Scelzi aims to conquer Mopar Mile-High Nationals
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Round 13 of 23 MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS Bandimere Speedway Morrison, Colo. Race Dates: July 15-17, 2005 MORRISON, Colo. (July 12, 2005) - Bandimere Speedway is just one of three venues which Gary Scelzi has not yet conquered in his NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series career. He's won three Top Fuel championships and 31 national events at every track at which NHRA holds national meets, except for this one and the ones in Englishtown, N.J., and Gainesville, Fla. The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car is ready for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals this weekend and is knocking on the door of his first NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship. He's just 55 points behind leader, rival and good friend John Force as the NHRA circus begins the three-race Western Swing, which includes this weekend's race at Bandimere, just outside of Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif. "Haven't been past the second round," declared Scelzi of his results here. The Fresno, Calif., native has won twice this year and is just inching his way past Force, primarily by out-qualifying him the last two races, as both have gone out in the same early round in the last two events. "Bandimere is a place where we haven't broken through, but we have a lot of good data that Mike (Neff, crew chief) seems to be really excited about." The Don Schumacher Racing triumvirate of Funny Car teams has the luxury of being able to share information between them, which is one of the assets of a multi-team operation. "(Scelzi's teammate Whit) Bazemore was No. 1 qualifier here last year. We have all that information. And the Mopar/Oakley Dodge has been running really well all year long, so I feel good about our chances, because sooner or later you've got to break that jinx. "And because it's a Mopar race, I feel that all the stars are lining up, and that this will be a good race." As for the challenges of running at high altitude and heat: "You run a thinner head gasket, you run more supercharger, and we'll get to run five percent more nitromethane, so power normally isn't a problem up here on the hill. "But you've got no downforce because the air's so thin. Sometimes that gets tricky. It's going to be hot. It's going to be 90 degrees. Any time you get to a race track where it's going to be 90 degrees, you're looking at 130-140-degree track temperature, so it's going to be tricky. But, that doesn't seem to be a problem for us." SCHEDULE: On Friday, July 15, pro qualifying sessions are at 4:15 and 7:15 p.m. On Saturday, July 16, pro qualifying sessions are at 3 and 6 p.m. (Saturday¹s first session of Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle is scheduled to begin at 10:15 a.m.) On Sunday, July 17, pre-race ceremonies are at11 a.m. Final eliminations begin at noon. TELEVISION: On Saturday, July 16, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, July 17, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations at 9 p.m. (ET). Onn Sunday, July 17, ESPN2 will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET). GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS: * Second in 2005 Funny Car points after 12 races; has two wins (Bristol and Chicago); was low qualifier three times (Las Vegas, Atlanta and St. Louis) * Is in fierce battle with 13-time champion John Force for 2005 Funny Car crown; just 55 points behind Force * Qualified 15th at the 2004 Mopar Mile-High Nationals; lost first round to Tony Pedregon * Is a member of the largest team in NHRA pro history: Don Schumacher Racing, with nine teams - two in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, two in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories) * Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004) * Career Funny Car bests: 4.717-second ET (Pomona '05), 331.53 mph (Pomona '05) * Third in 2004 Funny Car points, with three wins in six final rounds * Qualified in top five nine times in 2004, No. 1 once * Age 44, born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni * Dominic, 8, races Junior Sprints * Runs Scelzi Enterprises, a custom truck body design and manufacturing business in Fresno with his two brothers * Is a three-time Top Fuel Dragster champion * Won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie * Has six Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins * Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class * 2005 is his third straight season racing for Don Schumacher Racing * Is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. He accomplished this feat at Infineon Raceway in 2003 * Is one of the few Funny Car drivers who has a winning record against the 13-time Funny Car champion John Force: 9-8, 3-1 in final rounds * Wants to become only the second driver to have won championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first