SCELZI CHASES FIRST U.S. NATIONALS WIN IN FUNNY CAR
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/g_scelzi.jpg" alt="g_scelzi" align="right"borders="0"/>
FRESNO, Calif. (Aug. 26, 2008) - Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi holds an impressive list of accomplishments, besides his four crowns: He's won 37 national events in 58 final rounds, was the first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier, won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie, and is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
And, even with with all that he has achieved, the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T has not won the prestigious U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class. His solo victory at this event came in Top Fuel, in 1998.
"It's time," he says. He's out of the hunt for a fifth championship this season, having missed a berth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs, but he's ready to "wreak havoc" on the rest of his competitors in the class as he prepares for this weekend's 54th annual U.S. Nationals with a new crew chief on board, stepping in for ailing tuner Todd Okuhara, and high hopes.
"We've got Richard Hogan tuning the car, who has been in the shop for a week, going through, refining, trying to find a combination that he will be comfortable with," says Scelzi. "He's working with Todd, he's working with Phil (Shuler, tuner of Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge), John Collins, our assistant crew chief, and everybody on the Don Schumacher Racing team.
"Everybody seems to be upbeat and going in a good direction. It's risky doing this before the U.S. Nationals. It's great that you've got an extra qualifying session (five in all), but you’ve also got a bunch of cars coming and everyone is trying to be a hero, and so are we.
"We know we can't win the POWERade championship so our plan now is to try to salvage the year by winning the U.S. Nationals.
"There's been a lot of changes, a lot of things going on. Hopefully we can get a handle on it all and cause havoc on all these guys who are going to be in the Countdown.
"One thing that I'm really excited about is (sons) Dominic (11) and Giovanni (6) are leaving with me today to head back to Indy," adds Scelzi, a Fresno, Calif., native. "We love Indianapolis. We have a lot of friends there and the boys and I are going to play with go-karts, we're going to go to a friend's house and do some swimming, go to some neat restaurants and just have a great time before Mom (Julie) gets in on Thursday night.
"So, hopefully the motor home won't be a disaster by the time she gets there and all of us will be in one piece and ready to race on Friday."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 13 in points after 17 events in 2008 (one semifinal, four quarterfinal finishes, nine first rounds and three DNQs)
* Qualified No. 10 at 2007 U.S. Nationals, lost first round to Del Worsham
* U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner in 2008 (Mike Dunn)
* Third in 2007 Funny Car point standings
* Won class-best four national events in 2007, in four final rounds
* Qualified No. 1 and won the 2007 season-opening Pomona event (against Robert Hight), again qualified No. 1 and won the Chicago event, then won in Memphis and Richmond
* Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points, with one win in three final rounds, no low qualifiers
* Claimed the 2005 Funny Car championship, his first, by eight points over his teammate Ron Capps, 32 over third-place John Force
* Won three times in 2005, was low qualifier six times
* Is a three-time Top Fuel champion (1997, 1998, 2000)
* Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first
* Has set 24 Funny Car top speeds since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2003
* Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004)
* Career Funny Car bests: 4.690-second ET (Pomona 1 '07), 333.49 mph (Pomona 1 '07)
* Qualified in top five 19 times in 2005, No. 1 six times
* Has 37 career national-event titles in 58 final rounds
* Career round win-loss record is 375-206
* Age 47 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 11, races Restricted 600 Mini Sprints; Giovanni, 6, races Junior Sprints
* Runs Scelzi Enterprises, a custom truck body design and manufacturing business in Fresno with his two brothers
* Won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie
* Has 12 Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2008 is his sixth straight season racing for Don Schumacher Racing
* Is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. He accomplished this feat by winning Nitro Funny Car at Infineon Raceway in 2003
* Is one of the few Funny Car drivers who has a final-round-winning record against the 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 3-1 in final rounds, 12-12 in head-to-head match-ups
* Said early in 2007 that he would step away from NHRA competition at end of season. An offer from NHRA team owner Ken Black to fly him to and from 10 races in 2008, so he could spend more time with family business and family, helped him change his mind and return with DSR in 2008
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/g_scelzi.jpg" alt="g_scelzi" align="right"borders="0"/>
FRESNO, Calif. (Aug. 26, 2008) - Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi holds an impressive list of accomplishments, besides his four crowns: He's won 37 national events in 58 final rounds, was the first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier, won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie, and is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
And, even with with all that he has achieved, the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T has not won the prestigious U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class. His solo victory at this event came in Top Fuel, in 1998.
