A test session last week at deserted Raceway Park in Indianapolis may be remembered later this year for providing the impetus that put Melanie Troxel and the Gotham City Racing team into race-winning form.
 
Troxel, driving the special Dream House for Medically Fragile Children Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car she will run this weekend, and teammate Frank Hawley, at the controls of the ProCare Rx Dodge R/T Funny Car, were among those making laps.  The results were very encouraging.
 
Troxel, now approaching the sixth race of her first NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car season, is very optimistic going into the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, April 25-27.
 
“Testing is always good,” she said, “but there are times when you test and don’t feel like you found anything.  But the test at Indy was one of those times when you get excited about what you learned and you can’t wait to go to the next race to see if it works.
A test session last week at deserted Raceway Park in Indianapolis may be remembered later this year for providing the impetus that put Melanie Troxel and the Gotham City Racing team into race-winning form.
 
Troxel, driving the special Dream House for Medically Fragile Children Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car she will run this weekend, and teammate Frank Hawley, at the controls of the ProCare Rx Dodge R/T Funny Car, were among those making laps.  The results were very encouraging.
 
Troxel, now approaching the sixth race of her first NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car season, is very optimistic going into the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, April 25-27.
 
“Testing is always good,” she said, “but there are times when you test and don’t feel like you found anything.  But the test at Indy was one of those times when you get excited about what you learned and you can’t wait to go to the next race to see if it works.
 
“We had a problem at (the last race at) Las Vegas with inconsistencies in some of the timers on the car.  The guys fixed it and that gave them the opportunity to play around with some different things they wanted to try . . . and they think they found some promising things, so we are excited to be going to Atlanta so we can try them.”
 
Troxel made three solid qualifying runs at Vegas and her best effort of 4.936 seconds put her 14th in the starting line-up.  Loss of traction in the first round against Bob Tasca III led to her early exit, but she was pleased to qualify and get more on-track time.
 
“I think we are back on track,” she said.  “It definitely feels like we have a car that should qualify and we are getting to the point where we have as good a shot as anybody of winning races.  It will be a great weekend for us if we can win a few rounds for everyone at the Dream House.
 
“I think a win would be great because it would bring a lot of exposure to the Dream House cause, and obviously the team would love to do that, too.”
 
Troxel said the she is getting more comfortable in the car with each run.  “It’s comforting to know the car is going to go down the track on most runs.  The improvements (crew chiefs) Brian (Corradi), Mark (Oswald) and the guys have made to the car in the last two races make it exciting to drive.”