Scelzi posts career quickest ET and fastest speed in Pomona

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 1 of 23
CARQUEST AUTO PARTS WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA (CALIF.) RACEWAY
FEB. 10-13, 2005


POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 13, 2005) - It was a bittersweet first round of
eliminations for the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus Funny Car
today at the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals. Gary Scelzi
rocketed to the finish line with a Funny Car career-best elapsed time of
4.717 seconds at an overall career-best (including Top Fuel and Funny Car)
speed of 331.53 mph.

Unfortunately, he lost that round on a holeshot advantage to Phil Burkart
Jr. who posted a slower yet winning 4.769/315.56. Scelzi's .154 reaction
time was no match for Burkart's .096.

"Disheartening. What a way to remember your career best ET and mile an
hour," said Scelzi, who had qualified sixth and is credited with a top-speed
track record with that run. "It doesn't happen very often, but it does
happen. Last year I stole five and lost one on a holeshot. This is not the
way I wanted to start out the year. But the changes we made to the
Mopar/Oakley Dodge worked extremely well. The car has never been that smooth
and that tune-up is not going to go away.

"Fortunately, all three John Force cars went out the first round. Kind of a
weird races today; a lot of weird things happened. A lot of great times, a
lot of great runs. We're going to shake it off and dust ourselves off. It's
not the first time, it certainly is not going to be the last time. We're
just going to try to not make a habit of it.

"It just kills me inside, but I can let it kill me all I want, but I'd
better bring that fire to the starting line come Sunday in Phoenix and the
rest of this year."

Scelzi earned 34 points towards the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny
Car championship and is tied in 12th place.

Next up is the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird Raceway in
Chandler, Ariz., on Feb. 25-27.