Scelzi tears up Pomona with track record speed, qualifies No. 3

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
ROUND 1 OF 23
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals
POMONA (CALIF.) RACEWAY
RACE DATE: FEB 9-12, 2006

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2006) - Reigning NHRA Funny Car champion Gary
Scelzi tore up the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona this weekend in qualifying
for the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals by setting a
track record speed of 332.51 mph and qualifying No. 3 in the quickest Funny
Car field in NHRA history.

The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car established that
speed in the third round of qualifying, combined with a 4.775-second elapsed
time, then bettered that ET in the final session by posting a 4.713-second
pass, at the same time backing up his first 330-mph run with a second one,
of 330.23 mph.

Meanwhile, his nemesis, 13-time champion John Force, the man he dethroned
last year for the crown, shattered the ET track record with the quickest
pass in NHRA history of 4.664 seconds at 329.91 mph.

"Boy, did we put that sharp stick in that cage, I guess," he said of Force's
run. "We ran well. We changed things up a little bit, and ran a .71 at 330.
I might have shut it off just a taste early, and that may be why the speed
is down to only 330."

His other passes included a 4.798/322.73 and an 8.840/88.33.

"We're going to be fine. We have a real raceable car," he said. "We only
didn't make it once, so three for four is not bad, and we'll load 'er up and
go after it tomorrow."

Scelzi faces Tony Bartone in first round of eliminations on Sunday. All
three DSR Funny Cars are on one side of the ladder, all three John Force
Racing cars are on the other.