TROXEL, CAPPS QUICKEST AT TUESDAY TESTING FOR MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS
CLERMONT, Ind. – Melanie Troxel and Ron Capps posted the quickest runs in their respective categories Tuesday at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis during testing for the 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the world’s most prestigious drag race.
Troxel and Capps will be among the many drivers competing in the $2.6 million event, Aug. 29 — Sept. 3 at the legendary multi-use motorsports facility. ESPN2 will provide more than 10 hours of event coverage of the historic race.
Troxel’s Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA dragster clocked the quickest Top Fuel run of the day, with 4.530 second run at 328.46 mph.
“We made three runs today and two of them we got down the track so we’re feeling pretty good about the test session in general,” Troxel said. “I’m looking forward to getting out here tomorrow and seeing if we can’t improve on those times.”
Troxel found herself within 2 points of the eighth-place cutoff spot in the Countdown to the Championship heading into the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals last week in Reading, Pa. but was unable to make it into the Top 8 after a first round loss to teammate Morgan Lucas. Though Troxel finds herself on the outside of the Countdown playoffs, her motivation in testing is to test some of the smaller things on her dragster in preparation for next week’s event in Indy.
“We’ve just been testing some little things,” Troxel said. “Trying some new clutch discs and just generally getting ready for qualifying here at Indy. I would imagine that is what we are going to do out here tomorrow. A little bit of testing and a little bit of getting ready for our U.S. Nationals tune-up.”
Following a close second during the test session was U.S. Army dragster pilot and five-time U.S. Nationals winner Tony Schumacher. Schumacher piloted his dragster to a 4.572 second run at 325.85 mph. Schumacher is the defending event winner in Indy and is currently fourth in the POWERade Championship point standings.
Capps held the fastest run in Funny Car for most of the day, driving his Brut Dodge Charger to a 4.852 second at 317.12 mph run. Currently sitting in the No.1 position in the points in Funny Car, Capps is ready to see what will happen in Indy next week.
“I’m so excited with the Countdown starting,” Capps said. “You can feel the excitement and there is so much going on. We got in the lanes right at 8 o’clock and ran a 485 and right now, to be honest with you, we’re not testing. We’re practicing. And we’re practicing running race day attitudes, approaching night qualifying and getting ready. It’s just exciting. I wish next weekend was here all ready.”
Capps’ teammate, Gary Scelzi, drove his HEMI/Oakley Dodge Charger to the second spot during testing with a 4.869 second run at 321.19 mph. “Fast” Jack Beckman completed the Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car trio, driving his Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger to the sixth spot in testing with a 5.229 second run at 207.72 mph.
Pro Stock driver Kevin Lawrence ended the day with the fastest run in his category. Lawrence drove his Modern Carraige Werks Chevy Cobalt to a 6.866 second run at 193. 18 mph.
Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Joe DeSantis was the only rider to make a successful run down the track, posting a 7.958 second run at 130.15 mph.
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals testing continues Wednesday at 10 a.m.
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Tuesday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Funny Car at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Ron Capps Brut Charger 4.852 317.12
2. Gary Scelzi Hemi Oakley Charger 4.869 321.19
3. Mark Oswald Torco Racing Fuels Charger 4.974 294.82
4. Jerry Toliver Rockstar Energy Drinks Solara 4.995 311.13
5. Kenny Bernstein Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Charg 5.010 264.18
6. Jack Beckman MTS Charger 5.229 207.72
7. Gary Densham Torco/Racebricks Impala 7.420 114.45
8. Scott Kalitta DHL Solara 9.889 87.11
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Tuesday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Top Fuel at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Melanie Troxel Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA Drags 4.530 328.46
2. Tony Schumacher U.S. Army Dragster 4.572 325.85
3. Whit Bazemore Matco Tools Dragster 6.451 127.67
4. Phil Burkart Hartley Racing Dragster 6.644 129.49
5. Hillary Will KB Racing Dragster 6.692 118.04
6. Scott Kalitta Mac Tools/Jesse James Dragster 7.367 106.22
7. Bob Vandergriff UPS Dragster 10.062 82.58
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Tuesday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Kevin Lawrence Modern Carriage Werks Cobalt 6.866 193.18
2. Matt Scranton GTO 6.869 200.74
3. Steve Schmidt Schmidt Competition Engines Co 6.870 201.22
4. Kenny Koretsky Indicom Cobalt 7.199 146.99
5. Matt Hartford GTO 7.421 130.69
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Tuesday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Rider Vehicle ET Speed
1. Joe DeSantis Suzuki 7.958 130.15
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