Take one part state-of-the-art stadium, add a world-class quarter-mile and a splash of great weather, and you have the recipe for record performances. Route 66 Raceway, which opened in 1998, has regularly been the site of astounding performances.

 

		EVENT NEWS EVENT NOTEBOOK ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS FINAL ROUND RESULTS			EVENT GALLERY SPORTSMAN GALLERY

 

SUNDAY FINAL - DIXON ENDS LONG DROUGHT, TIES KENNY BERNSTEIN FOR SECOND ON ALL-TIME TOP FUEL WINS LIST

Scelzi, Coughlin and Hines complete winner's circle

Larry Dixon tied legend Kenny Bernstein with his 39th career Top Fuel win Sunday, beating points leader Rod Fuller with a 4.579 at 322.11 mph to capture the title at the 10th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

Dixon and family shared a raucous winner's circle with Funny Car winner Gary Scelzi, Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr., and reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Andrew Hines.

It had been 37 races since Dixon last won a Wally, dating back to September of 2005 in Indianapolis, so his unbridled joy was tempered with a strong dose of relief. Scelzi also seemed relieved to win once again as he made a little history of his own by becoming just the fourth racer in history to ring up double-digit wins in both nitro categories.

Dixon's win in his SkyTel dragster was the first for crew chief Donnie Bender, who took over tuning duties at the start of 2006. Fuller got a great jump in the final, leaving Dixon with a .029-second reaction time to Dixon's .063-second launch, but that was the last thing to go right for Fuller as his Fabick Cat dragster lost traction almost immediately, allowing Dixon to streak away for the win. Fuller's runner-up finish did move him back into the POWERade points lead.

"This was Donnie's first win and I'm really glad to be a part of it," said Dixon, who's still 13 wins shy of category leader Joe Amato's 52 career wins. "We didn't have the greatest car when Dick-o (former tuner Dick LaHaie) left and Donnie got that promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach. I think we all expected it to take a little time for him to find a groove. I'm glad Snake [team owner Don Prudhomme] stayed with us and kept the faith."

Bob Vandergriff's UPS team made the biggest move in the Top Fuel standings, moving from 10th to 7th, replacing non-qualifier Whit Bazemore in the Countdown Top 8.

Scelzi had a familiar opponent in the Funny Car final, facing teammate Ron Capps, who had beaten him in two of their three previous final-round meetings. Capps even entered the final as a favorite in his Brut Test Drive Dodge Charger and enjoyed lane choice, but Scelzi's Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger was up to the task and he out-raced Capps down the quarter-mile, winning with a 4.838 at 321.42 mph to Capps' 4.850 at 318.39 mph.

This was Scelzi's 35th career win -- tying him with Don Garlits for 13th on the all-time NHRA POWERade wins list (all categories) -- and 10th in Funny Car, which placed him next to Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, and Mike Dunn as the only drivers with double-digit wins in both nitro categories.

"We hulked up on that one and just got after it," Scelzi said. "Zippy [crew chief Mike Neff] told me he was going for it and I said, 'Don't throw it away,' but as usual he knew exactly what to do and the car went right down the middle. It really accelerated from halftrack on and I knew we needed that because you can always count on Capps to have a great light. He's awesome."

Helped by second-place points earner Robert Hight's first career DNQ (in 55 races), Capps extended his lead in the POWERade points to 140 points, a nice rebound from his DNQ last weekend in Topeka, Kan.

Jack Beckman's semifinal finish improved his standing from 11th to ninth, within 15 points of eighth-place Del Worsham for the final spot in the Funny Car Top 8.

Entering the Pro Stock final as a slight underdog, Coughlin knew he'd need a great reaction time to upset reigning series champion Line and he delivered with a near-perfect .002-second launch, his best light of the day. The tactic worked as he took the win light on a holeshot, crossing in 6.658 seconds at 207.37 mph to Line's 6.656 at 208.07 mph.

