Scelzi: it's business as usual in Memphis

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 19 of 23
O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil
Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis, Tenn.
Race Dates: Sept. 19-21, 2003

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell, 203-243-2438

IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL IN MEMPHIS FOR SCELZI

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Sept. 17, 2003) - Gary Scelzi, of Fresno, Calif. (the locals
are called Fresnans in that part of the country), has been on the road since
the first U.S. Nationals were attempted to be held on Labor Day weekend in
Indianapolis. That means, with the re-scheduled U.S. Nationals held on the
first weekend of September, and the rained-out Reading, Pa., Lucas Oil
Nationals re-scheduled for Oct. 4-5, Scelzi will be away from home for seven
weekends.

That's tough for any driver, team and crew. And, now, with the possible
threat of Hurricane Isabel touching down in the eastern U.S. this weekend,
the driver of the Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus Funny Car says simply, "you
gotta do what you gotta do."

"It's tough on the crew," says the fastest Funny Car driver on the planet,
with his 328.06 mph national top-speed record, set in Joliet this year.
"It's hard being away from home that long. But, it's what we do. We get our
clothes washed, get on airplanes and get into our motor homes and we travel
to the next race. It's more races in a row than we're used to, but it's just
part of the game."

And, as for Hurricane Isabel, "It keeps getting weaker; that's a good thing.
Today the forecast for the next five days in Memphis is good. It's supposed
to be in the 70s this week and in the 80s on Sunday, so it shouldn't be too
hot here."

So, it's business as usual here for Scelzi, eighth in points and reaching
for a top-five year-end finish in his first full season of Nitro Funny Car
competition. "The plan is the same, to qualify in in the top half of the
field and win. We have a car capable of it. We had a fluke that happened at
the U.S. Nationals (a broken spark plug which resulted in a first-round
loss), and obviously at Reading with the rain-out we didn't learn anything.

"We feel we're on track and we're going ahead with the new parts," says
Scelzi, winner of his first Nitro Funny Car race in Sonoma, Calif., in
August. "When the track is cool we can run with anybody, if not be the
quickest and fastest car out there.

"That's also part of the plan for Memphis. The race track has supposedly
been ground so it should be a good racing surface. It should be a great
weekend for the Oakley Dodge," adds the three-time Top Fuel champion and Top
Fuel winner here at Memphis Motorsports Park in 2000.

In the last four races, Scelzi has qualified in the top five four times,
including two No. 1s, a No. 5 and  a No. 2. He's qualified in the top half
of the field 13 times in 17 events.

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