Scelzi qualifies No. 6 in Columbus, switches to Stratus

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 8 of 23
Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals
National Trail Raceway
Columbus, Ohio
Race Date: May 19-21, 2006



HEBRON, Ohio (May 20, 2006) - Gary Scelzi was forced to switch from the
Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car body to the Dodge Stratus body
today after damaging the Charger during the Friday night qualifying session
for the NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway.

The elapsed time he recorded in the first qualifying round (4.749 seconds at
329.58 mph) on Friday in the Charger held through all four rounds for No. 6.
It also earned Scelzi a top-speed track record.

In Friday's evening session, Scelzi's (slower than the earlier pass)
4.790/273.50 lap was disqualified after he crossed the centerline at about
the 1000-ft. mark, hitting a timing pylon, which caused the damage.

After trading bodies, the reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny
Car champion drove to a 5.608-second pass at 174.21 mph, and finally a
4.811/316.90 in his last attempt.

"Now I have a car that I have to learn how to drive again," he said of the
Stratus. "Unfortunately, it put a hole (cylinder) out down there at the end
(in the final pass) and shot me right into the finish lights again (similar
to his disqualification in eliminations at the last race in Atlanta), but we
didn't hit them.

"It made it, it was one of the quicker runs of that session, and we'll just
go up there to the starting line on Sunday and hope the stars go our way."

Scelzi faces Scott Kalitta in first round of eliminations on Sunday.