Scelzi wants to cross Denver off his list
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 13 of 23 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals Bandimere Speedway Morrison, Colo. Race Date: July 14-16, 2006 MORRISON, Colo. (July 10, 2006) - Reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion Gary Scelzi still has that short list of venues on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series circuit at which he can't claim he's won. And Denver - actually Morrison, Colo., where Bandimere Speedway is located - is one of them. The others are Englishtown, N.J., and Gainesville, Fla. So, he'd like to cross Denver off that list and win this weekend's Mopar Mile-High Nationals for Mopar, the primary sponsor of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger Funny Car he drives for Don Schumacher Racing. The Fresno, Calif., native finally has his rocket ship back performing like it used to, following strong results in the last three events, including two semifinal finishes, one runner-up and a solid move into seventh in the point standings after struggling the first half of the year. He is just 101 points out of third place. "I have never been past the semis in Denver," said Scelzi, who has won four NHRA world championships, 32 national events and has set 23 top speeds since joining DSR in the Funny Car class in 2003. "I at least have been to the final round at the other race tracks where I haven't won at. "And now, with Mopar being my sponsor and the sponsor of a race I've never won, and having a car that's running well, we've got everything on our side to cross this one off the list. "We've got a good race car and we don't look for Denver to cause any problems. We're going to be running our new lighter Dodge Charger body, so everything has the makings for a great weekend." Denver is also the start of the three-race, back-to-back Western Swing. "lt's just the same as always" said Scelzi. 'We'll be able to run 90 percent nitromethane and power is not a problem. It's just the air is real thin and downforce is an issue. But we ran really well here in the past (two Top Fuel No. 1 qualifiers, in 2000 and '01); we've just never gotten past the semis. Sooner or later this place is going to have to let me win one. "We're excited after the three-race swing we just completed. Two semifinals and a runner-up make me feel really good about our combination. It looks like the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger is back and I'm ready to go three in a row. We'll evaluate where we stand in the championship chase after the three." GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS: * Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points after 11 events * So far, in 2006, his best results are a runner-up in Englishtown, N.J. three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis. Also has four quarterfinal finishes * Claimed the 2005 Funny Car championship, his first, by eight points over his teammate Ron Capps, 32 over third-place John Force * Won three times in 2005 (Bristol, Chicago 1 and Sonoma); was low qualifier six times (Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, St. Louis, Reading, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2) * Is a three-time Top Fuel champion * Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first * Has never won in Denver; was Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier in 2000 and 2001 * At 2005 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, he qualified No. 4, lost semifinals to Robert Hight * Has set 23 Funny Car top speeds since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2003 * 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) - and two individual teams competing under the DSR banner: Mike Ashley's Funny Car team, which DSR is managing, and Erica Enders' Pro Stock team, running under a partnership agreement with DSR * Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004) * Career Funny Car bests: 4.696-second ET (Pomona 2 '05), 332.51 mph (Pomona 1 '06) * Qualified in top five 19 times in 2005, No. 1 six times * Age 45, born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni * Dominic, 9, races Junior Sprints * Runs Scelzi Enterprises, a custom truck body design and manufacturing business in Fresno with his two brothers * 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 * 2006 is his fourth 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 SCHEDULE: Friday, July 14, professional qualifying sessions are at 4:15 and 7:15 p.m. Saturday, July 15, pro qualifying sessions continue at 3:30 and 6 p.m. (Saturday¹s Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle sessions are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.) Sunday, July 16, final eliminationns begin at noon. TELEVISION: Saturday, July 14, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. (ET). Sunday, July 16, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations at 9 p.m. (ET). Sunday, July 16, ESPN2 will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET). SATELLITE: Friday, July 14, 11-11:30 p.m. (ET) SBS 6 / Transponder 17k (Downlink frequency: 12117 MHz, horizontal) Saturday, July 15, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET) SBS 6 / Transponder 17k (Downlink frequency: 12117 MHz, horizontal) Sunday, July 16, 9:30 - 10 p.m. (ET) SBS 6 / Transponder 17k (Downlink frequency: 12117 MHz, horizontal)