Drag racing philanthropist Evan Knoll will deliver a long overdue salute to America’s military veterans during the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series season using an 8,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster as his billboard. Knoll will honor all Vietnam Veterans with the entry driven by popular Melanie Troxel, which will compete in all 23 NHRA POWERade Series races this season.
 
Knoll has dedicated this car to the memory of the 58,195 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who gave their lives in the line of duty in the Southeast Asia theatre along with the 304,704 who were wounded in action. All told, almost 1.6 million members of the United States military saw combat action during the conflict. The highest troop concentrations reached 543,482 during April of 1968.
 
“And they got anything but a hero’s welcome when they returned home,” Knoll said. “In fact, it sickens me to think of the ways these brave soldiers were treated when they arrived back in the United States. They did what their country asked of them and regardless of what anyone’s political beliefs are, it’s high time these men and women got the due respect they deserve. That is what this car is. It’s a high-horsepower ‘welcome wagon.’
 
“Many of these soldiers were only kids who’d traveled tens of thousands of miles from the only homes they knew into hostile actions that were no-win situations. From what I understand, there are still over 1,750 members of the military still missing and unaccounted for.”
 
Knoll hopes to bring awareness to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., and to the half-scale version of the black marble wall that was created in 1996 and designed to travel the U.S. His objective is to grow support for the preservation of this crucial monument through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
 
The Vietnam Veterans Wall was dedicated in 1982 and was conceived with the purpose of bringing long overdue honor and recognition to the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives in Vietnam. Many of those who survived were met with ridicule and contempt when they returned home. The Wall was created to right those wrongs and for the most part, has served as a positive healing experience. The memorial sends a message to those who served in the war as well as those impacted by it and also serves as a symbol of reconciliation and stands as a valuable history lesson. More than 100,000 items associated with those who served in Vietnam have been left at the wall by visitors since its dedication in 1982, all of which have been collected and preserved by the National Park Service.

 

Troxel is excited about the opportunity to honor those brave soldiers who served.

"I wasn't old enough to understand what was going on then, in Vietnam, but I feel privileged to be able to honor our soldiers now," Troxel said. "So many gave of themselves, gave their lives for our country and they deserve a hero's welcome and all our thanks."
The car will draw attention to other worthwhile entities such as the POW/MIA Families (www.pow-miafamilies.org) and Vietnam Veterans of America (www.vva.org).

 

Troxel brings high caliber driving credentials to the table. She finished Number 4 in the final NHRA POWERade Series standings for 2006, making a total of seven final round appearances while winning twice.  Off the track she was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation and was also nominated for two ESPY Awards.
 
The inspirational dragster will also feature sponsorship from Torco Race Fuels, Inc., Knoll Gas Motorsports and Lucas Oil.