SCELZI'S SIGHTS SET ON SONOMA SUCCESS
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/g_scelzi.jpg" alt="g_scelzi" align="left"borders="0"/>
SONOMA, Calif. (July 22, 2008) - Fresno, Calif., native Gary Scelzi has his sights set on continuing success at Infineon Raceway at this weekend's FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals, the final leg of the three-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Western Swing (Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.).
The man who's won two Funny Car titles at this event (2003 and 2005), was No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel in 2000 and who made history - after his ‘03 FC victory here - by becoming the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, is ready to hoist the winner's trophy again.
"Wild Thing," as the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car is known in Fresno, is aiming for his third triumph here as well as a top-10 berth in the Countdown to the Championship, which begins for the top 10 in points following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
He's close, but with only four races left before the Countdown kicks in, he'll have to move out of the 13th position and into the top 10 by making up a 58-point deficit.
"If there's any saving grace, if we're going to do anything, Infineon is going to be the place," said the four-time NHRA world champion who notched his first nitro Funny Car win in Sonoma. "I don't even want to think about not doing well here because everybody I know and everybody I've ever met is going to be here.
"It's fun having your friends and family supporting you at an event, but in one respect it's tough because if you don't get to spend time with everybody, sometimes they get upset. Hopefully, they'll understand if I can't get to them all.
"But it's all good. It's the West Coast, it's a place that I love, especially after Bruton Smith took over and cleaned up everything and made it really nice. You have the most beautiful mornings at Infineon Raceway. You get out of your Monaco motor coach and you have the cool ocean breeze, the overcast sky, and it's wonderful. The nights are beautiful, there's a nice breeze when the sun goes down, but it can be hell here too.
"We've run all aspects of the gamut here. We've won, we've lost, we've had everything. We just hope it's time to turn this thing around, get our first season victory and move up into the top 10."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 13 in points after 14 events in 2008 (one semifinal, four quarterfinal finishes, seven first rounds and two DNQs)
* Just 58 points out of a spot in the top 10 for the Countdown to the Championship
* Qualified No. 6 at 2007 Sonoma event, lost first round to Gary Densham
* No. 1 qualifier in Sonoma in 2000 (TF)
* 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 375-204
* 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
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/g_scelzi.jpg" alt="g_scelzi" align="left"borders="0"/>
SONOMA, Calif. (July 22, 2008) - Fresno, Calif., native Gary Scelzi has his sights set on continuing success at Infineon Raceway at this weekend's FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals, the final leg of the three-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Western Swing (Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.).
The man who's won two Funny Car titles at this event (2003 and 2005), was No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel in 2000 and who made history - after his ‘03 FC victory here - by becoming the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, is ready to hoist the winner's trophy again.
"Wild Thing," as the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car is known in Fresno, is aiming for his third triumph here as well as a top-10 berth in the Countdown to the Championship, which begins for the top 10 in points following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.
He's close, but with only four races left before the Countdown kicks in, he'll have to move out of the 13th position and into the top 10 by making up a 58-point deficit.
"If there's any saving grace, if we're going to do anything, Infineon is going to be the place," said the four-time NHRA world champion who notched his first nitro Funny Car win in Sonoma. "I don't even want to think about not doing well here because everybody I know and everybody I've ever met is going to be here.
"It's fun having your friends and family supporting you at an event, but in one respect it's tough because if you don't get to spend time with everybody, sometimes they get upset. Hopefully, they'll understand if I can't get to them all.
"But it's all good. It's the West Coast, it's a place that I love, especially after Bruton Smith took over and cleaned up everything and made it really nice. You have the most beautiful mornings at Infineon Raceway. You get out of your Monaco motor coach and you have the cool ocean breeze, the overcast sky, and it's wonderful. The nights are beautiful, there's a nice breeze when the sun goes down, but it can be hell here too.
"We've run all aspects of the gamut here. We've won, we've lost, we've had everything. We just hope it's time to turn this thing around, get our first season victory and move up into the top 10."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 13 in points after 14 events in 2008 (one semifinal, four quarterfinal finishes, seven first rounds and two DNQs)
* Just 58 points out of a spot in the top 10 for the Countdown to the Championship
* Qualified No. 6 at 2007 Sonoma event, lost first round to Gary Densham
* No. 1 qualifier in Sonoma in 2000 (TF)
* 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 375-204
* 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
