Scelzi, Force & Capps Transcript
Motorsports Media: The transcript for today's conference call with John Force, Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps will be posted asap on http://media.nhra.com <http://media.nhra.com/> , hopefully by close of business (PT) Thursday. After clicking on the media.nhra.com link, the transcript will be on the front page under the heading "2005 NHRA Media Press Releases." A recording of the conference call is already available by navigating to the following link (https://sportssystems.spiderphone.com/WebCast/pwcLookupCode.asp?RC=9904 161055&Size=1) and clicking on Funny Car (you must have real player). Among the highlights was John Force saying he was going to pull out all the stops to break his own national elapsed time record (4.665 seconds, Oct. 2004 in Joliet) in an attempt to close the gap between himself and Don Schumacher Racing teammates Capps and Scelzi. By setting a national record, a driver earns a 20-point bonus. Current standings 1. Gary Scelzi 1,458 2. Ron Capps 1,456 3. John Force 1,430 Michael Padian NHRA Media Relations Manager http://media.nhra.com <http://media.nhra.com/> O: 626-250-2217 C: 626-278-0312 BULLET POINTS ON THE HISTORIC FUNNY CAR POINTS RACE - Force has an NHRA-record 13 POWERade Series world championships and he has won and NHRA-record 119 events (including 5 this year). - Force has a career-high 10 first-round eliminations this season (No driver has won a world championship with more than six first-round eliminations). - Force's latest first-round exit came by .001 (4.848 to 4.849) to Del Worsham at the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals. It turned a 36-point lead he had entering the race over Scelzi, who was the runner-up in Las Vegas, into a 28-point deficit. He was 57 points ahead of Capps, who won, and he now trails Capps by 26. - Gary Scelzi is attempting to join Kenny Bernstein as just the second driver in NHRA history to win world championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car (Scelzi won Top Fuel world championships in 1997, 1998 and 2000). - Scelzi has three wins in 2005. - Ron Capps is seeking his first POWERade Series world championship. He has twice been a runner-up in Funny Car (1998 and 2000); each time he finished behind Force. - All three drivers (Force, Capp and Scelzi) were eliminated in the first round at the Winternationals in Pomona in February. - Capps has three wins in 2005, including the just-completed ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals. - ALL TIME AT POMONA: Force has 11 wins; Scelzi has three wins (but all in Top Fuel, none in Funny Car); Capps has one win. - HEAD TO HEAD in 2005: Force is 2-0 vs. Scelzi; Force is 3-4 vs. Capps; Capps and Scelzi are 2-2 vs. one another. - There are a couple of subplots: The (Force) Ford vs. the Dodges (of Scelzi and Capps); Force Racing vs. Don Schumacher Racing (Scelzi and Capps). - IN THE EVENT OF A TIE: First tiebreaker is head-to-head and second tie-breaker is total round wins. Entering Pomona 2, Capps has 36 round wins and Force and Scelzi have 34 each. - QUALIFYING POINTS COULD BE CRUCIAL: A quick primer on the qualifying points: Drivers earn 1-8 points based on qualifying position (8 pts for No. 1; 7 for 2nd; 6 for 3rd; 5 for 4th; 4 for 5-6th; 3 for 7-8th; 2 for 9-12th; and 1 for 13-16th) and then 20 points per round win on Sunday (there are some other possibilities, national records, etc., but those are the basic points available). It will be difficult for Force to get within 20 points of Scelzi and/or Capps heading into Sunday so he will in all likelihood have to win two more rounds than both of those two (unless he sets a national record). One winning scenario for Force would be, if he is able to win the event against an opponent other than Capps or Scelzi, he would win his 14th championship. - DESTINY: Capps and Scelzi hold their own destiny; If either of them wins the Auto Club NHRA Finals they will be the POWERade Series world champ (Force technically holds his own destiny - if he wins AND sets a national record, he would claim his 14th championship). * * * * JOHN FORCE QUICK NOTES: *John Force has gone to the final round seven