"How about that," Coughlin shouted as he climbed from his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt. "This is the ultimate feeling. I took almost a year off and raced sportsman stuff and was lucky enough to win some big races but nothing compares to winning a Pro Stock race. I'm proud of my team and Victor Cagnazzi [team owner]. He finally has the team he's dreamed of and I'm happy to be a part of it."

This was Coughlin's 48th NHRA national event win and his 35th in Pro Stock. His win moved him around his Victor Cagnazzi Racing teammate Dave Connolly into second place in the POWERade standings and now finds himself 179 behind leader Greg Anderson, who was upset in the first round by former NBA player Tom Hammonds.

Hines could clearly see final-round opponent Smith during the race as the Torco Buell rider shot off the line with a .008-second light to Hines' .024-second start, but his Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod made a move at halftrack and Hines was able to pass Smith and win with a 6.959 at 192.11 mph to Smith's 7.014 at 187.18 mph.

"My team pulled together 100 percent over the past month, did a bunch of testing, and totally turned this year around for us," Hines said. "This was a huge win to let us know that all the hard work we've done has paid off. Plus, Jim McCaslin, the president of Harley-Davidson, and a bunch of other people were down from Milwaukee so it was cool to give them a big win."

Smith, who has now been in four finals in five races, extended his lead in the POWERade points to 80 over Angelle Sampey, who is now in second place. Hines jumped from a tie for ninth to fourth place with his ninth career win.

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SATURDAY QUALIFYING - MAJOR MOVEMENTS ALONG THE TOP FUEL CUTLINE IN POWERADE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Nos. 7 and 8 drivers in Top Fuel standings fail to qualify; UPS team in good position

The 10th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals will shake up the Countdown to the Championship standings, particularly in Top Fuel, where the seventh and eighth place drivers each failed to qualify.

The top qualifiers heading into Sunday's final eliminations, beginning at 11 a.m., are Top Fuel's Tony Schumacher, Funny Car's Gary Scelzi, Pro Stock's Greg Anderson, and Pro Stock Motorcycle's Andrew Hines, but the story
surrounded those who didn't qualify.

In Top Fuel, No. 7 Dave Grubnic and No. 8 Whit Bazemore -- the last two in if the 17-race regular season ended today -- each failed to qualify, opening the door for ninth-place Cory McClenathan and 10th-place Bob Vandergriff.

Vandergriff's UPS team stands to make the biggest move. It already passed McClenathan's Fram team with better qualifying position and Vandergriff can pass Grubnic and Bazemore as well with a first round win Sunday.

The updated points after qualifying, beginning with sixth-place Melanie Troxel: Troxel, 436; Grubnic, 429; Bazemore, 406; Vandergriff, 400; McClenathan 399.

Vandergriff and McClenathan will of course get 20 points for staging in the first round and 20 more points for every round win.
Other prominent drivers who failed to qualify included points leader Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel) and Robert Hight (Funny Car) -- John Force's son-in-law who failed to qualify for the first time in his 55-race career.

Schumacher collected his fourth low qualifier award of the season in his U.S. Army dragster and the 39th of his career with his Friday night pass of 4.462 seconds at 327.11 mph.

"Today is another perfect example of what it's going to take to win the POWERade Series championship this year," said Schumacher. "It's not going to be the guy that's running the best every week; it's going to be the one that screws up less than the others."

Scelzi was joined by his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps at the top of the Funny Car ladder, giving their boss something to get excited about in front of his hometown fans and friends. Like most people, he couldn't improve on his rocket run of 4.736 at 330.96 mph from Friday evening in his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger.

"It's not a very comfortable feeling when you only go down the track one time in qualifying," Scelzi said. "We had a vibration in the car today and we're not sure what's causing that. Hopefully we can find it before tomorrow because I know we have a car that's capable of running in the heat."

Anderson's sixth No. 1 qualifier of the season's first nine races was also the 57th of his career and that moved him into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time No. 1 qualifier list, one ahead of Joe Amato (56) and nine behind fourth-place Kenny Bernstein (66). The all-time leader is Warren Johnson (136).

