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FRESNO, Calif. (Aug. 15, 2007) - Gary Scelzi is pumped to compete in this weekend's Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. He's already clinched a spot in the Countdown to the Championship and is ready for the next phase at the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend after the completion of this event. The four-time NHRA world champion and driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car is a three-time titlist at Maple Grove, and is eager to get on this very fast quarter-mile following a strong result last weekend in Brainerd, Minn.
"After coming off of a semifinal finish in Brainerd," said Scelzi, seventh in the standings. "I'm excited about going to Reading. I know the track has had some repairs there, and I know, if the sun's out, as porous as that race track is, it's going to be a very difficult race track just to negotiate."
Scelzi also has confidence in his new crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler. "Todd seems to be pretty good on a slippery race track and very confident in his tune-up. That's going to bring confidence to my team and myself, and right now that's exactly what we need gong into Indy.
"So, we'll go to Reading and hopefully the weather will cooperate. If the temperatures are a little cooler, that will be even better. We'll go there and try to get us a first win with Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler being our crew chiefs."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* Seventh in Funny Car points after qualifying No. 1 and winning the 2007 season-opening Pomona event, and again qualifying No. 1 and winning the Chicago event. His other results this season are first-round losses in Phoenix, Gainesville, Las Vegas, Englishtown, Denver and Sonoma, quarterfinal finishes in Houston, Atlanta, St. Louis, Topeka, Bristol and Seattle, a semifinal finish in Brainerd, and a DNQ in Norwalk
* Is 227 points behind leader Ron Capps, 39 points short of third
* Two TF wins in Reading, in 1998 and 2001; one FC win, in 2004; one TF runner-up, in 2000
* No. 1 qualifier three times in Reading: in TF in 1998 and 1999, in FC in 2005
* Qualified No. 4 in Reading in 2006, lost second round to Phil Burkart
* Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points, with a win in Denver (three final rounds), runner-up in Englishtown, N.J., runner-up in Brainerd, Minn., and three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis.
* Also had seven quarterfinal finishes and no No. 1 qualifiers in '06
* 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 (Bristol, Chicago 1 and Sonoma); was low qualifier six times (Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, St. Louis, Reading, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2)
* 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 a member of the largest team in NHRA pro history: Don Schumacher Racing - one in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, one in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories)
* 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
* Age 47 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 10, races Restricted 600 Mini 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 10 Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2007 is his fifth 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 round winning record against the 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 12-10, 3-1 in final rounds
* Says he's stepping away from NHRA competition at end of 2007, but not retiring
SCELZI PUMPED FOR READING
FRESNO, Calif. (Aug. 15, 2007) - Gary Scelzi is pumped to compete in this weekend's Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. He's already clinched a spot in the Countdown to the Championship and is ready for the next phase at the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend after the completion of this event. The four-time NHRA world champion and driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car is a three-time titlist at Maple Grove, and is eager to get on this very fast quarter-mile following a strong result last weekend in Brainerd, Minn.
"After coming off of a semifinal finish in Brainerd," said Scelzi, seventh in the standings. "I'm excited about going to Reading. I know the track has had some repairs there, and I know, if the sun's out, as porous as that race track is, it's going to be a very difficult race track just to negotiate."
Scelzi also has confidence in his new crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler. "Todd seems to be pretty good on a slippery race track and very confident in his tune-up. That's going to bring confidence to my team and myself, and right now that's exactly what we need gong into Indy.
"So, we'll go to Reading and hopefully the weather will cooperate. If the temperatures are a little cooler, that will be even better. We'll go there and try to get us a first win with Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler being our crew chiefs."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* Seventh in Funny Car points after qualifying No. 1 and winning the 2007 season-opening Pomona event, and again qualifying No. 1 and winning the Chicago event. His other results this season are first-round losses in Phoenix, Gainesville, Las Vegas, Englishtown, Denver and Sonoma, quarterfinal finishes in Houston, Atlanta, St. Louis, Topeka, Bristol and Seattle, a semifinal finish in Brainerd, and a DNQ in Norwalk
* Is 227 points behind leader Ron Capps, 39 points short of third
* Two TF wins in Reading, in 1998 and 2001; one FC win, in 2004; one TF runner-up, in 2000
* No. 1 qualifier three times in Reading: in TF in 1998 and 1999, in FC in 2005
* Qualified No. 4 in Reading in 2006, lost second round to Phil Burkart
* Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points, with a win in Denver (three final rounds), runner-up in Englishtown, N.J., runner-up in Brainerd, Minn., and three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis.
* Also had seven quarterfinal finishes and no No. 1 qualifiers in '06
* 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 (Bristol, Chicago 1 and Sonoma); was low qualifier six times (Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, St. Louis, Reading, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2)
* 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 a member of the largest team in NHRA pro history: Don Schumacher Racing - one in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, one in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories)
* 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
* Age 47 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 10, races Restricted 600 Mini 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 10 Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2007 is his fifth 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 round winning record against the 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 12-10, 3-1 in final rounds
* Says he's stepping away from NHRA competition at end of 2007, but not retiring
