Troxel adding to 30-plus years of success for women on NHRA circuit

By Scott Stocker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 8, 2008 at 9:53 p.m.

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Melanie Troxel switched to Funny Cars this year and has been an immediate success in the division.

When it comes to women in racing, Melanie Troxel has reached lofty heights this season.

Perhaps that's only fitting.

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut," said Troxel, a Littleton native who races at speeds of more than 300 mph. "And when you think about it, I think I've come kind of close."

But at a time when Danica Patrick makes national headlines on the IndyCar circuit, Troxel downplays gender when discussing her history-making success in the NHRA's POWERade Series.

"My focus has been on the competitive nature of racing and not the female aspects," said Troxel, 35.

That's only natural in the diverse world of the NHRA. With Shirley Muldowney pioneering the way in the 1970s, it's not a new phenomenon for women to win in drag racing or to see women participating in the sport at professional and amateur levels.

This weekend at the 29th Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, six women will be entered in drag racing's top four professional categories - Top Fuel Dragster, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

"With stories about Danica, it's hard to be (in) the big role now," said Troxel, who is married to Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. "You will see articles where the writers say open-wheel racing is more popular than drag racing. But it really isn't. I think drag racing does get short-changed in the media, but NHRA has done much to showcase the diversity in our sport. Shirley had it very tough when she started, and I think a lot of women look to her for her accomplishments."

Troxel, who now lives in Avon, Ind., also holds a special place among female racers. She won her first race this season in Funny Car at Bristol, Tenn., to become the only woman among 14 drivers in NHRA history to win national events in both Funny Car and Top Fuel.

"Melanie Troxel is my hero," said local drag racer Lisa Anne Hewel, of Elizabeth, who competes in Super Pro. "She is a driver that a lot of us look up to. For a lot of the local women, we would like to be like Melanie and to some day have her success."

Following Muldowney

Last season, Troxel set an NHRA record by qualifying for five consecutive national event final rounds. She won two.

She also is the first woman to qualify in the No. 1 position in Funny Car (at Joliet, Ill.) and the first woman to win a head-to-head race against another woman driver in Funny Car, beating Ashley Force, also at Bristol.

Those milestones built on a tradition started by Muldowney. While Patrick this year became the first woman to win an IndyCar race, Muldowney won her first NHRA national event in 1971 and went on to become a four-time Top Fuel world champion.

Three-time world champion Angelle Sampey made her professional debut at the Mile-High Nationals in 1996 and has gone on to become the winningest woman in NHRA history, surpassing Muldowney. In all, 39 women have competed in the top four NHRA professional categories and 11 have won national events.

In addition to Troxel, Sampey and Force, the other women who will race in the pro classes at Bandimere are Hillary Will (Top Fuel) and Peggy Llewellyn and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

"I think women racers kind of fit in more in NHRA drag racing," Will told USA Today. "I know most everybody in drag racing just thinks of me as another competitor. That's how I want to be thought of - as another competitor."

And that's the attitude the NHRA wants.

"We have some very talented women that compete in our series," said Anthony Vestal, NHRA director of media relations. "The NHRA provides a wide variety of entry-level programs for competition. There are definite steps and levels for those who want to compete, male or female. A lot of women have been successful."

Fatherly influence

Troxel's success as a racer was built from the ground up. She learned about racing as a teenager from her dad, world champion drag racer Mike Troxel, who helped her build the engine of the first car she raced.

"It was in my teens that I knew I wanted to race drag cars," she said. "My dad was a big influence on my racing. He built his own cars and did just about everything possible with them. I grew up knowing someone who knew his way around a race car. I picked up a lot from him."

Troxel also said she has learned from her husband, who joins her on the list of 14 drivers who have won in Top Fuel and Funny Car. She has not faced her husband on the drag strip, but it could happen soon.

Since they are on different teams, there are a lot of things they don't discuss, and neither relishes their inaugural meeting.

"The downside, when we race, one of us is going to lose," said Johnson, who is sponsored by Monster Energy Drinks. Troxel is sponsored by ProCare RX.

"No one wants to lose, regardless if it is your spouse or not," Troxel said. "I'm sure we will have some hard times from the other racers, but I think we will face the prospects like any other round. We both want to win."

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