SCELZI QUICKEST ON SATURDAY IN PHOENIX TESTING

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
PRE-SEASON NATIONAL TIME TRIALS
FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
CHANDLER, ARIZ.
JAN 28-30, 2005



CHANDLER, Ariz. (Jan. 30, 2005) - Gary Scelzi, driving the Mopar/Oakley
Dodge Stratus Funny Car, was the quickest in the second day of pre-season
testing at Firebird International Raceway, posting a 4.808-second pass at
323.97 mph before the sessions were cut short due to rain and cool
temperatures.

"The race track really came around today," he said prior to leaving for a
Matco Tools appearance in Nashville, Tenn., for Sunday and Monday. "We
actually didn't have enough power in it. It shook a little bit. We probably
could've run quicker, but we didn't know exactly how good the track was
going to be. We learned a lot of things. We think we're ready to go to
Pomona (season opener Feb. 10-13).

"We ran well in Vegas, we ran well here, we think we can go and swing the
bat as hard as anybody. We'll just have to see."

NHRA Funny Car veteran Dale Pulde sat in for Scelzi and also for Scelzi's
teammate Ron Capps in the Brut Dodge Funny Car on Sunday. Capps was also
committed to attend the Matco Tools event.

In today's final session, Pulde pulled out a 4.826-second pass at 270.37 mph
after shutting off early. His 263.51 mph at half-track was impressive.

"It was a little much," he said of playing musical cars, "but it was really
exciting. It didn't give me much time to think about stuff. For not being in
a car that runs like this in a long time - or ever, really - and the two
cars are so close to one another and they're great cars, it was an
outstanding experience."