NHRA - Troxel Ready to Burst the Bubble on the NHRA Elite Eight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jay Wells
(704) 662-3525 – Office
(704) 281-5678 – Cell
Torco.com
 
TROXEL READY TO BURST THE BUBBLE 
ON THE NHRA ELITE EIGHT
 
BRAINERD, Minn. (August 7) – You don’t have to tell Melanie Troxel what she needs to do the next couple of NHRA races.  
            She clearly knows that it’s going to take a 45-points swing advantage in her favor to overtake David Grubnic, thus entering her into the elite eight of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship.  It just that simple and this weekend’s 26th annual Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd Internationals Raceway that’s exactly what she intends to do.
“That’s what it boils down to is we have to win some rounds if we‘re going to get in the top eight,” said a determined Troxel.  “We haven’t managed to do that, yet, but last weekend we were running in Martin (Mi.) and that gave us the opportunity to get a little more testing in and more track time on a hot racing surface.  We’ve made some progress, so we’re excited to get to the next race and see if we can turn that into the 45 points we need to make it in to that top eight.”  
            She will have to fend off the advances of the other drivers, those who are in close proximity behind her, but her competitive philosophy is basic and to the point.
“The plan is to do your best and win the race,” Troxel stated.  “You go out and have a good weekend and in theory, you reach the finals, then that puts you in a good position, but you can’t worry about each individual round, along with every single point.  We’ll go up there just like what we do for every race and if we keep that mindset that’s the right way to approach it.  Now we just need the results to go along with that if that is going to do us any good.”  
This will be her first time under the Morgan Lucas Racing fold and as the host of the race with the Lucas Oil sponsorship of the event, she would like nothing more than to give car owner and president and CEO of Lucas Oil Products, Forrest Lucas another win in 2007.
“We’d love to win the race for everyone at Lucas Oil Products,” she said.  “The entire Morgan Lucas Racing team could use a shot in the arm like that if either of our teams were able to go out and win the event.  Who knows, that just might be the change of luck we need to go out there and turn it all around this weekend at the Lucas Oil Nationals.”
The start of the 26th annual Lucas Oil Nationals begins at the Brainerd International Raceway on Friday, August 10, with two qualifying sessions starting at 3:30 p.m. (CDT) with a second session at 6:15 p.m.  Saturday's time trials start at 12:00 p.m. for the nitro classes followed by a second session at 2:45 p.m.  The race starts promptly at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 12.  
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TORCO RACING DRIVER NOTES:
 
                Melanie Troxel has three Top Fuel victories (07 St. Louis, 06 Pomona1 and Las Vegas1) after 13 final round appearances.  She finished fourth in the 2006 NHRA Top Fuel Point standings with 1,471 points.  She established a new NHRA record with her impressive drive into the 2006 season after racing to five consecutive final rounds, taking two wins along the way.  That led to two ESPY nominations for Best Female Athlete of the year and Driver of the year.  Honored by the Billie Jean King Sports Foundation as“2006 Sports Woman of the Year”.
Troxel’s quickest elapsed time is 4.458 seconds, set on Sept. 23, 2005 at the Texas Motorplex.  She sped to his fastest top speed of 332.51 mph on Feb. 10 in her final round of qualifying at the 2007 CarQuest Winternationals in Pomona, California.  
She has won three Technicoat low qualifier awards in her career.  Her first on May 4, 2006 at the Bristol Dragway recording a time 4.539 seconds, May 26, 2006 at Heartland Park Topeka setting the pace with her run of 4.567 seconds and at the Bandimere Speedway, her home track, on July 14, 2007 when she ran a time of 4.610 seconds.  Melanie Troxel’s first Top Fuel event came behind the wheel of the Jerry Darien-owned dragster at the 2000 AutoZone Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.  DOB: August 31, 1972.
 
LUCAS OIL NATIONALS
TELEVISION ADVISORY
(ALL TIMES EASTERN – ALL PROGRAMS ON ESPN2 HD)
 
QUALIFYING HIGHLIGHTS
Sunday, August 12
12:30 A.M. – 1:30 A.M.
 
NHRA RACE DAY
Sunday, August 12
11:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
 
FINAL ROUND COVERAGE
Sunday, August 12
7:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.
 
Encore Performance
Wednesday, August 15
4:00 A.M. – 6:00 A.M
 
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Jay Wells
(704) 662-3525 - Office
(704) 281-5678 - Cell
Lucas Oil Racing
jaywell1@ix.netcom.com
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