"It's time," he says. He's out of the hunt for a fifth championship this season, having missed a berth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs, but he's ready to "wreak havoc" on the rest of his competitors in the class as he prepares for this weekend's 54th annual U.S. Nationals with a new crew chief on board, stepping in for ailing tuner Todd Okuhara, and high hopes.
"We've got Richard Hogan tuning the car, who has been in the shop for a week, going through, refining, trying to find a combination that he will be comfortable with," says Scelzi. "He's working with Todd, he's working with Phil (Shuler, tuner of Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge), John Collins, our assistant crew chief, and everybody on the Don Schumacher Racing team.
"Everybody seems to be upbeat and going in a good direction. It's risky doing this before the U.S. Nationals. It's great that you've got an extra qualifying session (five in all), but you’ve also got a bunch of cars coming and everyone is trying to be a hero, and so are we.
"We know we can't win the POWERade championship so our plan now is to try to salvage the year by winning the U.S. Nationals.
"There's been a lot of changes, a lot of things going on. Hopefully we can get a handle on it all and cause havoc on all these guys who are going to be in the Countdown.
"One thing that I'm really excited about is (sons) Dominic (11) and Giovanni (6) are leaving with me today to head back to Indy," adds Scelzi, a Fresno, Calif., native. "We love Indianapolis. We have a lot of friends there and the boys and I are going to play with go-karts, we're going to go to a friend's house and do some swimming, go to some neat restaurants and just have a great time before Mom (Julie) gets in on Thursday night.
"So, hopefully the motor home won't be a disaster by the time she gets there and all of us will be in one piece and ready to race on Friday."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 13 in points after 17 events in 2008 (one semifinal, four quarterfinal finishes, nine first rounds and three DNQs)
* Qualified No. 10 at 2007 U.S. Nationals, lost first round to Del Worsham
* U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner in 2008 (Mike Dunn)
* Third in 2007 Funny Car point standings
* Won class-best four national events in 2007, in four final rounds
* Qualified No. 1 and won the 2007 season-opening Pomona event (against Robert Hight), again qualified No. 1 and won the Chicago event, then won in Memphis and Richmond
* Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points, with one win in three final rounds, no low qualifiers
* Claimed the 2005 Funny Car championship, his first, by eight points over his teammate Ron Capps, 32 over third-place John Force
* Won three times in 2005, was low qualifier six times
* Is a three-time Top Fuel champion (1997, 1998, 2000)
* Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first
* Has set 24 Funny Car top speeds since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2003
* Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004)
* Career Funny Car bests: 4.690-second ET (Pomona 1 '07), 333.49 mph (Pomona 1 '07)
* Qualified in top five 19 times in 2005, No. 1 six times
* Has 37 career national-event titles in 58 final rounds
* Career round win-loss record is 375-206
* Age 47 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 11, races Restricted 600 Mini Sprints; Giovanni, 6, races Junior Sprints
* Runs Scelzi Enterprises, a custom truck body design and manufacturing business in Fresno with his two brothers
* Won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie
* Has 12 Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2008 is his sixth straight season racing for Don Schumacher Racing
* Is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. He accomplished this feat by winning Nitro Funny Car at Infineon Raceway in 2003
* Is one of the few Funny Car drivers who has a final-round-winning record against the 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 3-1 in final rounds, 12-12 in head-to-head match-ups
* Said early in 2007 that he would step away from NHRA competition at end of season. An offer from NHRA team owner Ken Black to fly him to and from 10 races in 2008, so he could spend more time with family business and family, helped him change his mind and return with DSR in 2008
