Troxel's first Funny Car event ends early
MELANIE TROXEL FINAL REPORT NHRA POMONA 1 GOTHAM CITY RACING 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For high-resolution photos and interviews, please contact: Matthew Brammer - Active Marketing pr@activemarketing.com (623) 879-4290 Troxel's first Funny Car event ends early POMONA, Calif. (February 10, 2008) - Funny Car rookie Melanie Troxel smoked the tires early and lost her first-round eliminations race against Bob Tasca III in the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. on Sunday. After qualifying No. 3 and driving her the ProCare Rx Dodge Charger R/T 327.90 m.p.h., the fastest Funny Car speed of the event, Troxel was the favorite in the match-up against fellow rookie Tasca. She left the starting line with a distinct advantage, and according to computer data, was ahead of him until about 400 feet, when the clutch engaged and overpowered the track, causing the tires to lose traction and spin. "It's definitely not the way I wanted to start the year, especially after qualifying so well. I think it was just one of those fluke things, because Brian [Corradi, Troxel's crew chief] said the car was on a great pass up until that point," Troxel explained. "I'm disappointed, of course, but I'm not depressed. Look at all of the high quality cars that didn't even make the show - cars like my teammate's, Mike Ashley; my husband Tommy Johnson, Del Worsham - and all of those cars and teams are very competitive. "I think almost everyone out here this weekend had some difficulty at one time or another with the track, and, unfortunately for us, we just got bitten by that at the wrong time," she said. "When you lose like this, especially at the beginning of the season, you have to step back from the disappointment and look at the big picture. This is a new car, I'm a new driver, and this is the first race of a 24-event season. I'm actually very pleased, because I got a lot more seat time, the guys and I are jelling and getting to know each other, and I'm learning the finer points of driving a Funny Car instead of finessing a Dragster. There's a big difference, not so much in power, but more so in how you have to manhandle the steering in the Funny Car versus feathering the steering in the other. "After talking with [team co-owner and teammate] Mike Ashley, we're going to do some serious testing this week to get these new cars completely dialed in and ready when we get to Phoenix. The way I look at that, it's a great way to get controlled seat time, and since we've got good information from what we experienced here, we'll be able to stay there until we get it running consistently like it did at the end of last year," she said. The next event in the 24-race POWERade Drag Racing Series is the Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals, February 22-24 in Chandler, Ariz. MELANIE TROXEL QUICK FACTS: * 35 years old, born Aug. 31, 1972 * Born in Littleton, Colo., lives in Avon, Ind., with husband, Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. * Two wins in Top Fuel last year (Madison, Ill. and Memphis, Tenn.) * Career quickest elapsed time in Top Fuel is 4.458 seconds (Dallas, 2005) * Career quickest elapsed time in Funny Car is 4.810 seconds (Pomona 1, 2008) * Career fastest speed in Top Fuel is 332.51 (Pomona 1, 2007) * Career fastest speed in Funny Car is 327.90 (Pomona 1, 2008) * Troxel is the quickest female driver in NHRA history ### For more information about Melanie Troxel and Gotham City Racing, visit the team website: www.GothamCityRacing.com. About ProCare Rx: Roger and Barbara Burgess founded ProCare Rx in 1988 to provide prescription drug claims processing, clinical services and support for any organization that provides a Prescription Drug Benefit to its employees or members. Clients include self-insured businesses, unions, hospices, worker compensation plans, local and county governments, health maintenance organizations, associations and other insurance plans. Today, after almost 20 years in business, ProCare Rx is one of the largest privately held Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) and administrators in the United States, experiencing 19 straight years of continual growth. The company works with pharmacies and prescription drug manufacturers to ensure that clients save money while managing the health of their members thru the application of innovative technologies and population health services directed to all members, with focus on those with chronic conditions. For more information, visit the company web site at www.procarerx.com. Gotham City Racing is also sponsored by: * Oakley - www.oakley.com * The Hyperbaric Therapy Center - www.hypertc.com * Lend America - www.lendamerica.com Lend America is a nationwide direct lender, specializing in residential financing for one to four family homes. Lend America combines a flexible, common sense loan review process with hundreds of loan programs to provide exceptional service for its clients. Lend America's Motto "Don't take NO for an answer" is in direct relation to its commitment to service borrowers with "lending or credit challenges." Contact Lend America today, (877) 4-RACE LOAN.