Top Fuel points leader Troxel faces new challenges in Gainesville

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 3 of 23
ACDelco NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE (FLA.) RACEWAY
Race Date: March 17-19, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14, 2006) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top
Fuel points leader Melanie Troxel has new challenges to face this weekend at
the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway as she and the Skull
Gear/Torco Race Fuels Top Fuel team aim to maintain her place atop the point
standings.

Instead of leading by 39 points after winning the season opener in Pomona,
Calif., and scoring a runner-up finish at the last event in Phoenix, she
leads by just 14 following a 25-point penalty for two oildowns during
eliminations in Arizona. The team cannot afford any additional penalties, as
it takes 25 consecutive clean qualifying and eliminations runs to earn an
oildown "freebie." The team had already used up its first "freebie" of the
season at Pomona when the engine was damaged in Troxel's opening-round win
over Clay Millican. Troxel has so far banked two clean runs towards another
"freebie" by reaching the final round in Phoenix following her quarterfinal
(and second of eliminations) oildown.

The Colorado native in her first full season of Top Fuel competition has
also never competed at the famed Gainesville Raceway. Add to the mix a new
Goodyear tire specified by NHRA to be used here and you've got a recipe for
concern.

"I'm definitely thrilled with our performance so far this season, to still
be leading the points after the second race, and having a win out of the
way," she says. "It has all been great, but now it's kind of settling into
the normal part of the year and we need to have a strategy. We can't go out
and lose 25 points like we did last race with the oildowns. We'd have a
pretty sizable lead for this time of the year if we hadn't lost those
points.

"We're really just trying to focus now on making sure we don't make any
mistakes. We stayed after Phoenix and tested with the new tire and we feel
pretty good about it, but you never know what's going to happen until you
get out there.

"I have never actually raced at Gainesville, so it will be a whole new
experience for me. Gainesville is such a great track. This race always has
such a good turnout, it's an exciting event in itself, and we know the track
is capable of putting out some great times. I think the big variable is the
tire right now, and seeing whether we've got a good enough handle on it so
that we can get after it."

SCHEDULE:      
Friday, March 17, professional qualifying sessions are at 11:30 a.m. and
2:30 p.m. On Saturday, March 18, pro qualifying continues at 11:30 a.m. and
2:30 p.m. On Sunday, March 19, pre-race ceremonies are at 10 a.m., and final
eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
 
TELEVISION:     
Sunday, March 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying
highlights at 12:30 a.m. (ET). On Sunday, March 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will
telecast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m.
(ET). On Sunday, March 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of
final eliminations at 5 p.m. (ET).
                   
SATELLITE:       
Friday, March 17, 8:30-9 p.m.  (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (downlink
freq: 12117, MHz horizontal)
Saturday, March 18, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (downlink
freq: 12117, MHz horizontal)
Sunday, March 19, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (downlink freq:
12117, MHz horizontal)

MELANIE TROXEL QUICK FACTS:
* Top Fuel points leader by 14 points after Pomona win and Phoenix runner-up
finish
* Won her first national Top Fuel event in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 12, 2006
* 2006 is her first full season of Top Fuel competition
* 33 years old, born Aug. 31, 1972
* Born in Littleton, Colo., lives in Avon, Ind., with husband and Funny Car
driver Tommy Johnson Jr.
* Two national event wins in Alcohol Dragster in 1999 (Seattle and Topeka)
* Has three runner-up finishes in Top Fuel: in 2000 (Dallas 2), 2005 (Pomona
2) and Phoenix 2006.
* Two No. 2s are her best qualifying efforts so far (Dallas '05 and Pomona 2
'05)
* Drove limited schedule for Don Schumacher Racing in 2000, her first year
in Top Fuel 
* Rejoined DSR in the 13th event of 2005 (Denver)
* Runner-up in Alcohol Dragster points in 1999
* Ran limited Top Fuel schedule in 2002 and 2003
* Career quickest elapsed time in Top Fuel is 4.458 seconds, set in 2005
in Dallas
* Career fastest speed is 330.31 mph, set in Dallas '05
* In 2005, in 11 races, Troxel had eight round wins
* Troxel is the quickest and fastest female driver in NHRA history, after
clocking the 4.458-second pass and 330.31-mph speed in Dallas '05.