NHRA - Troxel on a Roll...Heading to Lone Star State

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jay Wells
(704) 662-3525 – Office
(704) 281-5678 – Cell
Torco.com
 
TROXEL ON A ROLL
HEADING TO LONE STAR STATE
 
DALLAS (Sept. 19) – Reaping all the rewards for the Vietnam Veterans POW/MIA team last weekend in Memphis has Melanie Troxel looking for her first back-to-back wins in her career.  The opportunity is paramount and with the way the Morgan Lucas Racing organization is going, the possibility is prominent and she knows her winning ways can live on with another set of four win lights in her lane.
“I think we’re on a little bit of a roll right now,” said a smiling Troxel.  “I’m looking forward to the next event in Dallas and continuing the path that we’re on.  If you look back at the last four events, we’ve been to the semis twice and won an event.  Everything is going great right now and I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t carry on and run really well this weekend.”
            Tuned by John Stewart and Lance Larsen, the Vietnam Vets team, owned by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, may have found the consistency that avoided them earlier in the season should now enable them to push the winning envelope even further.
“I think it was great for the entire team and it’s definitely a big confidence boost that is going to help everyone on the team.  It’s amazing when you’re on a roll how easy good performances seem to come to you.  Obviously, John Stewart and Lance Larsen have made huge strides in the accomplishments of the car since Brainerd.  I think they’re feeling really good about the setup they have going.  We knew it was just a matter time before we won again.  Personally, I was really happy with my performance last Sunday and it’s nice as a driver to get some positive momentum going.  I was not only happy with my reaction times, but anytime you can win a pedal-fest like the one we had against Bernstein in the semi-finals, it’s good from a driver’s point of view to have both come together with the car and driver racing as one.  I think that’s going to make for a tough combination for the rest of the year.”  
            The Texas Motorplex was the site of Troxel’s first final round appearance.  It was against Cory McClenathan in 2000, but since then has collected four wins out of 14 final rounds and won earlier this year in St. Louis.
“It was my first year in Top Fuel where I reached my first final round in Dallas,” said Troxel.  “The track has been good to me.  It’s a place I’m very familiar with and have been here racing at the Motorplex for many years.”
            In addition, another personal record Troxel is looking forward to improving is her qualifying time from two years ago, where she put down an incredible 4.458 elapsed time in Friday night qualifying.
“I think the team is in a place where we’re capable of running some great numbers,” she said.  “The biggest factor is going to be the weather.  If we can get some cool weather to roll into here on Friday, everything should be in place to possibly reset my low E.T.” 
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The start of the 22nd annual O’Reilly Fall Nationals begins at the Texas Motorplex on Friday, Sept. 21, with two qualifying sessions starting at 4:30 p.m. (CDT) with a second session at 7:30 p.m.  Saturday's time trials start at 12:00 p.m. for the nitro classes followed by a second session at 3:00 p.m.  The race starts promptly at 11 a.m. on Sunday, September 23.  
 
www.torcoracefuels.com 
 
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.
 
O’REILLY FALL NATIONALS
TELEVISION ADVISORY
(ALL TIMES EASTERN – ALL PROGRAMS ON ESPN2 HD)
 
QUALIFYING HIGHLIGHTS
Sunday, September 23
12:30 A.M. – 2:00 A.M.
 
NHRA RACE DAY
Sunday, September 23
11:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
 
FINAL ROUND COVERAGE
Sunday, September 23
7:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.
 
Encore Performance
Tuesday, September 23
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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