SCELZI NO. 7 IN FRIDAY QUALIFYING IN MEMPHIS

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
ROUND 17 of 23
O'REILLY MID-SOUTH NHRA NATIONALS
MEMPHIS (Tenn.) MOTORSPORTS PARK
RACE DATES: Aug. 20-22, 2004




MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 20, 2004) - Gary Scelzi drove his HEMI-powered Oakley
Dodge Stratus Funny Car into the No. 7 qualifying spot tonight at the
O'Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park, with a
4.974-second pass at 297.09 mph. Considering the odd route he took to the
finish line, he was pleased with the result.

"It's kind of weird," he said. "We slowed it down a little bit (after hazing
the tires half-track in the first round to a 7.695/104.69) and the right
tire shook and the left tire didn't. It drove me out of the groove to the
right, got over by the fence, I got it back and then it dropped a cylinder
on the right-hand side. A .97 is OK. We got down there, and we have two more
sessions tomorrow.

"We'll just keep making little moves and pick away at it and see where we
end up," he added. "It doesn't really matter where you qualify. I'd like to
be in the top half (of the field), so we can work on that tomorrow. You've
just got to be good on race day."

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