"That 57 times at No. 1 is a neat, neat stat," said Anderson. "I never thought I would be anywhere near there and every time you do it, it's really neat. It's a good thing I did it yesterday because I wouldn't have done it today. We didn't perform up to par today. We got beat in the King Demon Crown (losing in the semis to eventual winner Kurt Johnson), and that was kind of a bummer, but we have to forget about that deal and get ready to race [Sunday]."

The Pontiac GTO driver will now try to win from the top spot for the fifth time, beginning with a race against first-round foe and retired NBA player Tom Hammonds, who posted a 6.666 in his Chevy Cobalt. Anderson's numbers showed a 6.617 at 208.94 mph.

Hines somehow managed to improve on Friday evening's 6.930 at 192.88 mph in the last session, clocking a 6.921 at 193.65 mph on his Harley-Davidson V-Rod despite ambient temperatures that were 13 degrees higher than last night. This was the first pole of the year for the winner of the last three POWERade Series Pro Stock Motorcycle world championshiops and 20th of his pro career.

"I'm completely impressed with that pass," Hines said of his final run. "The bike's responding to everything we're doing to it and our 60-foot times were strong again today. It's amazing how much those first 60 feet make or break your run."

Veteran Pro Stock racer Kurt Johnson became the first four-time winner of the King Demon Crown Saturday, pocketing the $50,000 top prize of the special event by beating youngster Dave Connolly, class dominator Anderson, and surprise finalist Greg Stanfield at Route 66 Raceway.

After stuffing starting line expert Connolly with a better reaction time to take his opening round win on a holeshot, Johnson simply out-drove and out-ran Anderson and Stanfield to win the 23rd annual race, which annually showcases the top eight qualifiers from the last 12 months.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 10th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, the ninth of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.


Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 4.462 seconds, 327.66 mph vs.
16. Doug Kalitta, 4.596, 321.73; 2. Rod Fuller, 4.464, 328.54 vs. 15.
Scott Palmer, 4.584, 314.46; 3. Clay Millican, 4.483, 328.94 vs. 14.
Doug Foley, 4.577, 326.95; 4. Bob Vandergriff, 4.499, 324.67 vs. 13.
Scotty Cannon, 4.557, 326.40; 5. Doug Herbert, 4.506, 321.42 vs. 12.
Alan Bradshaw, 4.550, 319.67; 6. J.R. Todd, 4.510, 324.83 vs. 11. Joe
Hartley, 4.541, 325.85; 7. Hillary Will, 4.514, 328.70 vs. 10. Melanie
Troxel, 4.540, 330.39; 8. Larry Dixon, 4.516, 320.51 vs. 9. Cory
McClenathan, 4.532, 330.23.

Funny Car -- 1. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Charger, 4.736, 330.96 vs.
16. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 4.861, 306.33; 2. Ron Capps, Charger,
4.755, 326.87 vs. 15. Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Impala, 4.833, 323.81; 3.
Kenny Bernstein, Charger, 4.759, 327.43 vs. 14. Jeff Arend, Impala,
4.810, 311.63; 4. Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 4.759, 325.69 vs. 13. Del
Worsham, Impala, 4.795, 320.28; 5.
John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.759, 320.89 vs. 12. Tony Pedregon, Impala,
4.789, 318.54; 6. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.769, 318.02 vs. 11. Scott
Kalitta, Solara, 4.789, 314.61; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Impala, 4.771, 305.01
vs. 10. Gary Densham, Impala, 4.785, 321.81; 8. Tommy Johnson Jr.,
Impala, 4.780, 318.92 vs. 9. Ashley Force, Mustang, 4.783, 294.37.


Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.617, 208.94 vs.
16. Tom Hammonds, Chevy Cobalt, 6.666, 207.50; 2. Allen Johnson, Dodge
Stratus, 6.626, 207.56 vs. 15. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.654, 206.39; 3.
Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.632, 208.17 vs. 14. Mike Edwards, GTO, 6.654,
207.08; 4. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.636, 207.75 vs. 13. Warren Johnson,
GTO, 6.654, 207.50; 5. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.645, 207.40 vs. 12.
Greg Stanfield, GTO, 6.652, 206.83; 6. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.646,
207.75 vs. 11. Craig Hankinson, GTO, 6.651, 207.15; 7. Larry Morgan,
Stratus, 6.647, 207.05 vs. 10. Kenny Koretsky, Cobalt, 6.650, 207.34;
8. Max Naylor, Stratus, 6.649, 206.64 vs. 9. Jason Line, GTO, 6.650,
208.75.


Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.921,
193.65 vs. 16. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.075, 191.08; 2. Matt Smith,
Buell, 6.951, 191.16 vs. 15. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.066, 187.83; 3.
Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.951, 192.17 vs. 14. Tom Bradford, Buell,
7.044, 189.50; 4. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.953, 192.14 vs. 13. Eddie
Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 7.037, 190.46; 5. Chris Rivas, Buell, 6.979,
190.24 vs. 12. Paul Gast, Suzuki, 7.037, 190.97; 6. Peggy Llewellyn,
Buell, 6.985, 189.55 vs. 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.030, 193.00; 7.
Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.998, 190.89 vs. 10. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.011,
192.60; 8. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.006, 190.54 vs. 9.
Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.010, 193.38.

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Final round-by-round results from the 23rd annual King Demon Crown at Route 66 Raceway, a special race within a race.

KING DEMON CROWN:

ROUND ONE -- Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.712, 207.11 def. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.700, 206.39; Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.658, 207.43 def. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GTO, 6.695, 206.45; Greg Stanfield, GTO, 6.691, 206.32 def. Jason Line, GTO, 6.650, 208.75; Greg Anderson, GTO, 6.667, 207.82 def. V. Gaines, Stratus, foul;

SEMIFINALS -- K. Johnson, 6.672, 206.86 def. Anderson, 6.677, 207.21; Stanfield, 6.693, 206.54 def. A. Johnson, 8.213, 114.31;

FINAL -- K. Johnson, 6.692, 207.15 def. Stanfield, 6.729, 206.26.

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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - PAST CHAMPIONS RULE FRIDAY QUALIFYING AT TORCO RACING FUELS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS

No. 1 qualifiers are Schumacher, Scelzi, Anderson and Hines

It was a night for champions at Route 66 Raceway as POWERade Series titlists Tony Schumacher, Gary Scelzi, Greg Anderson, and Andrew Hines led opening day action at the 10th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

Schumacher's 4.462 at 327.11 mph in Top Fuel got the biggest cheer, but Scelzi's 4.736 at 330.96 mph in Funny Car was just as impressive. In Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, Anderson and Hines thrilled with a pair of track records.

Unlike year's past, Schumacher's provisional top qualifying effort didn't set him far apart from the rest of the Top Fuel field. But it was enough to set the four-time champ up for his fourth low qualifying award of the year on a weekend when his sponsor, the U.S. Army, celebrates its 232nd birthday.

"Alan [Johnson, crew chief] said before the run that the track would take whatever we threw at it and he was right," Schumacher said. "I always used to say that qualifying No. 1 wasn't that important but after winning the championship by just a few points it really was all those No. 1 qualifiers we had that made the difference in the end."

Intent on regaining the POWERade points lead he lost at the last event in Topeka, Kan., "Hot Rod" Fuller pulled in right behind Schumacher with a 4.464 at 328.54 mph in his Fabick Cat dragster. Clay Millican checked in with a 4.483 in the RATT -- Back for More rail, while Bob Vandergriff became just the 19th person in history to run a 4.4-second pass when he dipped to 4.499 in the UPS dragster.

Four-time series champion Scelzi hasn't lead a Funny Car field since the season opener in Pomona, Calif., a race he went on to win in his Mopar/Oakley Dodge. In fact, he's only won four elimination rounds since that event, so it wasn't a big surprise to learn crew chief Mike "Zippy" Neff elected to go back to his Pomona tune-up before posting a class-leading 4.736 at 330.96 mph in Round 2.

"We haven't done much since Pomona so we kind of went back to basics and it worked for us here," Scelzi said. "Chicago is one of those places, like Pomona, where you can just haul ass. We might not see conditions like this again until we get to Indy or beyond. It was a prime time to go for it."

