Scelzi Aims to Match Alcohol FC win with Fuel FC win in Seattle

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS
Round 14 of 23
Pacific Raceways
Kent, Wash.
Race Date: July 25-27, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438

SCELZI LOOKS TO MATCH ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR WIN WITH FUEL FUNNY CAR WIN IN
SEATTLE

KENT, Wash. (July 24, 2003) - Ten years ago Gary Scelzi won the Alcohol
Funny Car event here at Pacific Raceways (nee Seattle Raceway) and now, in
2003, he'd like nothing better than to win in a Fuel Funny Car. The driver
of the Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus who has won 25 races in Top Fuel
Dragster competition and has three Top Fuel championships under his belt is
still looking for his first NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car win.

"It was my first national event win in a Funny Car and I was so happy," says
Scelzi, who drove for the Miner Brothers then. "I had won in a Dragster and
now I had won in a Funny Car. It's almost like the same stage we're at now.
I've won in a Top Fuel Dragster at Seattle a few times. Everybody has been
asking me when am I going to get my first Funny Car win and I can't think of
a better place than Seattle to finally do it."

Scelzi, of Fresno, Calif., has a strong record here at Pacific Raceways in
Top Fuel Dragster, before he joined Don Schumacher Racing full-time this
season in the Funny Car ranks. He was runner-up in 1997, and winner in 2000
and 2001. In each of these successes, he started from the No. 1 qualifying
position.

"It's a tricky race track," he admits. "It's beautiful here. When you get
here you've got all these trees. It's in a wooded area, and you'd never know
there was a race track here. You've got Mount Rainier in the background.
It's just absolutely gorgeous. I've always liked Seattle.

"When I was a Sportsman racer in the Alcohol classes I used to come here,
and Woodburn, Oregon, and Yakima (Wash.), so we used to race here quite a
bit and for some reason - a lot like Pomona - sometimes I really have good
luck here. If there's going to be any place with good luck for me, I'm
hoping it's here this weekend."

Scelzi and his new team with crew chief Mike Neff have been struggling this
season, but have been making headway in the last few races. "The goal is to
qualify in the top half of the field," says Scelzi. "We're going to get the
final end of all the new parts we've been talking about here for a few
weeks. The decision hasn't been made yet whether we're going to run them
right off or not. I think we are. We're going to try to get this Oakley
Dodge down the race track and get it qualified in the top half of the field
and then just hope that luck goes our way and that these parts make our car
as consistent as it needs to be to win. That is the key right now.  We just
want to be consistent. And if we're consistently quick and fast then we may
be having a big celebration come Sunday night."

The beauty of this track isn't the only thing Scelzi likes about the
Northwest. "What I love about this place is the salmon," he says. "I love
fish and being right here in Seattle, what better place to have fish. No, I
don't catch the salmon myself. I buy it and have it prepared for me. I'm not
a fisherman."

Pacific Raceways also has a calming influence, he says. "Whenever you get
around this place it just puts you in a good mood. It's just something about
being around the trees and the scenery which puts you in a good mood. It can
be miserable when it rains, but when it's sunshine it's absolutely
gorgeous."

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