Troxel has sights set on moving up in Reading
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2006 NHRA POOWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 19 of 23 TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS Maple Grove Raceway Mohnton, Pa. Race Date: Sept. 15-17, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net TROXEL HAS SIGHTS SET ON MOVING UP IN READING MOHNTON, Pa. (Sept. 13, 2006) - Melanie Troxel has has her sights set on a return to the top of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings following her fall to fourth place after leading through the season's first 12 races. As this weekend's Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway begins the final string of five events left in the season, the driver of the Skull Shine/Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels Top Fuel dragster is ready to make that move. A mid-season struggle through the heat of summer was a setback for Troxel, who is now 140 points out of the lead, held by Doug Kalitta, and just 86 markers behind her teammate Tony Schumacher, in second. Right in front of her is Brandon Bernstein, 44 points ahead. It's going to be an exciting battle to the finish. Last year's event here was a turning point for Troxel, her seventh of 2005 after joining Don Schumacher Racing midway through the season. She earned her highest qualifying position to date, No. 5, then ended the season with two No. 2s and one No. 3 in the last three events. She hopes this weekend will mark another turnaround. The cooler weather expected at Maple Grove could make the difference for Troxel, who's had early-round losses in the last eight events. "We have five more races and Reading is known for cool weather and quick elapsed times, so it's always a big race," she says. "It's also one that Tommy (Johnson Jr., husband and Funny Car driver) and I look forward to coming to. There is definitely something special about Reading in the fall. "And when you add to that the fact that we're still in the hunt for the points chase, it becomes an enjoyable race. "We haven't really lived up to our potential lately, but we're fortunate to still have a shot at the championship. But we are really going to need to see a big change - not so much in our performance, but in the results. The Skull Shine car is running good; we just don't seem to have the outcome we're looking for. "We know the track conditions will be great; we just need to get the job done and really make a big resurgence in order to pull ourselves a little tighter in the points and have a good shot at the title. "Anything can happen out here. Tony (Schumacher) is running well right now, but we've seen that team struggle earlier in the year. They could stumble, but we can't worry too much about what anybody else is doing right now. We have to go out and make the most of our own opportunities. It doesn't have as much to do with what everybody else is doing as it does missed opportunities on our part." MELANIE TROXEL QUICK FACTS: * Currently fourth in Top Fuel point standings after 18 events, 140 points behind leader Doug Kalitta * 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 18 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 Toyo Tires Nationals, she qualified No. 5, lost second round to Morgan Lucas * 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 * 34 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 in 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, Sept. 15 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2 and 5 p.m. SATURDAY, Sept. 16 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. SUNDAY, Sept. 17 Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, Sept. 16, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 4 p.m. (ET). Sunday, Sept. 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Sunday, Sept. 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. (ET). SATELLITE: Friday, Sept. 15, 8 8:30 p.m. (ET) GALAXY 11 / Transponder 15K (12003 MHz, horizontal) analog Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 8:30 p.m. (ET) GALAXY 11 / Transponder 15K (12003 MHz, horizontal) analog Sunday, Sept. 17, 9 9:30 p.m. (ET) GALAXY 11 / Transponder 15K (12003 MHz, horizontal) analog ***