Sitting on the sidelines since last November due to lack of sponsorship funding, Troxel said she is "very anxious to get back behind the wheel in competition.

"It's been a tough year sitting out, watching everyone else race, it's exciting to get in the car and get back out and get to make some passes," Troxel said. "We've been out testing a couple times with the Pro Mods and just recently in the Voodoo Corvette that I'll be driving this weekend.

"I feel really comfortable in the car and I'm very excited to get out there and race," she said.

"I had driven an alcohol Funny Car and alcohol Dragster quite a few years ago, so I thought there would be a lot of similarities between those cars and a Pro Mods, and there are mechanically - shifting, doing a lot of that stuff - but I was surprised at the difference from the alcohol cars and the Pro Mod. There's always a learning curve involved any time you move from the different classes, and it's taken me a little re-programming to get used to what the car is telling me.

"I've most recently come from the nitro cars that make a ton of horsepower, but they also make a lot of down-force to use all the power, and in contrast, the Pro Mod cars kind of have the feeling of being really light and loose on the track. They get up on the tire a lot and turn a whole lot of rpm's. It's a whole different sensation from nitro," she said.

"Roger has put together a first-class operation, and I feel really fortunate to be a part of the R2B2 Racing team. He and Raymond [Commisso, Troxel's other teammate] have done such a great job this year, that I really feel like I'm trying to live up to the standards they have set. I'm hoping I can keep up with them this weekend.

"The idea of having three cars on the track is to gather a little more information, and hopefully benefit all three of us. It's going to be a great weekend, and I know we'll all do very well, especially with Al Billes calling the shots.

"I knew of Al when I was driving the Top Alcohol cars, and now that I get the chance to work with him, I'm realizing just what a great guy he is and how much he's done for the sport. It's been a lot of fun so far with all the guys on the team, they make me feel right at home, and it's been a really good learning experience.

"Now, I just want to put all that learning to the test and get out on the track and race," Troxel said.

Qualifying is scheduled for 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Friday evening and 2 p.m. Saturday, with eliminations slated to begin at 5 p.m. Saturday evening and conclude Sunday afternoon.

Courtesy of Matthew Brammer