Thu, 17 Sep 2009, 09:24 PM R2B2 Racing Team Looks to Continue Successes in Charlotte

Courtesy of Matthew Brammer

CONCORD, N.C. -- Four of the seven completed events in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx have seen an R2B2 Racing car in the final round, and at this weekend's NHRA Carolinas Nationals, the trio of drivers - Roger Burgess, Raymond Commisso and Melanie Troxel -- along with their crew chief Al Billes and the entire crew are anxious to put another car all the way into the winners circle.

On the heels of his impressive victory at the U.S. Nationals that shot him into second place in the race for the World Championship, Roger Burgess said he knows how far his team has come in such a short time. "When I think back to the testing we did before the season started and how far I've come, my winning two events including Indy, I can't help but be proud of what we've accomplished together. I've grown as a driver, and I know that with all the team has been through, we've become a cohesive unit, a family - and that makes what we're doing here that much more fun.

"I'm anxious to race at Charlotte. When I saw the zMax Dragway last year, I knew I wanted to race here. I don't think there's a finer facility in the U.S., and only a select few can rival it in the world," Burgess said.

Commisso is anxious to race Charlotte, too, but for slightly different reasons. His DNQ in Indianapolis cost him valuable championship points in an ever-tightening race, and his performance was hardly the way he wanted to follow up his first Pro Mod Challenge victory at Englishtown in June.

"All of Indy is behind us now, and we're ready to go. We got behind the eight-ball there, and the weather cost us a lap we needed to get into the show, but with Roger's win, that definitely made up for that. Getting to race at such an amazing facility as Charlotte and so many others in the NHRA is just one of the many reasons why there's nothing that compares to racing in this series.

"We have figured out what was bothering the car, and I'm sure we'll have a great weekend," Commisso said.

Troxel, a veteran racer in several other car classes yet a rookie in Pro Mod, wants to join her teammates with a visit to the top spot on the podium. In just her third Pro Mod Challenge start, Troxel said she is extremely comfortable in her 1963 Corvette.

"Every lap gets better, and the more seat time I get, the more comfortable driving a Pro Mod becomes. Al has gotten this VooDoo Corvette happy, and a happy car makes driving a lot of fun," Troxel said.

Burgess added, "Al has really put everything into shape, and given us three cars that can match up with anyone. This will be an exciting weekend, for sure, and well just take it one round at a time."

Qualifying rounds are scheduled Friday at 2:00 and 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Eliminations begin at 4:30 p.m. and conclude Sunday. Regular updates are available on NHRA.com and DragRaceCentral.com, and daily recaps are available on CompetitionPlus.com and ProModChallenge.com. Brief round-by-round recaps are also broadcast via Twitter by following GSAProMods.

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