John Force is fifth with a 4.759, while daughter Ashley is ninth with a 4.782 in her identical Ford Mustang.

There were no surprises in Pro Stock as Anderson reset both ends of the Route 66 class records with a 6.617 at 208.94 mph in his Pontiac GTO. The only drama was that he opened qualifying with an off-pace 6.959, which was a distant memory by day's end.

"Friday night's what it's all about," Anderson said. "If you want to be No. 1, that's where you go for it. We hurt our primary motor this morning so we didn't exactly start off the way we wanted but we swapped it out and the back-up we had was good enough that we were able to move to the top. Our back-ups aren't as good as our No. 1 motors but I'll still match them up against what most people run."

Allen Johnson remains competitive in his Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T, finishing the day in second place with a 6.626 at 207.56 mph. JEGS.com racer Jeg Coughlin dropped from first to third in Round 2 despite improving to a 6.632 at 208.17 mph.

Longtime NBA player Tom Hammonds anchors the field with a 6.666 in his unsponsored Cobalt.

Sleeping giant Hines, the reigning three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion who has languished outside the top 10 for much of the season, might have finally woken from his slumber Friday. Hines' Harley-Davidson V-Rod carried him to a stout 6.930 at 192.88 mph in the evening session, setting a Route 66 elapsed time record in the process.

"One of our goals for this race was to make four solid runs in qualifying," said Hines, who opened with a 6.987. "We're halfway there. I really want to prove everyone wrong because I've heard the talk that we have no clutch management on our team. I'd put my dad [Byron] and brother [Matt] up against anyone out here and I'm proud to say we had a 1.06-second 60-foot time just now and I ended up with my career-best E.T."

Karen Stoffer was second on her Geico Motorcycle Suzuki, zooming to a 6.951 at 191.13 mph, while points leader Matt Smith coaxed a 6.975 at 190.89 mph out of his Torco Buell. Angelle Sampey (6.977) and Chris Rivas (6.979) also posted six-second passes.

Suzuki racer Geno Scali was sixth with a 7.018 at 193.38 mph, the fastest pass in track history.

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Results Friday after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 10th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, ninth of 23 events in the  NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.  Qualifying will conclude Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 4.462 seconds, 327.66 mph; 2. Rod Fuller, 4.464, 328.54; 3. Clay Millican, 4.483, 328.94; 4. Bob Vandergriff, 4.499, 324.67; 5. Doug Herbert, 4.506, 321.42; 6. J.R. Todd, 4.510, 324.83; 7. Hillary Will, 4.514, 328.70; 8. Larry Dixon, 4.516, 320.51; 9. Cory McClenathan, 4.532, 330.23; 10. Melanie Troxel, 4.540, 330.39; 11. Joe Hartley, 4.541, 325.85; 12. Alan Bradshaw, 4.550, 319.67; 13. Scotty Cannon, 4.557, 326.40; 14. Doug Foley, 4.577, 326.95; 15. Scott Palmer, 4.584, 314.46; 16. Doug Kalitta, 4.596, 317.57.

