NHRA NEWS: TROXEL WINS TOP FUEL AT CARQUEST WINTERNATIONALS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: NHRA Communications, (626) 914-4761

TROXEL BECOMES SIXTH WOMAN TO WIN IN NHRA TOP FUEL 
Hight and Anderson also win CARQUEST Winternationals

POMONA, Calif. --  Melanie Troxel became just the sixth woman in NHRA
history to win a Top Fuel event Sunday by racing to victory at the
season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals. 

Funny Car sophomore Robert Hight and three-time and reigning Pro Stock
champion Greg Anderson also scored big wins at Auto Club Raceway at
Pomona, assuming the POWERade Series points lead in their respective
categories. The $2 million race is the first of 23 in the 2006 POWERade
Drag Racing Series.

Eighteen years after her world champion father Mike Troxel won this
event in his family-owned Top Alcohol dragster, Melanie returned to
Pomona's famed winner's circle in her Don Schumacher-owned dragster and
became just the eighth female to win in a professional category.

"It gets media attention to say I'm the 'Xth' number female to win a
race, but those of us in the NHRA know that it's no big deal because
we've had lots of female winners, especially when you compare us to all
the other motor sports," Troxel said. "I'm thrilled there were women
before me to pave the way but really we just want to be the best team
out here, regardless of me being female."

The final round was her easiest of the day as she streaked away from
David Baca, whose Mach 1 dragster lost traction, to clinch the trophy
with a 4.582-second run at 321.65 mph. She proved herself worthy of the
win as the day progressed, beating Clay Millican in the first round,
three-time NHRA POWERade world champion Tony Schumacher, and red-hot
Morgan Lucas.

Hight's third career win was a struggle from the start in his Auto Club
Ford Mustang. He didn't make the elimination field until the final
qualifying session. Then he had to overcome a huge second-round engine
explosion that ruined his primary body and an accidental discharge of
his fire bottles just to make it through the day and reach the finals,
which ended with a photo finish final round victory over Ron Capps. 

"We did have a few bad luck things happen today but my team came through
like professionals," Hight said. "It was lucky for us that John (Force)
and Eric (Medlen, teammates) lost early because their crew guys came
over and helped us. If they hadn't we wouldn't have made it up there for
the semifinals. Everyone jumped in there. It was awesome to see."

After running the quickest time for a Funny Car in NHRA history during
qualifying, a stellar 4.664-second blast, 13-time Funny Car champion
Force failed to back up the mark up during eliminations to make it an
official national record. Per NHRA rule, any potential national record
run must be certified by another run within 1 percent. 

Both Force and reigning champ Gary Scelzi lost in the quarterfinals.

Three-time and reigning Pro Stock world champ Anderson raced to his 40th
career victory -- and 36th win of the last 70 national events -- in
convincing fashion. In the final he posted a track record performance of
6.665 at 207.75 mph in his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO to dismiss final
round challenger Mike Edwards, who finished in 6.726 at 206.48 in his
Young Life GTO. 

"It's not as easy as it looks, I swear," Anderson said. "I'm sorry if
I'm boring you guys (the media), but we've just been on such a roll over
the last few years. It's still a struggle and I lose sleep every night
worrying about what everyone else is doing, but we've managed to stay
ahead. We have a long way to go this year but we're off to a great
start."

The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour continues with the 22nd annual
Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals, Feb. 24-26, at Firebird
International Raceway near Phoenix.

POMONA, Calif. -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories
at the 46th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals at Auto Club
Raceway at Pomona.  The $2 million race is the first of 23 events in the
$50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:
1.  Melanie Troxel; 2.  David Baca; 3.  Morgan Lucas; 4.  Doug Herbert;
5.  Tony Schumacher; 6. Rod Fuller; 7.  Larry  Dixon; 8.  Doug Kalitta;
9.  Brandon Bernstein; 10.  David Grubnic; 11.  Cory McClenathan; 12.
Bruce Litton; 13.  Clay Millican; 14.  Doug Foley; 15.  Hillary Will;
16. J.R. Todd. 

