Troxel targets repeat performance in Vegas
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 22 of 23 ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NHRA NATIONALS The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race Date: Oct. 27-29, 2006
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 24, 2006) - In only her first full season of Top Fuel competition, Melanie Troxel took the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series by storm, winning the season opener in Pomona, leading the point standings through the first 12 races and becoming the first Top Fuel driver to reach the final round in the first five events of a season.
The driver of the Skull Shine/Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels entry from Don Schumacher Racing captured her second career Top Fuel victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last spring and is aiming to repeat that performance at this weekend's ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, as the season winds down to its last two events.
While resigned to the fact that claiming her first Top Fuel championship is out of reach after struggling through the second half of the year, Troxel, in fourth, is in a strong position to move into second in the standings. She is just 89 points out of that spot (Brandon Bernstein) and 83 points short of third (Tony Schumacher). Leader Doug Kalitta is 172 markers in front of her.
"We're coming into races where we ran very well in the beginning of the year, tracks that we have a lot of good information on. So, I'm looking forward to this weekend's race in Las Vegas," said Troxel, who last week was named the "Sportswoman of the Year" by the Women's Sports Foundation.
"We won the spring race here and I think we're on the right track to getting back to where our performance was earlier in the year. It would be great to finish off the year strong and move up one or even two positions in the point standings."
The last NHRA event, in Richmond, Va., where the series had not raced since 2000, took its toll on each of the top contenders, leaving its mark on the points chase. Kalitta scored the best result, a semifinal finish, while Troxel and Bernstein went to the quarterfinals. Tony Schumacher dropped from second to third in the rankings following a first-round loss.
"Richmond was a little bit tough on everybody," said Troxel. "It was an unknown race track and the top end of the track was really tricky. The majority of the teams were spinning the tires really hard down there, which did make it tough on us. We generally make pretty good power. When you get down track with a lot of horsepower it's tough to tame that down and keep it hooked up.
"It doesn't really affect us at all long term. We would have liked to have run better there, have a stronger finish, while we still had a possible shot at the championship, but that's behind us now and we're looking forward to tracks that we know how to run at.
"The track surface is great in Vegas. It is considered an altitude track, which can be a little bit tricky. But, we ran strong in the spring here, won the event, and I think that gives us a lot of confidence."
MELANIE TROXEL QUICK FACTS: * Currently fourth in Top Fuel point standings after 21 events, 172 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 eight final rounds in 21 events in 2006 * Led point standings through first 12 events of 2006 * With Tony Schumacher's five straight final-round appearances to end 2005, Don Schumacher Racing has been in 12 consecutive final rounds * Winner here at The Strip in spring event * At the 2005 ACDelco Nationals, she qualified No. 3, lost first round to Doug Foley * 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 by Women's Sports Foundation * Won her first national Top Fuel event in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 12, 2006. Won again in Las Vegas 1 * 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, Oct. 27 -- PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2:30 and 5 p.m. SATURDAY, Oct. 28 -- PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT, with rounds at 12:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m. and 5 p.m. SUNDAY, Oct. 29 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, Oct. 28, 30 minutes of Budweiser Shootout coverage at 10 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 Saturday, Oct. 28, 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 Sunday, Oct. 29, NHRA 2Day, half-hour preview show at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 Sunday, Oct. 29, three hours of eliminations coverage at 8 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 SATELLITE: Friday, Oct. 27, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 23K (12160 MHz, vertical) Sunday, Oct. 29, 12:30-1 a.m. (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 24K (12184, MHz, horizontal) Sunday, Oct. 29, 11:30 p.m.-Midnight (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 23K (12160 MHz, vertical)