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NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2008) - Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi traveled directly to Ohio following the Englishtown, N.J., event last weekend. Emotions took over the usually ebullient driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car after his good friend and fellow Funny Car racer Scott Kalitta was killed in a qualifying accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. He yearned to hug his wife Julie and two sons (Dominic, 11, and Giovanni, 6) before getting back into race mode for this weekend's Second Annual NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.
"The thing I'm looking forward to most is having my wife and my boys come in (from their home in Fresno, Calif.)," said Fresno native Scelzi. "We're going to go to a Giants-Indians game in Cleveland, we're going to to to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and then we're going to go to the Water Park in Sandusky and ride the dragster roller coaster and make a mini-vacation out of it.
"I definitely need some relief right now. My family wasn't with me last weekend and I sure could have used them, but my racing family was there, so that kind of helped things along.
"I'm looking forward to getting back in the race car and trying to make our mark trying to qualify well, trying to win the race, trying to get ourselves in that coveted top 10, and trying to keep that positive attitude," added Scelzi, who is 12th in the rankings, just nine points out of the top 10. The top 10 will vie in the Countdown to the Championship following the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend.
"My attitude is positive as long as I'm not alone. I drove from Cleveland to Columbus, Ohio, and spent a couple of days with my good friend (Funny Car driver) Jim Head. You have a lot of time to reflect when you're by yourself, and sometimes alone time isn't a good thing.
"But, you know what, life goes on. Our thoughts are still with Scott and the whole Kalitta family, and that's not going to go away, ever. But we're just trying to look positive and try to do what I think Scott would want us to do, and look forward and concentrate on winning races, concentrate on having fun.
"We're not here for a long time, but we're here for a good time."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 12 in points after 11 events in 2008 (one semifinal, three quarterfinal finishes, six first rounds and a DNQ)
* Just nine points out of a spot in the top 10 for the Countdown to the Championship
* DNQ'd at inaugural Norwalk event in 2007
* 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 374-202
* 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 round-winning record against the 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 3-1 in final rounds, 12-11 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
SCELZI TAKING TIME TO RELAX AND ENJOY FAMILY BEFORE NORWALK
NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2008) - Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi traveled directly to Ohio following the Englishtown, N.J., event last weekend. Emotions took over the usually ebullient driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car after his good friend and fellow Funny Car racer Scott Kalitta was killed in a qualifying accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. He yearned to hug his wife Julie and two sons (Dominic, 11, and Giovanni, 6) before getting back into race mode for this weekend's Second Annual NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.
"The thing I'm looking forward to most is having my wife and my boys come in (from their home in Fresno, Calif.)," said Fresno native Scelzi. "We're going to go to a Giants-Indians game in Cleveland, we're going to to to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and then we're going to go to the Water Park in Sandusky and ride the dragster roller coaster and make a mini-vacation out of it.
"I definitely need some relief right now. My family wasn't with me last weekend and I sure could have used them, but my racing family was there, so that kind of helped things along.
"I'm looking forward to getting back in the race car and trying to make our mark trying to qualify well, trying to win the race, trying to get ourselves in that coveted top 10, and trying to keep that positive attitude," added Scelzi, who is 12th in the rankings, just nine points out of the top 10. The top 10 will vie in the Countdown to the Championship following the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend.
"My attitude is positive as long as I'm not alone. I drove from Cleveland to Columbus, Ohio, and spent a couple of days with my good friend (Funny Car driver) Jim Head. You have a lot of time to reflect when you're by yourself, and sometimes alone time isn't a good thing.
"But, you know what, life goes on. Our thoughts are still with Scott and the whole Kalitta family, and that's not going to go away, ever. But we're just trying to look positive and try to do what I think Scott would want us to do, and look forward and concentrate on winning races, concentrate on having fun.
"We're not here for a long time, but we're here for a good time."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 12 in points after 11 events in 2008 (one semifinal, three quarterfinal finishes, six first rounds and a DNQ)
* Just nine points out of a spot in the top 10 for the Countdown to the Championship
* DNQ'd at inaugural Norwalk event in 2007
* 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 374-202
* 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 round-winning record against the 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 3-1 in final rounds, 12-11 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
