KNOLL'S BIRTHDAY PRESENT
Tue, 2007-05-08 08:45
Birthday presents come in all shapes and sizes but none compare to the one Team
Torco delivered to their sponsor Evan Knoll during the NHRA O'Reilly Midwest
Nationals in St. Louis, MO. Knoll celebrated his birthday over the course of the
race weekend.
The tally for those weekend gifts included three national
event victories, two runner-ups, two semi-final finishes, two #1 qualifiers, an
elapsed time world record and a handful of track records.
“I am so proud of our teams,” Knoll said. “I wish I would have
been there, but this was a real treat. This is a birthday I will always
remember. My teams deliver a lot … week in and week out … but this race was
really special.”
Melanie Troxel culminated the incredible weekend by capturing
the Top Fuel crown behind the wheel of a car that Knoll unselfishly donated to
honor the Vietnam Veterans and POW-MIA families and servicemen. Her weekend
began from the bottom half of the ladder but when it was all said and done, she
was the Queen of the Hill topping Cory McClenathan, who also carries the Torco
Race Fuels logo emblazoned alongside primary sponsor Fram-Bendix.
“Evan is a special guy and we wanted to reach down deep and
pull off something special for him,” Troxel said. “He’s given so much to us, it
just feels great to be able to give back.”
This marked Troxel’s first 2007 victory in two finals. The
weekend thrust her into the fifth spot for the championship
standings.
Mike Ashley drove his Fuel Doctor-nicknamed, Knoll tribute
Dodge Charger to a third consecutive #1 qualifying effort as well as a new
Gateway International Raceway speed track record. His weekend delivered a strong
semi-final finish.
Birthday presents come in all shapes and sizes but none compare to the one Team
Torco delivered to their sponsor Evan Knoll during the NHRA O'Reilly Midwest
Nationals in St. Louis, MO. Knoll celebrated his birthday over the course of the
race weekend.
The tally for those weekend gifts included three national
event victories, two runner-ups, two semi-final finishes, two #1 qualifiers, an
elapsed time world record and a handful of track records.
“I am so proud of our teams,” Knoll said. “I wish I would have
been there, but this was a real treat. This is a birthday I will always
remember. My teams deliver a lot … week in and week out … but this race was
really special.”
Melanie Troxel culminated the incredible weekend by capturing
the Top Fuel crown behind the wheel of a car that Knoll unselfishly donated to
honor the Vietnam Veterans and POW-MIA families and servicemen. Her weekend
began from the bottom half of the ladder but when it was all said and done, she
was the Queen of the Hill topping Cory McClenathan, who also carries the Torco
Race Fuels logo emblazoned alongside primary sponsor Fram-Bendix.
“Evan is a special guy and we wanted to reach down deep and
pull off something special for him,” Troxel said. “He’s given so much to us, it
just feels great to be able to give back.”
This marked Troxel’s first 2007 victory in two finals. The
weekend thrust her into the fifth spot for the championship
standings.
Mike Ashley drove his Fuel Doctor-nicknamed, Knoll tribute
Dodge Charger to a third consecutive #1 qualifying effort as well as a new
Gateway International Raceway speed track record. His weekend delivered a strong
semi-final finish.
"Qualifying number one is special because today is my sponsor,
Evan Knoll's, birthday, and this is a special gift I can give to him," Ashley
said.
Team Torco had three of the four contestants in the
semi-finals of Pro Stock car competition. Dave Connolly led the Torco brigade
with a significant victory over teammate Jeg Coughlin, Jr.
This weekend’s triumph marked Connolly’s first final in St.
Louis and his 21st victory in five years.
"The real win for this Torco team was in the semis when Jeggie
beat Greg (Anderson)" Connolly said. "That was a big feat. Then I had to come
up behind him, and the pressure was on for me to beat a good friend and another
Torco racer in Justin Humphreys. To get both cars in the final is a real
tribute to everything that Victor's put together, all the way from the marketing
people, to the chassis shop, to the engine shop; to the on-track performance is
just excellent.
Not to be forgotten was rookie driver Justin Humphrey’s
performance behind the wheel of the Knoll Gas Motorsports Pontiac GTO with Dick
Maskin tuning. This marked only his second qualifying berth and he knocked out
some heavy-hitters along the way including the defending world champion Jason
Line and Hall of Fame inductee Warren Johnson.
And just to think, it all started with second-generation drag
racer Matt Smith who turned into a proverbial one-man wrecking crew. The Torco
rider demoralized the competition with a brutal 6.9 second pace that not only
led the Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying, but also clinched a new class elapsed
time record and his first victory of the season.
Smith earned the maximum 138 points for winning the event,
qualifying No.1 and setting the national record with his winning pass of 6.901
at 191.78. He also ascended into the class point lead.
“Credit this team with giving me a bike that has been running
so sweet all year,” Smith said. “We've worked very hard for this win so to go
out and get it done is very satisfying."
All told, the one who was most satisfied was Knoll, he got the
present he was looking for.
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