Melanie Troxel, a veteran of Top Fuel Funny Cars and Dragsters as well as their alcohol-burning cousins, will be making her debut in Pro Mod competition driving for R2B2 Racing and ProCare Rx during the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J. Having earned the title of the NHRA's quickest woman, Troxel said she completely respects the power and unpredictability of these cars.
 
"It's been a tough year sitting out, watching everyone else race, it's exciting to get in the car and get back out and get to make some passes," Troxel said. "We've been out testing a couple times with the Pro Mods and just recently in the Voodoo Corvette that I'll be driving this weekend.
 
Troxel will face-off against the best of the best in the land, with current points leader Burton Auxier and Al-Anabi and nitrous-fraternity teammate, No. 2 Mike Castellana leading the charge to take the Get Screened America Warrior for the weekend. Just behind them, Troxel's teammate and team owner, Roger Burgess heads the super-charged contingent from third place, a little more than three round-wins out of first.

"I feel really comfortable in the car and I'm very excited to get out there and race," she said.
 
"I had driven an alcohol Funny Car and alcohol Dragster quite a few years ago, so I thought there would be a lot of similarities between those cars and a Pro Mods, and there are mechanically - shifting, doing a lot of that stuff - but I was surprised at the difference from the alcohol cars and the Pro Mod. There's always a learning curve involved any time you move from the different classes, and it's taken me a little re-programming to get used to what the car is telling me.
 
"I've most recently come from the nitro cars that make a ton of horsepower, but they also make a lot of down-force to use all the power, and in contrast, the Pro Mod cars kind of have the feeling of being really light and loose on the track. They get up on the tire a lot and turn a whole lot of rpm's. It's a whole different sensation from nitro," she said.
 
"Roger has put together a first-class operation, and I feel really fortunate to be a part of the R2B2 Racing team. He and Raymond [Commisso, Troxel's other teammate] have done such a great job this year, that I really feel like I'm trying to live up to the standards they have set. I'm hoping I can keep up with them this weekend. 

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