Scelzi breaks track record, grabs No. 5 in Brainerd qualifying

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

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 13, 2005) - Gary Scelzi had the Top Fuel record he
held here at Brainerd Int'l Raceway since 1999 broken today (teammate Tony
Schumacher's 337.58 mph run), but set a new track record in Funny Car in the
Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car rocket ship he drives for Don
Schumacher Racing. Scelzi qualified No. 5 for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
today with a 4.770-second elapsed time at 328.70 mph.

The Fresno, Calif., native has set fastest lap in Funny Car 18 times so far
since he entered the class in 2002, and if he holds on to this record after
eliminations on Sunday, he'll have 19 to his credit.

Scelzi recorded these numbers in today's first session in the middle of the
day. It was his only strong pass in two days of qualifying. The other rounds
included a 5.758/170.51, an 8.821/88.88 and a 6.476/138.36 in the final run.

"I lost the record in Top Fuel and gained the speed record in Funny Car,"
said Scelzi, who gained two points on Funny Car leader Robert Hight (who
qualified 10th) and is just 14 points out of the top spot in NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series standings.

"I'm still not real pleased that we only went down the race track once," he
added. "That's not a comforting feeling going into first round tomorrow.
Mike (Neff, crew chief) doesn't seem to be concerned. We've been here
before, but I think we were just trying to cut too low an ET. We need to get
over that and just get down the race track.

"Hopefully tomorrow we're going to race smart, and maybe we'll leave here
the points leader."

Scelzi faces No. 12 qualifier Tony Bartone in first round of eliminations.