Troxel, Hawley, Llewellyn U.S. Nationals Saturday qualifying
Melanie Troxel's under-the-lights 4.117-second run puts her sixth
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/m_troxel_508502.jpg" alt="m_troxel_508502" align="left"/>INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 30, 2008 -- A 4.117-second qualifying run at 300.60 mph Saturday night brought a sigh of relief from Melanie Troxel, crew chief Brian Corradi and the R2B2 Racing Dodge Charger R/T team. And it put her No. 6 in the top 16 for Monday's Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park.
Troxel had been ninth going into the quick session but the quicker run assured her of a starting spot.
"That was exactly what we were trying to do in the night session -- go straight down the track and make a good run," said Troxel. "The car is very easy to drive this weekend from the first pass we made (Friday) night.
"That run takes the pressure off. Now I have to pull for my teammate (Frank Hawley) and my husband (Tommy Johnson Jr.) to get in Sunday."
Qualifying concludes with two more runs Sunday. Monday's eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
Frank Hawley's 4.218-second time good for 15th
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/FranH.jpg" alt="FranH"align="right"borders="0" />Crew chief Aaron Brooks was looking at the computer after Frank Hawley drove the R2B2 Racing Rite Aid Dodge Charger R/T to his best run of the weekend, 4.218 seconds at 293.98 mph.
Brooks said he was changing the tune-up to adjust for Saturday's warmer temperatures. "We made a lot of power (on Friday's opening run) and overpowered the track. And today, the motor was a little weak and we didn't run very good at night. It would have been a good run in the heat."
Fortunately, Sunday's weather forecast calls for continuing hot temperatures. Two more qualifying runs are on the docket.
Peggy Llewellyn is 14th in Pro Stock Motorcycle
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/p_Llewellyn_853141.jpg" alt="p_Llewellyn_853141" align="left"borders="0"/>R2B2 Motors Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Peggy Llewellyn was 14th Saturday after qualifying for Monday's U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Her best run, 7.064 seconds at 187.31 mph, came in the day's second run.
She began the day with a 7.148-second effort on a hot track and Matt Guidera's team made the right tuning calls on the R2B2 Motors Buell for the second session. Two more runs Sunday will set the 16-bike lineup for eliminations.
"We had a good tune-up on the last run," Llewellyn said. "We are changing my riding style and we will do better Sunday."
Melanie Troxel's under-the-lights 4.117-second run puts her sixth
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/m_troxel_508502.jpg" alt="m_troxel_508502" align="left"/>INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 30, 2008 -- A 4.117-second qualifying run at 300.60 mph Saturday night brought a sigh of relief from Melanie Troxel, crew chief Brian Corradi and the R2B2 Racing Dodge Charger R/T team. And it put her No. 6 in the top 16 for Monday's Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park.
Troxel had been ninth going into the quick session but the quicker run assured her of a starting spot.
"That was exactly what we were trying to do in the night session -- go straight down the track and make a good run," said Troxel. "The car is very easy to drive this weekend from the first pass we made (Friday) night.
"That run takes the pressure off. Now I have to pull for my teammate (Frank Hawley) and my husband (Tommy Johnson Jr.) to get in Sunday."
Qualifying concludes with two more runs Sunday. Monday's eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
Frank Hawley's 4.218-second time good for 15th
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/FranH.jpg" alt="FranH"align="right"borders="0" />Crew chief Aaron Brooks was looking at the computer after Frank Hawley drove the R2B2 Racing Rite Aid Dodge Charger R/T to his best run of the weekend, 4.218 seconds at 293.98 mph.
Brooks said he was changing the tune-up to adjust for Saturday's warmer temperatures. "We made a lot of power (on Friday's opening run) and overpowered the track. And today, the motor was a little weak and we didn't run very good at night. It would have been a good run in the heat."
Fortunately, Sunday's weather forecast calls for continuing hot temperatures. Two more qualifying runs are on the docket.
Peggy Llewellyn is 14th in Pro Stock Motorcycle
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/p_Llewellyn_853141.jpg" alt="p_Llewellyn_853141" align="left"borders="0"/>R2B2 Motors Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Peggy Llewellyn was 14th Saturday after qualifying for Monday's U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Her best run, 7.064 seconds at 187.31 mph, came in the day's second run.
She began the day with a 7.148-second effort on a hot track and Matt Guidera's team made the right tuning calls on the R2B2 Motors Buell for the second session. Two more runs Sunday will set the 16-bike lineup for eliminations.
"We had a good tune-up on the last run," Llewellyn said. "We are changing my riding style and we will do better Sunday."
