Scelzi out in first round at Rte. 66

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2004 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 20 of 23
CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS
ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
JOLIET, ILL.
Race Dates: Oct. 1-3, 2004


JOLIET, Ill. (Oct. 3, 2004) - With the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
winding down to its last four races (including today's), Gary Scelzi's exit
in the first round of eliminations today in the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA
Nationals was not what he or the team expected.

Route 66 Raceway is famous for its ultra-quick, super-fast surface, and it's
where the slick HEMI-powered Oakley Dodge rocket helped Scelzi become the
first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph mark here in May and set a Funny
Car national speed record of 330.25 mph. Although Scelzi did not believe
that, under the new 85-percent nitromethane rule, the Funny Cars would be
able to break that record, he was considered a favorite to win here.

The team searched for the right setup under the new rules on this smooth
quarter-mile. Scelzi qualified No. 7 by virtue of his first pass down the
track (4.827/324.59), then struggled through the next two sessions (the
second one was cancelled because of rain) under nearly perfect 50-degree,
sunny conditions.

Temperatures turned slightly warmer for Sunday's eliminations, but it didn't
help Scelzi's results in the first round against Jerry Toliver, when he lost
traction at the hit of the throttle and coasted to a losing 7.419-second
pass at 116.43 mph to Toliver's winning 5.084/273.22.

"I don't know what it is," said the three-time Top Fuel champion seeking his
first Funny Car crown. "These are optimum conditions - the race track, the
weather, everything - and for some reason we just couldn't make this thing
work. We slowed everything down and slid it down there to a 4.82 (in
qualifying), but it just wouldn't repeat, for whatever reason. That's why
we're going to stay here and test on Monday.

"I don't have any answers. I don't have a magic wand to know what to do to
fix it."

Scelzi's chances to claim his first Funny Car championship in only his
second full season in that class were dashed today, as he fell to third
place after Del Worsham won the event and points leader John Force,
surprisingly, set a new national elapsed-time record, collecting 20 bonus
points. Force's record 4.665-second run in today's first round of
eliminations also produced a national record speed of 333.58 mph, breaking
both Scelzi's speed record as well as teammate Whit Bazemore's elapsed-time
record (4.713).

Worsham is the only driver remaining who has a mathematical chance of
beating Force for the title. Scelzi will be battling with Worsham, his
teammate Whit Bazemore (who also lost in the first round), Eric Medlen and
Gary Densham for second place, as the series heads to Reading, Pa., this
weekend to make up for the rain-postponed Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Maple
Grove Raceway.

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS

1. John Force, 1575
2. Del Worsham, 1338
3. Gary Scelzi, 1262
4. Whit Bazemore, 1239
5. Eric Medlen, 1207
6. Gary Densham, 1197
7. Cruz Pedregon, 1082
8. Tim Wilkerson, 1081

***