Funny Car -- 1. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Charger, 4.736, 330.96; 2. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.755, 326.87; 3. Kenny Bernstein, Charger, 4.759, 327.43; 4. Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 4.759, 325.69; 5. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.759, 320.89; 6. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.769, 317.42; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.771, 305.01; 8. Tommy Johnson Jr., Impala, 4.780, 318.92; 9. Ashley Force, Mustang, 4.783, 283.31; 10. Gary Densham, Impala, 4.785, 321.81; 11. Scott Kalitta, Solara, 4.789, 314.61; 12. Tony Pedregon, Impala, 4.789, 308.35; 13. Del Worsham, Impala, 4.795, 320.28; 14. Jeff Arend, Impala, 4.810, 311.63; 15. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 4.861, 301.47; 16. Mike Ashley, Charger, 4.867, 314.17.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.617, 208.94; 2. Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.626, 207.56; 3. Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Cobalt, 6.632, 208.17; 4. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.636, 207.75; 5. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.645, 206.83; 6. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.646, 207.75; 7. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.647, 207.05; 8. Max Naylor, Stratus, 6.649, 206.64; 9. Kenny Koretsky, Cobalt, 6.650, 207.34; 10. Craig Hankinson, GTO, 6.651, 207.15; 11. Greg Stanfield, GTO, 6.652, 206.83; 12. Warren Johnson, GTO, 6.654, 207.50; 13. Mike Edwards, GTO, 6.654, 207.08; 14. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.654, 206.39; 15. Jason Line, GTO, 6.657, 207.37; 16. Tom Hammonds, Cobalt, 6.666, 207.21.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.930, 192.88; 2. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.951, 191.13; 3. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.975, 190.89; 4. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.977, 192.14; 5. Chris Rivas, Buell, 6.979, 189.92; 6. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.018, 193.38; 7. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.030, 193.00; 8. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.036, 190.89; 9. Paul Gast, Suzuki, 7.037, 190.97; 10. Tom Bradford, Buell, 7.044, 189.20; 11. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.055, 189.50; 12. Peggy Llewellyn, Buell, 7.063, 189.55; 13. Hector Arana, Buell, 7.077, 186.59; 14. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.079, 191.43; 15. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.079, 187.83; 16. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.082, 186.64.

 

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EVENT PREVIEW - TROXEL CARRIES VETERANS’ GOOD LUCK CHARMS, MOMENTUM TO ROUTE 66 RACEWAY

Before this season, Melanie Troxel had never heard of Pfc. Paul S. Czerwonka. Now she wears his name.

Troxel has heard plenty of stories of war since her Top Fuel dragster became the fastest Vietnam Veterans memorial on the planet. At every NHRA POWERade Series event, veterans and family members of American servicemen and women come to meet Troxel and see her Evan Knoll-owned Vietnam/Veterans/POW-MIA dragster.

Czerwonka is a U.S. Marine who was killed in South Vietnam on May 10, 1968. His name is engraved on the silver remembrance bracelet she’ll wear for one year, until it’s time to return it to the original owner. She may not know much about him, but every story and every name matter to her.

“Every Saturday (before qualifying) we have a get-together, where we’ve invited between five and 20 veterans to the track, or families of veterans and POW’s still missing in action,” Troxel said. “A lot of veterans come to the races and bring us gifts, like flags that have flown in missions, or medals.”

She’ll expect more visitors when the NHRA POWERade Series comes to Route 66 Raceway for the 10th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals, the ninth of 23 in the Series, June 7-10.

In Atlanta, a veteran brought Troxel a bomb pin from Vietnam. He and the other soldiers in his unit had worn them as good luck charms – so Troxel looped one end of the red metal pin onto the shoelace of her driving shoes, and tucks it into her shoe for every pass down the track.

She likes to think the piece brought her luck in St. Louis, where she posted a 4.741 at 274.33 mph to defeat Cory McClenathan in the final round for her first win of 2007, and her first since Las Vegas 1 2006. Last season, the talented driver led the point standings for more than half of the season, beginning with a win at the season-opener in Pomona, Calif. But a first-round loss in Denver dropped her to No. 2 and she would never regain that top spot, finishing fourth for the season.

At the end of what many would call a storybook season, Troxel – who was nominated for two ESPY’s and was named female athlete of the year by the Women’s Sports Foundation founded by Billie Jean King in 2006 – switched teams. When she left Don Schumacher Racing, the only thing her championship-caliber team took with them, besides each other, was their hauler.

“I think any time you make a major change in the team you’re going to go through a little bit of a learning curve,” Troxel said. “Even though we have the same people, and it looks from the outside that the team is the same, the only thing we still have is the trailer. The car, all the parts, everything is brand new. Some of the parts are completely different than the ones we had before. It’s taken a little bit of time to get a handle on the new parts.

“The guys definitely had to put in some overtime over the winter to make sure we had everything ready – make sure the car was painted and ready to go. Since then it’s been smooth.”

