Melanie Troxel

Driver: Melanie Troxel, Top Fuel Driver, NHRA PowerAde Drag Racing Series.

Attractive. Articulate. Confident. Accomplished. Competing in the NHRA's Top Fuel division, Melanie Troxel is one of drag racings fastest female drivers.

The appeal of women sports figures has never been greater; from Marion Jones and Gabriella Reese, to Annika Sorenstam and the Williams sisters, women today rival men for marketability and profitability. And rightly so. Fans of all ages, sexes and backgrounds appreciate the skill and commitment required to succeed.

Melanie has credibility. She's spent a lifetime perfecting her craft and earned her place in the drag racing community by learning everything there is to know about the equipment and the people. She grew up around the racetrack, assembling cars like other girls assemble outfits. Her father is veteran drag racer Mike Troxel. Her mother, Barbara, was an accomplished airplane mechanic before marrying Mike. She made the transition to cars easily, and inspired Melanie with her example.

Melanie inherited both their love for the sport and their work ethic. She ran her first race at age 16 - the soonest she was able to get her racing license - in a car with an engine she rebuilt herself. Today Melanie is not only one of the fastest female drag racers, she is also one of the fastest in the world; her top speed is 326 miles per hour.

Can you imagine 0 to 3 Gs in less then a second?

A Top Fuel car accelerates from 0-100 mph in 0.9 seconds and 0-330 mph in 4.5 seconds. Drivers experience a force of 5 Gs at the start of the race, which is equivalent to 5 times their body weight pushing against them. They experience a force of 3.5 to 5 Gs negative Gs when deploying the parachute to slow the car (Like being rear ended by a diesel going 100 mph). In addition to the forces, a driver needs to keep the car straight while trying to beat the other racer to the finish line!

Melanie has succeeded on skill alone. A tight budget limits her race participation. But with adequate funding, Melanie could participate in races across the country and continue to improve her performance. For instance, in 2002 she amassed 407 points, finishing 12th in 10 races. By projecting this average point total per race, she would have finished with 936 points in a full 23-race schedule which would have landed her in 10th place in final points.

In each of the last two years Melanie qualified for every event she entered and made it to the elimination rounds. There are 4 qualification rounds and 4 elimination rounds to determine a winner. That's 3 days and at least 5 races of direct exposure to a captivated and interested audience.

As for the sport, drag racing offers tremendous exposure. With 23 nationally televised events annually, it draws more than 2 million fans live and a television audience encompassing more than 70 million viewers. A sponsor's name on the side of Melanie's winning car or her helmet can translate into significant exposure value.

Aside from her obvious accomplishments as a drag racer, Melanie is articulate and attractive. She has announced for ESPN-2, interviewing other racers and providing color for broadcast. Relaxed and knowledgeable, she was a credible resource for the show, pairing beauty and brains to draw both men and women viewers. She was also a hit on Late Night with David Letterman in May, easily chatting with him during an impromptu interview.

An avid trainer, Melanie lifts weights and does cardio exercises to stay fit. She appreciates her femininity, in spite of the male domination of her sport, and is confident enough to be herself. Women can admire and relate to her - she competes with men on equal footing and succeeds, yet admits she diets and exercises to keep her shape. Men appreciate her too - she's pretty, funny, friendly AND knows more about cars than they do. Teens look up to her - they love the speed of the sport, but she makes it more attainable - if she can do it, maybe they can too.

Melanie Troxel has the potential to do with drag racing what Tiger Woods did with golf. Because he is young, talented, charming, and not the typical golf pro, he made golf accessible to the masses and made millions for his sponsors. Melanie is not the typical drag racer, but she is young, beautiful, and talented. She's ready to be the vehicle for a sponsor to reach millions of viewers and make millions in revenue.

Melanie Troxel Vital Statistics:
Personal
Age - 30
Height - 5'9"
Weight - 129lbs
Marital Status - engaged to Tommy Johnson Jr, Funny Car Driver
Residence - Indianapolis

Racing Accomplishments
. Fastest time/Speed 4.576 ET/ 326.08 MPH
. Fastest driver in 2000 - 326.08
. 2000 NHRA Road to the Future Award winner
. 2000 Top Fuel Runner Up - NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals, Dallas, Texas
. Two-time NHRA champion and record holder in Alcohol Dragster class
. Daughter of late Mike Troxel, 1988 NHRA Alcohol Dragster champion

For more information check out her website HERE