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BRAINERD, Minn. -- Gary Scelzi has done a good job of notching victories at those tracks at which he's never won as a four-time NHRA world champion (three Top Fuel, one Funny Car). In the last two years he's conquered Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway and Bandimere Speedway in Denver. He has only Englishtown, N.J., and Gainesville, Fla., left on his list.
Brainerd Int'l Raceway, however, is a site where the reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion has only one Top Fuel victory (of 32 overall) to brag about. It was back in 1998 when he defeated Mike Dunn, now an ESPN race analyst. So, he's ready to score his eighth career Funny Car win at this weekend's Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, second of the year, and his first at this track.
After struggling earlier this season, the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car feels he finally has the car to do it, as he aims to get himself back up front in the championship chase. He's sixth in the rankings, 87 out of the top five, and 107 short of third place. His 298-point deficit to leader and teammate Ron Capps is going to be tough to master.
"I'm going to be 46 years old on Friday," says the Fresno, Calif., native. "I'm going to be an older man and I'm just going to use that for motivation.
"Brainerd is a tricky place. They repaved it, and it seems when it gets hot here the track gets really slippery. I'm not sure what the weather is going to be like.
"Historically, we've been really good on a slippery race track. We got to Denver and ran really well on a hot, slippery race track (winner there). We've run well in the past and somewhere we've lost it between Denver and Sonoma (two early-round losses in Seattle and Sonoma). So, hopefully we're going to get that back and get back on track, because we want to be running well and win some races before Indy, because we're concentrating everything we've got on Indy (U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend.)"
What will it take to get back up front? "We need to start winning some races right away," he says. "It's just one of those years that there's only a couple of guys who have been able to break away and that's (John) Force (in second) and Capps. And, unfortunately, I think they've broken away far enough that all we can do is try to screw up their day.
"Obviously, we want to see Capps win it if we can't win it," he says of the championship race. "There's only eight races left and we need to get on a roll here. Hopefully, Brainerd is going to be the turning point, and we can do well here and carry that momentum on to Memphis (the next event)."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* Sixth in 2006 Funny Car points after 15 events
* So far, in 2006, his best results are a win in Denver, runner-up in Englishtown, N.J. and three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis. Also has five quarterfinal finishes
* 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
* Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first
* Only win in Brainerd was in TF in 1998. Funny Car runner-up in 2004
* No. 1 qualifier here in 1999 (TF), 2003 (FC)
* At 2005 Brainerd event, he qualified No. 5, lost first round to Tony Bartone
* Has set 23 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, with nine teams - two in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, two in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories) - and two individual teams competing under the DSR banner: Mike Ashley's Funny Car team, which DSR is managing, and Erica Enders' Pro Stock team, running under a partnership agreement with DSR
* Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004)
* Career Funny Car bests: 4.696-second ET (Pomona 2 '05), 332.51 mph (Pomona 1 '06)
* Qualified in top five 19 times in 2005, No. 1 six times
* Age 45 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 9, 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 seven Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2006 is his fourth 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 at Infineon Raceway in 2003
* Is one of the few Funny Car drivers who has a round winning record against the 13-time Funny Car champion John Force: 11-8, 3-1 in final rounds
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Aug. 11 -- PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2:45 and 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, Aug. 12 -- PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, Aug. 13 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Aug. 12, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Aug. 13, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Aug. 13, ESPN2 will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
Scelzi Seeks Brainerd Funny Car Triumph
BRAINERD, Minn. -- Gary Scelzi has done a good job of notching victories at those tracks at which he's never won as a four-time NHRA world champion (three Top Fuel, one Funny Car). In the last two years he's conquered Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway and Bandimere Speedway in Denver. He has only Englishtown, N.J., and Gainesville, Fla., left on his list.
Brainerd Int'l Raceway, however, is a site where the reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion has only one Top Fuel victory (of 32 overall) to brag about. It was back in 1998 when he defeated Mike Dunn, now an ESPN race analyst. So, he's ready to score his eighth career Funny Car win at this weekend's Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, second of the year, and his first at this track.
After struggling earlier this season, the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car feels he finally has the car to do it, as he aims to get himself back up front in the championship chase. He's sixth in the rankings, 87 out of the top five, and 107 short of third place. His 298-point deficit to leader and teammate Ron Capps is going to be tough to master.
"I'm going to be 46 years old on Friday," says the Fresno, Calif., native. "I'm going to be an older man and I'm just going to use that for motivation.
"Brainerd is a tricky place. They repaved it, and it seems when it gets hot here the track gets really slippery. I'm not sure what the weather is going to be like.
"Historically, we've been really good on a slippery race track. We got to Denver and ran really well on a hot, slippery race track (winner there). We've run well in the past and somewhere we've lost it between Denver and Sonoma (two early-round losses in Seattle and Sonoma). So, hopefully we're going to get that back and get back on track, because we want to be running well and win some races before Indy, because we're concentrating everything we've got on Indy (U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend.)"
What will it take to get back up front? "We need to start winning some races right away," he says. "It's just one of those years that there's only a couple of guys who have been able to break away and that's (John) Force (in second) and Capps. And, unfortunately, I think they've broken away far enough that all we can do is try to screw up their day.
"Obviously, we want to see Capps win it if we can't win it," he says of the championship race. "There's only eight races left and we need to get on a roll here. Hopefully, Brainerd is going to be the turning point, and we can do well here and carry that momentum on to Memphis (the next event)."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* Sixth in 2006 Funny Car points after 15 events
* So far, in 2006, his best results are a win in Denver, runner-up in Englishtown, N.J. and three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis. Also has five quarterfinal finishes
* 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
* Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first
* Only win in Brainerd was in TF in 1998. Funny Car runner-up in 2004
* No. 1 qualifier here in 1999 (TF), 2003 (FC)
* At 2005 Brainerd event, he qualified No. 5, lost first round to Tony Bartone
* Has set 23 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, with nine teams - two in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, two in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories) - and two individual teams competing under the DSR banner: Mike Ashley's Funny Car team, which DSR is managing, and Erica Enders' Pro Stock team, running under a partnership agreement with DSR
* Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004)
* Career Funny Car bests: 4.696-second ET (Pomona 2 '05), 332.51 mph (Pomona 1 '06)
* Qualified in top five 19 times in 2005, No. 1 six times
* Age 45 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 9, 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 seven Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2006 is his fourth 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 at Infineon Raceway in 2003
* Is one of the few Funny Car drivers who has a round winning record against the 13-time Funny Car champion John Force: 11-8, 3-1 in final rounds
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Aug. 11 -- PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2:45 and 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, Aug. 12 -- PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, Aug. 13 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Aug. 12, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Aug. 13, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Aug. 13, ESPN2 will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
