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NHRA: Scelzi wants to put distance between himself and Top Fuel Challengers at Gateway

21 June 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

MADISON, Ill. - Gary Scelzi has no problems competing as the Winston points leader.

Hey, it's what he does.

Scelzi, 39, is atop the point standings with four victories this season, ahead of top challengers Tony Schumacher, the defending Winston champion, who sits 32 points back in second and third place Larry Dixon, who trails by 84.

Scelzi, unlike other racers, says there's no pressure with being the guy out front. In fact, he's very comfortable there. He'd rather lead the way than try to chase a runaway leader.

"This is the position I want to be in," said Scelzi, who will try to add to his 18 career victories at the fourth annual Sears Craftsman Nationals, June 22-24, at Gateway International Raceway. He has won the last two events at the $1.8 million race, the 12th of 23 events in the $45 million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.

"Everybody says being chased is a tough deal," Scelzi added. "Baloney. I want to be chased."

Scelzi moved in front of season-long leader Schumacher at the recent event in Chicago, when the Fresno, Calif. racer overcame tremendous odds to win. Scelzi was uninjured following a spectacular crash during qualifying, however the car received major damage. Scelzi and his Team Winston crew quickly regrouped and fielded the team's backup car and went on to win the race.

"I'm a little in awe that we did win that race," Scelzi said. "After all that happened it was quite a feat. I didn't know whether to cry or fall down to be honest. I knew the (backup) car was good and after the wreck I was never nervous about getting in the cockpit and stepping on the gas. The job my team and Alan Johnson (crew chief) did is nothing short of amazing. We're officially back. I extended my points lead and we're still No. 1."

And that's where Scelzi hopes he remains until season's end.

AUSTIN COIL PRAISES HIS DRIVER: John Force has directed most of the attention for breaking Bob Glidden's longstanding win record to his noted crew chief, Austin Coil. Coil, who has acquired 93 wins and 11 championships during his distinguished career, meanwhile, is quick to send the accolades right back to the Yorba Linda, Calif. racer.

He says he couldn't have done it without having a driver with the desire that Force has demonstrated over the years.

"It's his ability to call up a little more whenever it's really needed," said Coil, who tuned his famous Chi-Town Hustler to back-to-back NHRA Winston championships in the early 1980s before joining Force's racing operation in 1984. "Whenever the chips are down and we really need to get down the racetrack, he'll save it. If it spins the tires or shakes, he'll correct it. In a round that we might not have the performance to win, he'll manage to have his best reaction time of the weekend when we need it the most. We couldn't have won races like we have without John Force behind the wheel."

What's next? Coil says the team will focus its efforts on breaking the century mark.

"I'd like to get 100 victories, that sounds like a nice number," Coil said. "I think we've got time to rack up 100. We plan to race for at least five more years with John as the driver, maybe 10. I certainly don't have any other plans, because this is fun."

So much fun, in fact, that the often stone-faced Coil even cracked a rare smile following the victory in the record-breaking final, when Force's Castrol GTX Ford Mustang outran Jerry Toliver's WWF Racing Camaro. "I don't think I've ever wanted to win a round of racing more than that one against Toliver and (Dale) Armstrong (Toliver crew chief)," Coil said. "It was like all of our work over the years had come down to one run and we had to prove ourselves. I loved the challenge."

SCHUMACHER READY FOR THE BATTLE: Defending NHRA Winston Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher knew all along that the battle for the 2000 crown in his category was going to be one of the most intense ever.

Schumacher, who has two victories in six finals this season in his Exide Batteries dragster, says he'll need to earn more victories if he's to keep pace with red-hot Gary Scelzi, who has four wins this season. Larry Dixon, a two-time season winner in the Miller Lite dragster, is also going to be a threat with crew chief Dick LaHaie turning the wrenches.

"We knew it would be tough to keep the points lead all year," said Schumacher, who trails Scelzi by 32. "It will just make us all work harder to get it back from Gary (Scelzi). This is the point of the season where teams start to separate from the rest of the field. We just have to make sure we stay in that front group."

TOLIVER TRIVIA TIME: Jerry Toliver, driver of the WWF Racing Chevy Camaro, who has emerged as a major Funny Car contender for the 2000 Winston championship, will forever be remembered as the driver opposite Force when he earned his record-breaking 86th victory.

That doesn't worry Toliver, who has claimed two wins and currently leads the Winston point standings in Funny Car. In fact, the Huntington Beach, Calif. driver says he's proud to be a part of drag racing history and hopes to be in a position to break Force's record some day.

"We had Force against the ropes, but didn't knock him out," Toliver said. "We congratulate him on the record and are proud to be battling with him this season. Our WWF team was hoping to delay his celebration, but now that it's over, the real battle for the Winston championship only intensifies."

Text provided by Anthony Vestal

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