Scelzi stays mum on title talk, looks for good weather in Brainerd
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 16 of 23 LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS BRAINERD INT'L RACEWAY BRAINERD, MINN. Race Dates: Aug. 12-14, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell, 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net SCELZI STAYS MUM ON TITLE TALK, LOOKS FOR GOOD WEATHER IN BRAINERD BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 10, 2005) - Sticking to his guns and declining to discuss the 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship chase, in which he's only 16 points behind leader Robert Hight with eight races remaining, Gary Scelzi is looking for good weather conditions at Brainerd Int'l Raceway this weekend for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. "It's been re-paved, re-surfaced, so the track should be good depending on the weather," said the Fresno, Calif., native who was Funny Car runner-up here in 2004, Top Fuel winner in 1998, and No. 1 qualifier in Funny Car in 2003 and in Top Fuel in 1999. "It's definitely a very smooth race track. That's important. "If the conditions are right you don't have to pull back on the power," continued the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T who is seeking his first Funny Car championship to go with his three Top Fuel crowns. "There are no bumps so there's no unloading of the chassis. We've got a good handle on our tune-up, whether it's hot or cold. "I probably should be wishing for hot weather, because we seem to have a very good hot-weather tune-up, which we showed in Sonoma (winner there two weeks ago) and everywhere else. When it's cooler it seems to equal out everybody because it's easy to make power and make the car go down the race track. But when it's warm and slippery, it's definitely harder to manage the power, and (crew chief) Mike Neff has been very good at that lately. We should run very well." Scelzi has three wins in four final rounds this season, is second in points, 16 behind Hight, 70 ahead of John Force in third, and 72 ahead of his teammate Ron Capps in fourth. Scelzi would like to become only the second driver in NHRA history to have won championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. Kenny Bernstein is the first. SCHEDULE: On Friday, Aug. 12, professional qualifying sessions are at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 13, pro qualifying continues at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. On Sunday, Aug. 14, pre-race ceremonies are at 10 a.m. and final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: On Saturday, Aug. 13, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, Aug.14, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET). Also on Sunday, Aug.14, ESPN2 will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET). GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS: * Second in 2005 Funny Car points after 15 races; has three wins (Bristol, Chicago and Sonoma); was low qualifier three times (Las Vegas, Atlanta and St. Louis) * Is in fierce battle with 13-time champion John Force and rookie Robert Hight for 2005 Funny Car crown; just 16 points behind Hight, 70 ahead of Force * Qualified seventh at the 2004 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals; runner-up to Eric Medlen; left that event second in points * Funny Car runner-up here in 2004; Top Fuel winner in 1998; No. 1 qualifier in FC in 2003 and in TF in 1999 * 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 seven 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 round 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 ***