THREE-TIME TOP FUEL DALLAS CHAMP SCELZI LOOKS TO ADD FUNNY CAR WIN TO TALLY
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/g_scelzi.jpg" alt="g_scelzi"align="right"borders="0" />
FRESNO, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2008) - Four-time NHRA world champion Gary Scelzi has a stellar record at the Texas Motorplex set during his heyday as a Top Fuel champion: three victories (1998, 1999, 2000) at the track located south of Dallas, matching the record of reigning Top Fuel champion and Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher, and his other teammate Cory McClenathan. In fact, the trio of DSR drivers is tied with the most Top Fuel titles at the Texas Motorplex.
There's no chance that Scelzi will repeat as a Top Fuel champion at this weekend's 23rd annual NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas, since he now drives the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car. But he would like to add a Funny Car trophy to his collection of awards.
Although Scelzi is not in the Countdown to 1 playoffs this season, he intends to make a mark in the final five events of the playoffs by being a headache to the contenders. And he feels he's got the ammunition to do so, with the new Murf McKinney chassis the Mopar/Oakley Dodge team debuted in Concord, N.C., last weekend.
"The good news is every race track we're going to from here on out I've won at," said Scelzi, a Fresno, Calif., native. "I have a lot of great memories of the Motorplex. I've won in an Alcohol car and I've won in Top Fuel there, but I haven't won in Funny Car yet. I've been to victory lane there, so I know where it's at.
"It's an all-concrete surface, and hopefully Hurricane Ike didn't beat it up too bad. Billy Meyer spent a lot of money there making things safer, with a new shutdown area, and after the run we had in Concord, we think we're going to be OK. I think we can run with these guys."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 14 in points after 19 events in 2008 (one semifinal, four quarterfinal finishes, 0 first rounds and four DNQs)
* Three Top Fuel victories at Texas Motorplex: 1998, 1999 and 2000
* Three-time TF low qualifier at Motorplex: 1998 (2), 2000 (1 and 2)
* No. 9 qualifier at Texas Motorplex in 2007, lost first round to Cruz Pedregon
* 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 375-207
* 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="right"borders="0" />
FRESNO, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2008) - Four-time NHRA world champion Gary Scelzi has a stellar record at the Texas Motorplex set during his heyday as a Top Fuel champion: three victories (1998, 1999, 2000) at the track located south of Dallas, matching the record of reigning Top Fuel champion and Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher, and his other teammate Cory McClenathan. In fact, the trio of DSR drivers is tied with the most Top Fuel titles at the Texas Motorplex.
There's no chance that Scelzi will repeat as a Top Fuel champion at this weekend's 23rd annual NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas, since he now drives the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car. But he would like to add a Funny Car trophy to his collection of awards.
Although Scelzi is not in the Countdown to 1 playoffs this season, he intends to make a mark in the final five events of the playoffs by being a headache to the contenders. And he feels he's got the ammunition to do so, with the new Murf McKinney chassis the Mopar/Oakley Dodge team debuted in Concord, N.C., last weekend.
"The good news is every race track we're going to from here on out I've won at," said Scelzi, a Fresno, Calif., native. "I have a lot of great memories of the Motorplex. I've won in an Alcohol car and I've won in Top Fuel there, but I haven't won in Funny Car yet. I've been to victory lane there, so I know where it's at.
"It's an all-concrete surface, and hopefully Hurricane Ike didn't beat it up too bad. Billy Meyer spent a lot of money there making things safer, with a new shutdown area, and after the run we had in Concord, we think we're going to be OK. I think we can run with these guys."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 14 in points after 19 events in 2008 (one semifinal, four quarterfinal finishes, 0 first rounds and four DNQs)
* Three Top Fuel victories at Texas Motorplex: 1998, 1999 and 2000
* Three-time TF low qualifier at Motorplex: 1998 (2), 2000 (1 and 2)
* No. 9 qualifier at Texas Motorplex in 2007, lost first round to Cruz Pedregon
* 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 375-207
* 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
