Troxel nails down No. 4 in Pomona qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 23 of 23
AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.)
Race Date: Nov. 9-12, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

TROXEL NAILS DOWN NO. 4 SPOT IN POMONA QUALIFYING

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 11, 2006) - Melanie Troxel and the Skull Shine/Knoll
Gas-Torco Race Fuels Top Fuel dragster team took advantage of perfect racing
conditions today at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona to capture the No. 4
qualifying position for Sunday's eliminations at the Auto Club of Southern
California NHRA Finals.

Troxel zoomed to a 4.485-second lap at 329.83 mph in the final qualifying
session, in cool conditions, which highlighted a string of strong
quarter-mile runs, including a 4.527/327.59 earlier in the day, and a
4.559/321.35 on Friday. She opened qualifications on Thursday with a
tire-shaking 10.612/83.85.

"That .52 number earlier (today) was not a bad run," said Troxel, "but when
that puts you No. 8, it means you would have to face No. 9 in the first
round. You hate to race a car that is so evenly matched in the first round,
so we wanted to step it up in the final session to give us a better starting
spot in the ladder. It feels much better to be in the No. 4 spot."

Troxel, winner here at the season-opening Winternationals, now aims for a
second victory at Pomona in her first full NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
season. "Having a win here to finish off the season would definitely end the
year for the Skull Shine/Knoll Gas-Torco Race fuels team on a high note, and
kind of tie-in with how well we ran earlier in the season," she said.

"Right now I feel like we have a car that is right up there with the best
cars out here. This is the most consistent car we've had in the second-half
of the season. It's one thing to go out and run good once, but it is another
to run good three out of the four runs.

"We've got a great car, and I'm feeling very comfortable in the Skull Shine
car, so hopefully we can go out and do something big with that tomorrow."

The 16-car Top Fuel field here ties the record for quickest field in NHRA
history with a 4.585-second bump spot.

Troxel, No. 4 in the Top Fuel point standings, faces Steve Torrence in
Sunday's opening round of eliminations.

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