Now Troxel is teammates with Morgan Lucas, the young Top Fuel driver and team manager of Lucas Oil Racing. Troxel hopes both of the teams are in the top eight before the first cut in the Countdown to the Championship.

“I’d say last year the fact that it was my first full season and the fact that we led the points from the start of the season through the midpoint, it definitely had to be a higher pressure situation,” Troxel said. “This year we didn’t come out and run so strong early in the year and so we kind of feel like we’re under the radar. I’ve always said that ever since (NHRA) came out with a new points system, the key is to come on strong late in the year. We had a little bit of a slow start, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction now.”

Among other Top Fuel giants to watch include Rod Fuller, Tony Schumacher, and Doug Kalitta, the defending event winner. Look for Ron Capps and Mike Ashley to shine in Funny Car. Defending event winner John Force is struggling so far this season, but don’t forget NHRA’s winningest driver has come back from behind before. In Pro Stock, watch for a battle between teammates Greg Anderson and Jason Line – who’ve held the world championship title between them since 2003 – and teammates Dave Connolly and Jeg Coughlin Jr., in the event and the special King Demon Crown competition for the best of the best in Pro Stock.

Expect key performances from Karen Stoffer, teammates Angelle Sampey and Antron Brown, and Matt Smith in Pro Stock Motorcycle.


SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3:30 and 7 p.m. on June 8, and 12:10 and 3:05 p.m. on June 9. Pre-race ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. on June 10, followed by the first round of professional eliminations at 11 a.m.

TICKETS: For tickets, call (815) 727-RACE or online at ticketmaster.com.

ON TV: On June 9, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise one hour and 30 minutes of qualifying at 5 p.m. (ET). On June 10, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will telecast NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. (ET) and televise three hours of eliminations at 4 p.m. (ET).

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THURSDAY, June 7, 2007
Spectator Gates Open	8:00 AM
Registration and Tech Inspection continues (all categories)	8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sportsman Qualifying	9:00 AM
Comp Eliminator Qualifying Sessions (2)	1:00 PM & 4:00 PM
Secure Track	7:00 PM
FRIDAY, June 8, 2007
Spectator Gates Open	7:30 AM
Final Registration and Tech Inspection (Pro's, TAD/TAFC & Comp only)	7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Sportsman Qualifying/Eliminations	8:00 AM
Comp Eliminator Qualifying Session	12:00 PM
TAD/TAFC Qualifying Session	2:00 PM
Comp Eliminator - Round 1	3:00 PM
Pro Stock Qualifying Session (PS Motorcycle / PS Car)	3:30 PM
Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel Dragster)	4:30 PM
TAD/TAFC Qualifying Session	5:30 PM
Pro Stock Qualifying Session (PS Motorcycle / PS Car)	7:00 PM
Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel Dragster)	8:00 PM
Secure Track	9:30 PM
SATURDAY, June 9, 2007
Spectator Gates Open	7:30 AM
Sportsman Eliminations	8:00 AM
TAD/TAFC Qualifying Session	9:00 AM
Jeg's Allstar Introductions	10:00 AM
Jeg's Allstar - Round 1 - all categories	10:30 AM
King Demon Crown Introductions	11:30 AM
King Demon Crown - Round 1	12:00 AM
Pro Stock Qualifying Session (PS Car / PS Motorcycle)	12:10 AM
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel Dragster / Funny Car)	1:00 PM
Jeg's Allstar - Round 2	2:30 PM
King Demon Crown - Round 2	3:00 PM
Pro Stock Qualifying Session (PS Car / PS Motorcycle)	3:05 PM
Jeg's Allstar - Final	4:00 PM
King Demon Crown - Final	4:25 PM
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel Dragster / Funny Car)	4:30 PM
Secure Track	6:00 PM
SUNDAY, June 10, 2007
Spectator Gates Open	7:30 AM
Sportsman Eliminations	9:00 AM
Pre-Race Ceremonies	10:30 AM
Final Eliminations	11:00 AM
Secure Event	4:30 PM