times this year and has won two more races (five) than anyone else in the Funny Car division. However, that performance has been offset by ten (10) first round losses. Until this season, John never had lost more than seven times in the first round in one season and never had won the championship after losing more than five. *Following his latest first round loss, to Del Worsham in last Sunday's ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals, Force tested for three days, a marathon that ultimately resulted in a best of 4.728 seconds, quicker even than Scelzi's current track record of 4.746 seconds. *The last time John was in a points race this tight was 1990 when he beat Ed "the Ace" McCulloch by today's equivalent of 43 points, slightly more than two rounds. Ironically, McCulloch now is the crew chief on the Brut Dodge Capps drives for Don Schumacher Racing. *Another irony is that when Force won the 1998 championship, he did so by winning just three races -- two fewer than Ron Capps, who finished second. Those roles could be completely reversed this year insomuch as Capps has won just three times; Force five. *Force's goal at the season-ending Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif., is (1) to break his own NHRA national record of 4.665 seconds; and (2) to repeat as Funny Car champion. If he can do that, he'll win an unprecedented 14th championship. If the conditions won't support a national record run, he'll have to count on some help in early rounds since, without the record, he must advance two rounds further than both Scelzi and Capps. *Force is encouraged by the national record possibility because he has broken the 4.70 second barrier at each event contested at Pomona Raceway. He ran 4.698 on the way to winning last year's Auto Club Finals and 4.697 in qualifying for this year's Winternationals. He has won more NHRA tour events at Pomona Raceway (11) than on any other track in the POWERade Series. *Force Racing has won the NHRA Funny Car championship 12 straight years. * * * * DRIVER BACKGROUND NOTES: Gary Scelzi, 45, Fresno, Calif., current points leader (by two over Ron Capps; 28 over John Force), Oakley Hemi Dodge Stratus. Crew chief is Mike "Zippy" Neff. Best numbers: 4.697 seconds (Joliet, Ill., Oct. 2005), 331.53 mph (Pomona, Calif., Feb. 2005). Funny Car record: 12 final rounds, seven wins, No. 3 in points in 2004. Other: Three-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion (1997-98, 2000) while driving for Alan Johnson; 25 Top Fuel wins; 1997 Rookie of the Year. Ron Capps, 40, Carlsbad, Calif., has earned more second half points than either Scelzi or Force (700-676-593), Brut Dodge Stratus. Crew chief is Ed "the Ace" McCulloch, former tour winner as driver in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Best numbers: 4.732, 329.02 mph (Joliet, Ill., Oct., 2005). Funny Car record: 35 final rounds, 12 wins, No. 2 in points in 1998 and 2000. Other: Also an event winner in Top Fuel; first season with Don Schumacher Racing after eight years with Don Prudhomme; two-time winner of Skoal Showdown Funny Car bonus race. John Force, 56, Yorba Linda, Calif., bidding for 14th individual championship, 15th for his team, Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang. Crew chiefs are Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. Best numbers: NHRA national records of 4.665, 333.58 mph (Joliet, Ill., Oct., 2004). Funny Car record: 187 final rounds, 119 wins, 13 championships in the last 15 seasons. Other: Has qualified for a record 368 consecutive NHRA tour events dating back to the 1987 Finals; 12-time Auto Racing All-America selection; 1996 Driver of the Year for all American motor racing. * * * * SEASON PERFORMANCE STATS: 1st Rd. Finals Wins No. 1 Losses W-L Scelzi 5 3 5 6 34-19 Capps 7 3 1 8 36-19 Force 7 5 1 10 34-17 VERSUS EACH OTHER: Force Capps Scelzi Scelzi Career 9-8 5-4 -- Scelzi 2005 0-2 2-2 -- Scelzi Career Finals 3-1 1-1 -- Scelzi 2005 Finals 0-1 1-1 -- Capps Career 11-36 -- 4-5 Capps 2005 4-3 -- 2-2 Capps Career Finals 2-7 -- 1-1 Capps 2005 Finals 0-1 -- 1-1 Force Career -- 36-11 8-9 Force 2005 -- 3-4 2-0 Force Career Finals -- 7-2 1-3 Force 2005 Finals -- 1-0 1-0 ####