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Alan ’ s son , is talking about coming out in the car . So the whole family is just getting behind it and they ’ re loving it . I ’ m loving it , and it ’ s just a great fit between us . They ’ re great people . We all get along really well , and hopefully we can continue having success .”
Melnick carried momentum into the Mid-Atlantic Showdown at Virginia Motorsports Park , where he raced to a runner-up finish to Franklin . When his home race rolled around , the American Doorslammer Challenge at Summit Motorsports Park , Melnick was actually laid up in a hospital bed at the Cleveland Clinic all week to find out why he ’ d been experiencing chronic pain . He was unsure that he ’ d be able to race . He and O ’ Brien even asked Travis Harvey to fill in , but Melnick was cleared by doctors and released in time for Friday qualifying .
While Melnick was still waiting on test results , doctors warned him that he likely had cancer . He told only his closest family and friends , then went to work on winning for the second time in three races . Melnick set low E . T . of the first two rounds , broke the beams on a semifinal bye run , then used a . 010 holeshot advantage in the final round to beat Doug Nicholl , who matched Melnick ’ s 4.128- second performance .
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“ They ’ re all special , believe me ,” Melnick said in the winner ’ s circle . “ Every win you get your whole life is special . Whether it ’ s at a local track winning in No Box , it ’ s special . To come to a PDRA race and to win in a professional category is something I never thought I would do my whole life . To do that on a week like this where you ’ re stuck in a hospital bed , you ’ re staring out the window , and you don ’ t know what tomorrow ’ s gonna bring , good or bad , it ’ s awesome .”
Since Norwalk , Melnick has had a neck biopsy to remove a lymph node , a whole-body PET scan , and a bone marrow biopsy . He met with the head oncologist to find out that the results of those tests determined he has a form of non-Hodgkin ’ s lymphoma . It ’ s treatable with chemotherapy , but it ’ s not curable , so it can come back at any point once he ’ s in remission .
Melnick started chemo treatments the week after the North vs . South Shootout at Maryland International Raceway , where he wounded his engine in a first-round win over Brian Clauss . He ’ ll have to go for treatments every three weeks , though his doctors are all supportive of his racing endeavors and have worked with him to schedule treatments around the PDRA schedule .
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He ’ s as optimistic as he was when he left GALOT at the beginning of the season , and he ’ s hopeful his cancer diagnosis won ’ t impact his racing efforts , on and off the track .
“ I don ’ t want to be known as the cancer guy , but it is what it is ,” Melnick says . “ I don ’ t want it to be a secret , and I ’ m not scared to talk about it , but I really do think I ’ m going to be just fine . I think I ’ m going to
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beat it and I think I ’ m going to win this championship this year . So that ’ s the mentality we ’ ve got and that ’ s what we ’ re working towards . And I don ’ t think there ’ s anything that ’ s really going to stop us from doing it .
“ Right now , we ’ re leading the world championship standings , so as long as there ’ s air coming in these lungs , I ’ m going to strap myself in the car and let her eat .”
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