Scelzi out in quarterfinals in Memphis

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 17 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA MID-SOUTH NATIONALS
MEMPHIS (Tenn.) MOTORSPORTS PARK
Race Dates: Aug. 19-21, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell, 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

SCELZI OUT IN QUARTERFINALS IN MEMPHIS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 21, 2005) - The complexion of the 2005 NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship changed once again today when No.
2 in points Gary Scelzi was ousted by No. 4 in points, his teammate Ron
Capps, in the quarterfinals of the O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals.

Scelzi first dismissed Bob Gilbertson in the first round of eliminations
with a 5.168/279.56 pass, then lost a close match to Capps in the second
round: 5.153/283.79 for Scelzi, 5.139/284.56 for Capps. Margin of victory:
.0201 of a second or eight feet.

Capps' subsequent win against Tommy Johnson Jr. in the semifinals moved him
into second, ahead of Scelzi, in the point standings. Following Eric
Medlen's win today, Scelzi is third, 35 points out of the lead, still held
by Robert Hight, who lost in the semifinals, and five points back of Capps,
who was runner-up today.

"Those are heartbreakers to lose," said Scelzi, who is seeking his first
Funny Car championship to go with his three Top Fuel crowns, "but Ron and I
are good friends, we're sharing our information, and I love Ace (Capps' crew
chief Ed McCulloch) to death.

"It's our goal to win a championship. Of course, I want to do it for Mopar
and Oakley. Capps wants to do it for Brut. (Scelzi's other teammate Whit)
Bazemore wants to do it for Matco Tools. We're all tied together. It's
unfortunate. It was a close race, a good drag race, a battle of the titans;
it just happened too soon in eliminations."

The racers had to endure track temperatures of as high as 139 degrees as
well as a heat index nearing 110 degrees. "These are the most brutal
conditions I think we've very seen," said Scelzi. "I've never seen these
kind of conditions that I can remember. I thought Mike (Neff, crew chief)
did a great job, so did McCulloch.

"Man, this tests your strength as to how long you can hang in this kind of
heat. The temperatures were astronomical, the track was real slippery. I got
to hand it to NHRA when they do a good job. The lanes were equal. It wasn't
a one-lane race track, and that speaks volumes."

Next on the schedule is the prestigious U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis
Raceway Park, Aug. 31-Sept. 5.

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Robert Hight, 1134
2. Ron Capps, 1104
3. Gary Scelzi, 1099
4. John Force, 1087
5. Eric Medlen, 1063 (winner today)
6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 990
7. Whit Bazemore, 896
8. Cruz Pedregon, 863
9. Del Worsham, 831
10. Tony Pedregon, 792

***