FUNNY CAR:
1.  Robert Hight, Ford Mustang; 2.  Ron Capps, Dodge Stratus; 3.  Phil
Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo; 4.  Bob Gilbertson, Stratus; 5.  Del
Worsham, Monte Carlo; 6.  John Force, Mustang; 7.  Gary Scelzi, Stratus;
8.  Jim Head, Stratus; 9.  Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo; 10.  Whit
Bazemore, Stratus; 11.  Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo; 12.  Tony
Pedregon, Monte Carlo; 13.  Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo; 14.  Eric
Medlen, Mustang; 15.  Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo; 16.  Gary Densham,
Monte Carlo. 

PRO STOCK:
1.  Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO; 2.  Mike Edwards, GTO; 3.  Larry Morgan,
Dodge Stratus; 4.  Mark Pawuk, GTO; 5.  Jason Line, GTO; 6.  Warren
Johnson, GTO; 7.  Rickie Smith, Chevy Cobalt; 8.  Erica Enders, Cobalt;
9.  Kurt Johnson, Cobalt; 10.  Ron Krisher, Cobalt; 11.  Richie Stevens,
Stratus; 12.  Bob Panella, Cobalt; 13.  Allen Johnson, Stratus; 14.  Jim
Yates, GTO; 15.  Dave Connolly, Cobalt; 16.  Greg Stanfield, GTO. 

POMONA, Calif. -- Sunday's final results from the 46th annual CARQUEST
Auto Parts Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.  The $2
million race is the first of 23 in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series: 

Top Fuel -- Melanie Troxel, 4.582 seconds, 321.65 mph  def. David Baca,
8.677 seconds, 91.43 mph. 

Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.763, 317.94  def. Ron Capps,
Dodge Stratus, 4.775, 323.50. 

Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.665, 207.75  def. Mike
Edwards, GTO, 6.726, 206.48. 

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Duane Shields, 5.478, 253.42  def. Aaron
Olivarez, 5.612, 254.90. 

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Jay Payne, Chevy Camaro, 5.603, 254.95  def.
Frank Manzo, Chevy Monte Carlo, foul. 

Competition Eliminator -- Lou Ficco Jr., Chevy Cavalier, 7.845, 123.45
def. Dean Carter, Dragster, foul. 

Stock Eliminator -- Keith Lynch, Chevy Camaro, 10.464, 114.50  def.
David Rampy, Camaro, foul. 

Super Comp -- Anthony Castillo, Dragster, 8.884, 170.54  def. Keith
Downing, Dragster, 8.868, 165.07. 

Super Gas -- Val Torres, Pontiac Firebird, 9.902, 149.90  def. Bill
Ohmer, Chevy Nova, 9.903, 146.30. 


POMONA, Calif. -- Final round-by-round results from the 46th annual
CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the
first of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL: 

ROUND ONE -- Melanie Troxel, 5.318, 225.22 def. Clay Millican, 9.369,
75.24; David Baca, 4.819, 302.75 def. Brandon Bernstein, 4.945, 238.64;
Larry Dixon, 5.142, 286.38 def. Cory McClenathan, 5.850, 223.76; Doug
Herbert, 4.648, 310.84 def. J.R. Todd, 24.660, 33.15; Tony Schumacher,
4.517, 323.12 def. Bruce Litton, 8.170, 96.62; Doug Kalitta, 4.589,
279.09 def. David Grubnic, 5.716, 167.47; Morgan Lucas, 4.567, 324.75
def. Hillary Will, 14.204, 43.04; Rod Fuller, 4.579, 328.14 def. Doug
Foley, foul; 
QUARTERFINALS -- Herbert, 4.561, 320.58 def. Dixon, 4.595, 320.74;
Lucas, 4.542, 321.27 def. Fuller, 4.585, 320.43; Baca, 4.735, 276.92
def. Kalitta, 6.702, 144.92; Troxel, 4.524, 325.77 def. Schumacher,
4.530, 321.96;
SEMIFINALS -- Baca, 4.620, 326.56 def. Herbert, 5.735, 233.84; Troxel,
4.553, 324.12 def. Lucas, 4.754, 290.88; 
FINAL -- Troxel, 4.582, 321.65 def. Baca, 8.677, 91.43. 

