SCELZI NOT LOOKING FOR MIRACLES IN READING
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/g_scelzi.jpg" alt="g_scelzi" align="left"borders="0"/>
FRESNO, Calif. (Aug. 13, 2008) - Although mathematically still in the running to earn a berth in the Countdown to 1 championship playoffs, four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi faces a major challenge in the final two races before the playoffs begin for the top 10 in points following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car is 13th in the standings, 134 points out of a place in the top 10, with eight rounds of competition remaining. With 20 points allotted for each round win, it's still possible, but not probable. And Scelzi feels the pain.
"To me it's over," he said. "Not trying to be negative, but the performance of our car just hasn't been there all year long and we can't go into Reading and Indy looking for miracles. All we can do is try to straighten this thing out and try to do well.
"I'm not looking for big things to happen," said Scelzi, whose crew chief Todd Okuhara is still recuperating from a viral inner-ear infection. Okuhara missed last weekend's event in Brainerd, Minn., and is not expected to be at Maple Grove this weekend. U.S. Army dragster crew chief Alan Johnson has pitched in, as well as Phil Shuler, crew chief on the Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge.
"Alan Johnson has done a great job helping Phil and trying to change some things around. But even Alan Johnson doesn't have a magic wand," Scelzi added. "So, I'm not going into Reading looking for miracles. I'm just going there to try to get a consistent race car that hopefully can be fast by the time we get to Indy and maybe cause some havoc on the guys in the Countdown.
"Right now I just want to try to salvage a win or two or maybe more. And try to keep team morale up. It's pretty frustrating and it's difficult on the team right now."
Scelzi is a three-time victor at Maple Grove Raceway: two wins in Top Fuel (1998 and 2001) and once in Funny Car, in 2004. He was also low qualifier in Top Fuel in 1998 and 1999 and in Funny Car in 2005.
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 13 in points after 16 events in 2008 (one semifinal, four quarterfinal finishes, nine first rounds and two DNQs)
* 134 points out of a spot in the top 10 for the Countdown to 1 playoffs
* Qualified No. 6 at 2007 Reading event, lost first round to Robert Hight
* No. 1 qualifier in Reading in 1998 and 1999 (TF) and 2005 (FC)
* Funny Car winner in Reading in 2004 (John Force)
* Top Fuel winner in Reading in 1998 (Mike Dunn) and 2001 (Kenny Bernstein)
* Top Fuel runner-up in Reading in 2000 (Joe Amato)
* 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 377-205
* 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="left"borders="0"/>
FRESNO, Calif. (Aug. 13, 2008) - Although mathematically still in the running to earn a berth in the Countdown to 1 championship playoffs, four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi faces a major challenge in the final two races before the playoffs begin for the top 10 in points following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car is 13th in the standings, 134 points out of a place in the top 10, with eight rounds of competition remaining. With 20 points allotted for each round win, it's still possible, but not probable. And Scelzi feels the pain.
"To me it's over," he said. "Not trying to be negative, but the performance of our car just hasn't been there all year long and we can't go into Reading and Indy looking for miracles. All we can do is try to straighten this thing out and try to do well.
"I'm not looking for big things to happen," said Scelzi, whose crew chief Todd Okuhara is still recuperating from a viral inner-ear infection. Okuhara missed last weekend's event in Brainerd, Minn., and is not expected to be at Maple Grove this weekend. U.S. Army dragster crew chief Alan Johnson has pitched in, as well as Phil Shuler, crew chief on the Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge.
"Alan Johnson has done a great job helping Phil and trying to change some things around. But even Alan Johnson doesn't have a magic wand," Scelzi added. "So, I'm not going into Reading looking for miracles. I'm just going there to try to get a consistent race car that hopefully can be fast by the time we get to Indy and maybe cause some havoc on the guys in the Countdown.
"Right now I just want to try to salvage a win or two or maybe more. And try to keep team morale up. It's pretty frustrating and it's difficult on the team right now."
Scelzi is a three-time victor at Maple Grove Raceway: two wins in Top Fuel (1998 and 2001) and once in Funny Car, in 2004. He was also low qualifier in Top Fuel in 1998 and 1999 and in Funny Car in 2005.
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 13 in points after 16 events in 2008 (one semifinal, four quarterfinal finishes, nine first rounds and two DNQs)
* 134 points out of a spot in the top 10 for the Countdown to 1 playoffs
* Qualified No. 6 at 2007 Reading event, lost first round to Robert Hight
* No. 1 qualifier in Reading in 1998 and 1999 (TF) and 2005 (FC)
* Funny Car winner in Reading in 2004 (John Force)
* Top Fuel winner in Reading in 1998 (Mike Dunn) and 2001 (Kenny Bernstein)
* Top Fuel runner-up in Reading in 2000 (Joe Amato)
* 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 377-205
* 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
