Scelzi sets career-best ET, qualifies No. 3 in Chicago

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 20 of 23
Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals
Route 66 Raceway
Joliet, Ill.
Race Dates: Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2005


JOLIET,  Ill. (Oct. 1, 2005) - Gary Scelzi proved once again that Route 66
Raceway is an awesome race track by establishing a career-best elapsed time
of 4.697 seconds in the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car to qualify
No. 3 for the Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals.

The Fresno, Calif., native stumbled only once in four qualifying rounds, the
third, when he posted a 7.168-second pass at 113.87 mph. The other four runs
produced the 4.697/331.28 pass on Friday night in cooler conditions, a
4.723/329.83 in the first and, finally, a 4.729/329.91 in today's last
session.

"This is the place, no question about it," said Funny Car points leader
Scelzi who is seeking his first Funny Car championship to go with his three
Top Fuel crowns. "We were three for four in qualifying, and I ran my career
best. Everything is good.

"We tried something in the first round today just to see what we could get
away with tomorrow, and we know where we're not going to go - if we get into
the middle of the day

"Everything seems to be fine. We may have left a little bit on the table
tonight, but you're not going to get the national record here," he said of
the chances of a Funny Car ET record being broken here to earn 20 bonus
points. "It's not that good to get that close. That rev limiter is still
playing a little bit of a factor."

Scelzi's teammate Tony Schumacher did, however, break the national Top Fuel
ET record today and backed it up.

Scelzi faces Mike Ashley in first round of eliminations on Sunday and his
teammates Whit Bazemore and Ron Capps meet Eric Medlen and Robert Hight,
respectively - two of Scelzi's strongest challengers for the championship
(along with John Force, who faces Phil Burkart Jr.).

"Big day tomorrow," said Scelzi. "Got a Lot of big match-ups. Hopefully, the
Mopar/Oakley Dodge is going to make a big move up in the points.

"I'm ready to go. This is just work."