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POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 3, 2007) - Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi is resigned to the fact that he probably won't collect his second Funny Car crown after No. 1 in Countdown to One points Tony Pedregon qualified No. 16 at the Auto Club NHRA Finals. No. 2 Scelzi's only chance to win the title is if Pedregon goes out first round, and Scelzi wins and sets a national record. With temperatures in the 80s expected for Sunday, setting a national record would be difficult.
Scelzi drove the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T into No. 3 in the final qualifying session today, posting a 4.788-second elapsed time at 326.87 mph, the quickest of that round. His other laps were a 4.813/319.98 (No. 4), 6.933/121.45 (No. 4), and a 4.798/322.65 (No. 3).
"It was exciting as hell there for a while," said Scelzi, "watching to see Tony get in there in 16th. We were going for the pole. We're going to end up with Robert Hight (No. 3 in Countdown to One points) first round, so our fate is in our own hands, whether we're going to be fourth, or third, or second, whatever.
"Our goal right now is to try to take this Mopar/Oakley Dodge and win with it. We want to let these guys have a nice long winter thinking about how bad-ass we were the last half. That's our plan and we'll see if Pomona is going to be kind, or if Pomona is going to be the Wicked Witch of the West."
Is a national record possible on Sunday? "No, there's no way," said Scelzi, "not with the temperatures as we expect them to be. We're going to try to win the race; we're not going to try for a national record. There's still $100,000 out there and after second place the rest of it doesn't matter. The money falls off the cliff.
"We want that hundred grand. Hopefully we can make some noise and get it."
COUNTDOWN TO ONE POINTS FOLLOWING QUALIFYING TODAY:
1. Tony Pedregon, 3158
2. Gary Scelzi, 3072
3. Robert Hight, 3059
4. Ron Capps, 3047
SCELZI IS NO. 3 IN POMONA QUALIFYING
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 3, 2007) - Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi is resigned to the fact that he probably won't collect his second Funny Car crown after No. 1 in Countdown to One points Tony Pedregon qualified No. 16 at the Auto Club NHRA Finals. No. 2 Scelzi's only chance to win the title is if Pedregon goes out first round, and Scelzi wins and sets a national record. With temperatures in the 80s expected for Sunday, setting a national record would be difficult.
Scelzi drove the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T into No. 3 in the final qualifying session today, posting a 4.788-second elapsed time at 326.87 mph, the quickest of that round. His other laps were a 4.813/319.98 (No. 4), 6.933/121.45 (No. 4), and a 4.798/322.65 (No. 3).
"It was exciting as hell there for a while," said Scelzi, "watching to see Tony get in there in 16th. We were going for the pole. We're going to end up with Robert Hight (No. 3 in Countdown to One points) first round, so our fate is in our own hands, whether we're going to be fourth, or third, or second, whatever.
"Our goal right now is to try to take this Mopar/Oakley Dodge and win with it. We want to let these guys have a nice long winter thinking about how bad-ass we were the last half. That's our plan and we'll see if Pomona is going to be kind, or if Pomona is going to be the Wicked Witch of the West."
Is a national record possible on Sunday? "No, there's no way," said Scelzi, "not with the temperatures as we expect them to be. We're going to try to win the race; we're not going to try for a national record. There's still $100,000 out there and after second place the rest of it doesn't matter. The money falls off the cliff.
"We want that hundred grand. Hopefully we can make some noise and get it."
COUNTDOWN TO ONE POINTS FOLLOWING QUALIFYING TODAY:
1. Tony Pedregon, 3158
2. Gary Scelzi, 3072
3. Robert Hight, 3059
4. Ron Capps, 3047
