If Melanie Troxel thought her transition to the Pro Modified division would be seamless, she was rattled back to reality in April during her first set of runs.
Troxel’s first experience in the driver’s seat of a Pro Modified resulted in her flipping the car onto its top, and she’s been learning the car and its ornery tendencies ever since.
The popular driver and five-time winner on the NHRA circuit is one of only 14 drivers in the sport to earn wins in two different classes—Top Fuel and Funny Car. A lull in sponsorship money this season forced her to park her Funny Car and make the transition to the less expensive Pro Modified division, which she will run for the rest of the season.
Troxel will make only the third IHRA start of her career this weekend at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin for the IHRA Northern Nationals. Her first IHRA start also came in Martin in 2006.
“It’s nice to come back to a track you know,” said Troxel, whose husband Tommie Johnson Jr., an NHRA star, will also make the trip to compete in an exhibition class. “Even if it isn’t anything specific that you know about the track that helps you, just the familiarity, that’s always nice to have as drivers. I’m looking forward to coming back.”
“It’s like starting over,” Troxel said. “It’s been nine months since I’ve been in the seat of a race car and it takes a little bit of time to get back in there and get used to what you’re doing. ... There is a whole new procedure to get used to.”
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