FUNNY CAR: 

ROUND ONE -- Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.733, 322.19 def. Eric Medlen,
Mustang, 5.582, 173.99; Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.894, 319.29
def. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 5.147, 237.38; John Force, Mustang,
4.774, 313.00 def. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 6.432, 156.90; Jim Head,
Dodge Stratus, 4.881, 294.43 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.946,
311.56; Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.775, 324.05 def. Tony Bartone, Monte
Carlo, 4.914, 293.79; Bob Gilbertson, Stratus, 4.813, 316.38 def. Whit
Bazemore, Stratus, 4.943, 311.70; Ron Capps, Stratus, 4.790, 322.19 def.
Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 5.150, 243.77; Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo,
4.881, 316.30 def. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 8.107, 98.90;
QUARTERFINALS -- Capps, 4.813, 325.85 def. Head, 7.212, 119.70;
Gilbertson, 4.880, 283.19 def. Scelzi, 6.908, 131.88; Hight, 4.762,
326.71 def. Worsham, 4.835, 318.69; Burkart, 4.844, 319.37 def. Force,
5.703, 180.69; 
SEMIFINALS -- Capps, 4.815, 322.58 def. Gilbertson, 11.044, 79.95;
Hight, 4.799, 327.35 def. Burkart, 4.866, 320.20;
FINAL -- Hight, 4.763, 317.94 def. Capps, 4.775, 323.50. 

PRO STOCK: 

ROUND ONE -- Rickie Smith, Chevy Cobalt, 6.722, 205.79 def. Ron Krisher,
Cobalt, 6.727, 206.16; Mark Pawuk, Pontiac GTO, 6.756, 205.29 def.
Richie Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 6.740, 205.51; Mike Edwards, GTO, 6.733,
205.85 def. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.718, 207.72; Jason Line, GTO, 6.689,
207.37 def. Greg Stanfield, GTO, 14.592, 59.39; Larry Morgan, Stratus,
6.713, 206.23 def. Jim Yates, GTO, 12.061, 74.36; Warren Johnson, GTO,
6.709, 206.51 def. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.765, 205.26; Greg Anderson,
GTO, 6.670, 206.73 def. Bob Panella, Cobalt, 6.760, 205.04; Erica
Enders, Cobalt, 6.773, 204.14 def. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 13.330, 65.28;

QUARTERFINALS -- Pawuk, 6.765, 205.16 def. Enders, 6.816, 204.05;
Edwards, 6.723, 206.45 def. W. Johnson, 6.725, 206.51; Morgan, 6.735,
206.10 def. Line, 6.714, 206.48; Anderson, 6.695, 207.05 def. Smith,
6.725, 205.76; 
SEMIFINALS -- Edwards, 6.729, 205.76 def. Pawuk, 6.772, 205.10;
Anderson, 6.684, 206.80 def. Morgan, 6.737, 205.94;
FINAL -- Anderson, 6.665, 207.75 def. Edwards, 6.726, 206.48. 


POMONA, Calif. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional
categories following the 46th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals
at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the first of 23 events in the $50
million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. 

Top Fuel

1.  Melanie Troxel, 112; 2.  David Baca, 92; 3.  (tie) Doug Herbert, 71;
Morgan Lucas, 71; 5.  Tony Schumacher, 58; 6.  Doug Kalitta, 57; 7.
(tie) Larry Dixon, 54; Rod Fuller, 54; 9.  J.R. Todd, 36; 10.  Hillary
Will, 35.

Funny Car

1.  Robert Hight, 112; 2.  Ron Capps, 92; 3.  (tie) Phil Burkart, 72;
Bob Gilbertson, 72; 5.  John Force, 58; 6.  Gary Scelzi, 56; 7.  (tie)
Jim Head, 51; Del Worsham, 51; 9.  Tommy Johnson Jr., 37; 10.  Tony
Pedregon, 35.

Pro Stock

1.  Greg Anderson, 118; 2.  Mike Edwards, 94; 3.  Larry Morgan, 75; 4.
Mark Pawuk, 72; 5.  Erica Enders, 57; 6.  Warren Johnson, 56; 7.  Jason
Line, 54; 8.  Rickie Smith, 53; 9.  Richie Stevens, 33; 10.  (tie) Kurt
Johnson; 32, Ron Krisher, 32; Greg Stanfield, 32; Dave Connolly, 32.

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