Scelzi goes to semis in Gainesville

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 3 of 23
36TH ANNUAL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE (Fla.) RACEWAY
Race Dates: March 18-20, 2005


GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 20, 2005) - Gary Scelzi powered the Mopar/Oakley
Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car straight into the semifinal round at the NHRA
Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway today, defeating his teammate Ron
Capps (4.857/319.48) and Del Worsham (4.851/320.51) along the way.

With lane choice over his teammate Whit Bazemore in the semifinal round, he
and his entire team, led by crew chief Mike Neff, were ramped up for a good
run and a move into the final round. Scelzi took off first at the starting
light, with a .080 reaction time to Bazemore's .089, but that was all she
wrote as Scelzi struck the tires off the concrete launch pad and slowed to a
5.377-second ET at 209.05 mph. Bazemore nabbed the victory with a
4.920/302.01, and eventually the event win.

"We struggled on Friday in those really cold temperatures," said Scelzi, who
has yet to win the Gatornationals in his career as a three-time Top Fuel
champion and as a Funny Car driver since 2002. "Mike (Neff, crew chief)
really put it together today. You know, the track must have just gotten
looser, because we slowed it down a little bit more and it just got a little
bit fast and when it came off the concrete it just went into tire smoke.

"We're learning. I'm learning driving every time I hit the gas in the thing
and Mike's getting better every time he turns the wrenches. These guys are
great. They give you so much confidence. (Team owner) Don Schumacher today
had words of encouragement for me, the team and Mike. That's not like Don.
He's pretty quiet. He's got so many teams out here and I let him know that
we really appreciate it.

"Even though it seems like a really small thing, it's a big deal for us to
have the boss actually pat you on the back while you're going rounds.

"I'm ready for Houston. Bring it on, let's keep going now, the ball's
rolling. First round win in Pomona, second round in Phoenix, semis here,
let's go win Houston."

Scelzi moved into seventh in the Funny Car point standings, 73 points behind
leader and teammate Bazemore.

Next up is the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway, April
8-10.

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Whit Bazemore, 237
2. John Force, 228
3. Tommy Johnson Jr., 178
4. Bob Gilbertson, 176
5. Phil Burkart Jr., 174
6. Eric Medlen, 165
7. Gary Scelzi, 162
8. Ron Capps, 157
9. Robert Hight, 150
10. Del Worsham, 142