Courtesy of NHRA.com

At some point in the very near future, Melanie Troxel will have to be mentioned in the same breath as Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey.

Sunday in Charlotte, Troxel drove her In-N-Out Burger ’67 Camaro to the winner’s circle at zMax Dragway, becoming the first female drag racer in any major sanction to win a Pro Mod race. Added to her previous victories in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Top Alcohol Dragster, Troxel has now won Wallys in four different NHRA categories, another record for females.

“I embrace the fact that winning in four different NHRA classes is special,” Troxel said. “In 60 years, not many people have done that and you look at the ones that have and you’re in great company.

“Being the only female to have done it … that just doesn’t do it for me. Anyone that knows me will tell you right away my feelings on that stuff. I realize it’s something people look at, especially the media, and that’s fine. I just don’t feel special for being the only woman to have done it. I feel special and very fortunate to have done it as a racer, period, not as a woman.”

Sound familiar? Muldowney fought for equal footing alongside the boys throughout her illustrious career and earned respect the old fashioned way — on the racetrack — with three NHRA Top Fuel championships and 18 national event wins in a time when there were only half a dozen races a year.

Sampey also endured some taunting during her time in Pro Stock Motorcycle, but she shrugged off the poor sportsmanship shown by some of her rivals and captured three championships and a record 41 national event titles.

Neither woman touted themselves as great female racers, rather simply as racers.

“I love that girls come around and identify with me at the races,” Troxel said, echoing comments made by Muldowney and Sampey in the past. “Mostly because I want them to realize that women can do anything. We can take on non-traditional jobs and excel. I love that role.

“When I was a kid I remember noticing Shirley. My parents always told me I could do anything I set my mind to and seeing her drag race and do it successfully really reinforced what my mom and dad were always telling me. She impacted my way of thinking. If I can do that now for some girls out there then that’s great.”

Troxel already etched her name in the record books when she became the first woman to win in drag racing’s two premier categories — Top Fuel and Funny Car — in the spring of 2008. Only 14 racers in history have accomplished that feat.

At that point she distinguished herself as the only woman with wins in three different classes. Now she’s upped that number to four.

“The coolest thing about the Pro Mod win is that I’m not entirely sure if I’ll be driving Pro Mod again next year so if it didn’t happen in Charlotte or Vegas, it might not have happened at all,” Troxel said. “The plan right now is to run Funny Car full time in 2011 and the thinking is I’d like to give that 100 percent of my focus. (Running Pro Mod in 2011) is not completely out of the question, but it’s more likely that I won’t.”

In the three largest drag racing sanctions — NHRA, IHRA, and ADRL — no female has every won a national event in Pro Mod until Sunday. Shelly Payne did capture the title of the NHRA Dallas race in 2008, but at the time Pro Mod was running as an exhibition class.

“I’ve absolutely enjoyed running Pro Mod and I’m really glad to earn a win for my team,” said Troxel, who races for multi-car team owner/driver Roger Burgess. “I wasn’t so sure in the beginning because these cars are notorious for being out of control and they certainly can be at times.

“On an average weekend racing Pro Mod you find yourself out on that edge where you’re really close to wrecking at least one time. In most other cars you’ll have that feeling maybe once or twice a year. It’s a crazy class.”

Troxel has no female-oriented goals ahead of her, but is pleased at the prospect of running full-time alongside fellow female racer Ashley Force Hood in 2011.

“There’s only two of us racing Funny Car so we’re bound to hear the female thing a lot,” Troxel said. “That’s alright; as long as I’m racing a car I’m happy, or should I say I’m a happy girl?”

[News & Picture Source]