Scelzi not in field after two qualifying sessions in Pomona

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2003 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 23 of 23
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
Pomona (Calif.) Raceway
Race Dates: Nov. 6-9, 2003

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2003) - Gary Scelzi finds himself at the bottom of
the roster of the largest Funny Car field this season, 24th, after two
tire-smoking attempts to qualify in the top 16 for the Automobile Club of
Southern California NHRA Finals in his Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus.

In Thursday's qualifying session he struck the tires at the hit throttle to
post a slow 15.347/67.74 run. Today's second session was a near replica, as
he again smoked the tires at the launch, coasting to an 18.298/64.36.

Two more qualifying sessions are scheduled for Saturday.

"We know what happened yesterday," he said. "Yesterday we just had too much
motor. We're not sure where the back-off zone is with this new combination.
But today when I stepped off the clutch all the levers were engaged; all the
stages were engaged at the hit of the throttle. The bearing that applies
pressure to the clutch has moved and we don't know why it moved. So we have
a mystery clutch problem. We don't know why it did it because we brought it
back and it's working."

***