schumacher Racing in Denver. She arrived in Memphis 22nd in
points and left in 19th.

MELANIE TROXEL QUICK FACTS:
* Currently second in Top Fuel point standings after 16 events, 81 points
behind Doug Kalitta, tied with Tony Schumacher
* First NHRA Top Fuel driver to reach the final round in the first five
events of a season (2006)
* Troxel has reached six consecutive final rounds (two wins) dating back to
the final event of 2005. The string was broken at Bristol Dragway this year
* She has now reached seven final rounds in 16 events in 2006
* With Tony Schumacher's five straight final-round appearances to end 2005,
Don Schumacher Racing has been in 12 consecutive final rounds
* At 2005 Memphis event, she qualified No. 7, lost second round to Larry
Dixon
* Was named the first quarter winner of 2006 Driver of the Year voting
* Was nominated for Best Driver of the Year and Best Female Athlete of the
Year by the ESPYS awards
* Was just named a Sportswoman of the Year finalist
* Won her first national Top Fuel event in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 12, 2006
* 2006 is her first full season of Top Fuel competition
* 33 years old, born Aug. 31, 1972
* Born in Littleton, Colo., lives in Avon, Ind., with husband and Funny Car
driver Tommy Johnson Jr.
* Two national event wins in Alcohol Dragster in 1999 (Seattle and Topeka)
* Has four runner-up finishes in Top Fuel; in 2000 (Dallas 2), 2005 (Pomona
2), Phoenix 2006, Gainesville 2006
* She has qualified No. 1 twice so far, at Bristol Dragway in 2006 and
Heartland Park Topeka 2006. She also has two No. 2s (Dallas '05 and Pomona 2
'05)
*Drove limited schedule for Don Schumacher Racing in 2000, her first year in
Top Fuel
* Rejoined DSR in the 13th event of 2005 (Denver)
* Runner-up in Alcohol Dragster in 1999
* Ran limited Top Fuel schedule in 2002 and 2003
* Career quickest elapsed-time in Top Fuel is 4.458 seconds, set in 2005 in
Dallas
* Career fastest speed is 331.04 mph, set 5/7/06 at Atlanta Dragway
* In 2005, in 11 races, Troxel had eight round wins
* Troxel is now the quickest and fastest female driver in NHRA history,
after clocking the 4.458-second pass and 330.31-mph speed in Dallas in ’05.
She has since upped that speed to 331.04 mph

WEEKEND SCHEDULE:  
FRIDAY, Aug. 18 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 4:30 and 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, Aug. 19 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2 and 6 p.m.
SUNDAY, Aug. 20 - Pre-race ceremonies, 2 p.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 3
p.m.
 
TELEVISION:     
Saturday, Aug. 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying
highlights at 8 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Aug. 20, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of
eliminations at 10 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Aug. 20, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute
weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
 
SATELLITE:       
Friday, Aug. 18, 11-11:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / 20 K (12100 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, Aug. 19, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / 20 K (12100 MHz,
vertical)
Sunday, Aug. 20, 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / 20 K (12100 MHz, vertical)

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