Scelzi seeks to up stellar St. Louis record

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2004 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 12 of 23
SEARS CRAFTSMAN NHRA NATIONALS
GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
MADISON, ILL.
Race Dates: June 25-27, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

SCELZI SEEKS TO UP HIS STELLAR ST. LOUIS RECORD

MADISON, Ill. (June 23, 2004) - Gary Scelzi and Gateway International
Raceway have enjoyed a steamy love affair since 1997, and it's one he's not
willing to break off now that he's moved on from Top Fuel to Funny Car
competition. The three-time Top Fuel champion won here three years in a row,
in 1998, '99 and '00, and was runner-up in '97. He also was low qualifier in
'97, '99 and '01, and still holds the Top Fuel track record here of 4.563
seconds, set in '01.

Now in his second full season of Funny Car competition in the HEMI-powered
Oakley Dodge Stratus, the Fresno native would like to continue this lovefest
this weekend in the 12th round of the 23-event NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series on the quarter-mile located just East of St. Louis.

The national Funny Car top-speed record holder of 330.55 mph, and the first
to break 330 mph, comes here straight off a strong performance in
Englishtown, N.J., where he reached the semifinal and lost to John Force for
only the second time in his career of six match-ups against the 12-time
Funny Car champion, and is 153 points out of the lead, in sixth place. He
has gone to the final round twice and the semifinals three times in the last
five races.

"I tell you, I'm ready to run St. Louis, Denver, Seattle, Sonoma, all back
to back," he says, referring also to the Western Swing which begins in
Denver July 16-18. "We're really excited about how the car is performing
right now. We're on a real high and when you've got some momentum going -
we've got a runner-up, a semifinal finish and low E.T. of the first round
last week - we can't wait to run the car.

"The guys on the HEMI Oakley team are excited, everybody is upbeat and this
is what we've been waiting for all year. And we like going to a race track
where we've had a lot of success. (Crew chief) Mike Neff was low qualifier
and runner-up here in 2002 with Scotty Cannon, so he runs well here.
Gateway's got all the makings for big things. That's what we're looking
for."

As for racing at night, bring it on, he says. "I don't care for running at
night on race tracks that aren't lit well," he says, "but St. Louis is one
of those that is lit well. It also gets so hot here that it's actually a
benefit to run here at night.

"I won here one time with the dragster where we finished at 2 in the
morning, and I made the joke that we do our best work after dark," he adds.
"That's going to be fine. Temperatures are going to be high, it's a tricky
race track, but I think we're ready for it."

With the 2004 season half over, Scelzi says it's vital to keep up the
momentum the team has gained in the last few races. "Now's the time," he
says. "We couldn't have started any later. It's very important to come
through these three races in a row with a shot at the title. And then the
next three on the West Coast Swing are very important because I think now is
when you're going to see the separation of the cars that are going to have a
shot at the title from the cars that won't. If you're too far behind you're
starting on next year's program.

"We're not in that position right now and we're not changing anything. We've
got our clutch package in order, we've got our engine package in order and
our aero package. Everything is on a no -change basis and that's what makes
me feel so good about what we have."

Pro Nitro qualifying at Gateway International Raceway this weekend begins on
Friday, June 25, at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. The same schedule stands for Saturday,
June 26, with final eliminations to be held at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 27.

On Saturday, June 26, ESPN2 will televise one hour of qualifying highlights
at 10 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, June 27, ESPN2 will televise three hours of
elimination highlights at 9 p.m. (ET).

GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:

* Holds national Funny Car top-speed record of 330.55 mph
* Was first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier
* Qualified seventh at 2003 Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals, lost first round
to John Force (his only loss to Force until last week in Englishtown)
* Sixth in 2004 Funny Car points after 11 events
* Age 43, born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife
Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Is a three-time Top Fuel Dragster champion
* Won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie
* Has one Funny Car win, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* Is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol
Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car


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