Troxel claims No. 7 in Richmond qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 21 of 23
TORCO RACING FUELS NHRA NATIONALS
Virginia Motorsports Park
Dinwiddie, Va. (south of Richmond, Va.)
Race Date: RESCHEDULED to Oct. 13-15, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

TROXEL CLAIMS NO. 7 IN RICHMOND QUALIFYING

DINWIDDIE, Va. (Oct. 14, 2006) - Melanie Troxel went down the quarter-mile
at Virginia Motorsports Park in only three of the four Top Fuel qualifying
sessions available to her for the rescheduled Torco Racing Fuels NHRA
Nationals and came up with a top-half qualifying spot: No. 7, with a
4.567-second elapsed time at 290.19 mph she recorded in the first round.

Those three runs demonstrated the consistency of the Skull Shine/Knoll
Gas-Torco Race Fuels Top Fuel dragster she drives for Don Schumacher Racing,
as her two other passes included a 4.578/304.13 and a 4.581/308.64.

"We had a very consistent car," said Troxel, fourth in the NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series Top Fuel points and aiming to move up in the last three
races of the season. "We ran within a few hundreds (of a second) on each of
the three passes we made. Unfortunately, we didn't get to run that Friday
night pass. Richard (Hogan, crew chief) just felt that the track was too
cold (after a long clean-up delay took the session late into the evening).
We had safety concerns and didn't want to go out on the track.

"I think in the majority of the sessions we were right there with everybody
else. This track is still a little bit fresh for everybody (NHRA last raced
here in 2000) and that makes racing on Sunday a little bit tougher, but I
think we've got a good shot."

Troxel faces Troy Buff in first round of eliminations on Sunday.

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