Sunday’s eliminations at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Ca., marked the last time that Melanie Troxel will strap into a Top Fuel dragster, at least for now. She’s departing the Top Fuel category to drive Evan Knoll’s forthcoming Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA Dodge Charger Funny Car under the Gotham City Racing umbrella. 

  Last Monday, during a post-race Las Vegas test session, Troxel completed the cross-over licensing requirements to make the move.

“We had planned on going out and doing some testing most of the year and just the way that the season has gone we haven’t had a lot of opportunities to do that,” Troxel said. “I was really happy and getting my license was important.  Just making a couple of passes to the finish line was important to me as a driver and I know what to expect for next year and at the same time I was having a lot of fun.”

Troxel expected a bit of the learning curve considering the differences in the two breeds of race vehicle.

Sunday’s eliminations at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Ca., marked the last time that Melanie Troxel will strap into a Top Fuel dragster, at least for now. She’s departing the Top Fuel category to drive Evan Knoll’s forthcoming Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA Dodge Charger Funny Car under the Gotham City Racing umbrella. 

Last Monday, during a post-race Las Vegas test session, Troxel completed the cross-over licensing requirements to make the move.

“We had planned on going out and doing some testing most of the year and just the way that the season has gone we haven’t had a lot of opportunities to do that,” Troxel said. “I was really happy and getting my license was important.  Just making a couple of passes to the finish line was important to me as a driver and I know what to expect for next year and at the same time I was having a lot of fun.”

Troxel expected a bit of the learning curve considering the differences in the two breeds of race vehicle.

“They’re like night and day in difference but its kind of what I expected,” said Troxel. “You know when you talk to funny car drivers and they describe the differences to me that’s basically what it is.  You have to be more aggressive with a funny car and you can’t see near as much with a funny car.  Being inside there and you have a small windshield to be able to see through and everything so it’s going to take a while to get used to all of that but it was fun at the same time.

“I had a really good time and the strange thing about it is that no matter how many times you go up there and tell yourself that you’re going to be more aggressive with the steering wheel, your instincts and driving a dragster sort of take over.  That’s probably the biggest thing that I found about it is that it’s going to take a few more passes to break habits that I’ve made over many years in a dragster but it went well and the guys gave me an incredibly easy car to drive.  It just went right on down the track and I think we all just had a good time.”

One might think the physical demands of driving a Funny Car would send Troxel into the gym for an extensive strength-training program. She said she might not need it.

I've always weight trained and done stuff like that so I think I’m in pretty good shape but the clutch pedal is what’s been the biggest difference. The guys even made some changes to it from the first time that I tested in the car, which isn’t anything that’s different from a funny car to a dragster. It’s just the way the team has set up their cars. Yeah I might have to start doing some squats or something to get my legs in shape from holding that clutch down. - Melanie Troxel

“You know what’s funny is that I haven’t noticed the steering being so difficult that I feel like strength is a big deal,” Troxel said. “I’ve always weight trained and done stuff like that so I think I’m in pretty good shape but the clutch pedal is what’s been the biggest difference.  The guys even made some changes to it from the first time that I tested in the car, which isn’t anything that’s different from a funny car to a dragster. It’s just the way the team has set up their cars.  Yeah I might have to start doing some squats or something to get my legs in shape from holding that clutch down.”

Troxel is already getting her image ready for the volatile Funny Car. Gone is the short hairdo she debuted back in February at Pomona. In is her long hair once again.

VETERANS PROGRAM CONTINUES - Troxel was concerned after her switch over to the Funny Car division that she wouldn’t be able to continue her work with the veterans and the families of those servicemen POW-MIA.

Knoll confirmed recently with Troxel that she would continue her association with the veterans. In essence, he signed up for a second tour of duty.

“It’s actually been a great experience this year and we did kind of think that it was going to be a one-year deal so it was great to find out that we’re going to get to continue that on,” Troxel said. “It’s been exciting for me as a driver but also to get to tell the veterans that we’ve seen at the last couple of races that we are continuing on and to see how excited and how appreciative they are of it definitely makes it all worth it.” 

STRANGE FEELINGS - It would be an understatement to say that Troxel is excited about 2008.

“It’s going to be strange for me making that switch because I’ve been around the dragsters for so long that they’ll always be a part of me that is loyal to the dragsters,” Troxel said. “I’m actually looking forward to being somebody that’s been able to drive both classes and has been able to experience both classes.”