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ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Birthday presents come in all shapes and sizes but none compare to the one Team Torco delivered to their sponsor Evan Knoll during the NHRA O'Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, MO. Knoll celebrated his birthday over the course of the race weekend.
The tally for those weekend gifts included three national event victories, two runner-ups, two semi-final finishes, two #1 qualifiers, an elapsed time world record and a handful of track records.
“I am so proud of our teams,” Knoll said. “I wish I would have been there, but this was a real treat. This is a birthday I will always remember. My teams deliver a lot … week in and week out … but this race was really special.”
Melanie Troxel culminated the incredible weekend by capturing the Top Fuel crown behind the wheel of a car that Knoll unselfishly donated to honor the Vietnam Veterans and POW-MIA families and servicemen. Her weekend began from the bottom half of the ladder but when it was all said and done, she was the Queen of the Hill topping Cory McClenathan, who also carries the Torco Race Fuels logo emblazoned alongside primary sponsor Fram-Bendix.
“Evan is a special guy and we wanted to reach down deep and pull off something special for him,” Troxel said. “He’s given so much to us, it just feels great to be able to give back.”
This marked Troxel’s first 2007 victory in two finals. The weekend thrust her into the fifth spot for the championship standings.
Mike Ashley drove his Fuel Doctor-nicknamed, Knoll tribute Dodge Charger to a third consecutive #1 qualifying effort as well as a new Gateway International Raceway speed track record. His weekend delivered a strong semi-final finish.
"Qualifying number one is special because today is my sponsor, Evan Knoll's, birthday, and this is a special gift I can give to him," Ashley said.
Team Torco had three of the four contestants in the semi-finals of Pro Stock car competition. Dave Connolly led the Torco brigade with a significant victory over teammate Jeg Coughlin, Jr.
This weekend’s triumph marked Connolly’s first final in St. Louis and his 21st victory in five years.
"The real win for this Torco team was in the semis when Jeggie beat Greg (Anderson)" Connolly said. "That was a big feat. Then I had to come up behind him, and the pressure was on for me to beat a good friend and another Torco racer in Justin Humphreys. To get both cars in the final is a real tribute to everything that Victor's put together, all the way from the marketing people, to the chassis shop, to the engine shop; to the on-track performance is just excellent.
Not to be forgotten was rookie driver Justin Humphrey’s performance behind the wheel of the Knoll Gas Motorsports Pontiac GTO with Dick Maskin tuning. This marked only his second qualifying berth and he knocked out some heavy-hitters along the way including the defending world champion Jason Line and Hall of Fame inductee Warren Johnson.
And just to think, it all started with second-generation drag racer Matt Smith who turned into a proverbial one-man wrecking crew. The Torco rider demoralized the competition with a brutal 6.9 second pace that not only led the Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying, but also clinched a new class elapsed time record and his first victory of the season.
Smith earned the maximum 138 points for winning the event, qualifying No.1 and setting the national record with his winning pass of 6.901 at 191.78. He also ascended into the class point lead.
“Credit this team with giving me a bike that has been running so sweet all year,” Smith said. “We've worked very hard for this win so to go out and get it done is very satisfying."
All told, the one who was most satisfied was Knoll, he got the present he was looking for.
TEAM TORCO DELIVERS ULTIMATE BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR SPONSOR EVAN KNOLL
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Birthday presents come in all shapes and sizes but none compare to the one Team Torco delivered to their sponsor Evan Knoll during the NHRA O'Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, MO. Knoll celebrated his birthday over the course of the race weekend.
The tally for those weekend gifts included three national event victories, two runner-ups, two semi-final finishes, two #1 qualifiers, an elapsed time world record and a handful of track records.
“I am so proud of our teams,” Knoll said. “I wish I would have been there, but this was a real treat. This is a birthday I will always remember. My teams deliver a lot … week in and week out … but this race was really special.”
Melanie Troxel culminated the incredible weekend by capturing the Top Fuel crown behind the wheel of a car that Knoll unselfishly donated to honor the Vietnam Veterans and POW-MIA families and servicemen. Her weekend began from the bottom half of the ladder but when it was all said and done, she was the Queen of the Hill topping Cory McClenathan, who also carries the Torco Race Fuels logo emblazoned alongside primary sponsor Fram-Bendix.
“Evan is a special guy and we wanted to reach down deep and pull off something special for him,” Troxel said. “He’s given so much to us, it just feels great to be able to give back.”
This marked Troxel’s first 2007 victory in two finals. The weekend thrust her into the fifth spot for the championship standings.
Mike Ashley drove his Fuel Doctor-nicknamed, Knoll tribute Dodge Charger to a third consecutive #1 qualifying effort as well as a new Gateway International Raceway speed track record. His weekend delivered a strong semi-final finish.
"Qualifying number one is special because today is my sponsor, Evan Knoll's, birthday, and this is a special gift I can give to him," Ashley said.
Team Torco had three of the four contestants in the semi-finals of Pro Stock car competition. Dave Connolly led the Torco brigade with a significant victory over teammate Jeg Coughlin, Jr.
This weekend’s triumph marked Connolly’s first final in St. Louis and his 21st victory in five years.
"The real win for this Torco team was in the semis when Jeggie beat Greg (Anderson)" Connolly said. "That was a big feat. Then I had to come up behind him, and the pressure was on for me to beat a good friend and another Torco racer in Justin Humphreys. To get both cars in the final is a real tribute to everything that Victor's put together, all the way from the marketing people, to the chassis shop, to the engine shop; to the on-track performance is just excellent.
Not to be forgotten was rookie driver Justin Humphrey’s performance behind the wheel of the Knoll Gas Motorsports Pontiac GTO with Dick Maskin tuning. This marked only his second qualifying berth and he knocked out some heavy-hitters along the way including the defending world champion Jason Line and Hall of Fame inductee Warren Johnson.
And just to think, it all started with second-generation drag racer Matt Smith who turned into a proverbial one-man wrecking crew. The Torco rider demoralized the competition with a brutal 6.9 second pace that not only led the Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying, but also clinched a new class elapsed time record and his first victory of the season.
Smith earned the maximum 138 points for winning the event, qualifying No.1 and setting the national record with his winning pass of 6.901 at 191.78. He also ascended into the class point lead.
“Credit this team with giving me a bike that has been running so sweet all year,” Smith said. “We've worked very hard for this win so to go out and get it done is very satisfying."
All told, the one who was most satisfied was Knoll, he got the present he was looking for.
