Scelzi seeks first U.S. Nationals win in Funny Car
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 18 of 23 U.S. NATIONALS O'REILLY RACEWAY PARK Clermont, Ind. Race Date: Sept. 1-4, 2006 SCELZI SEEKS FIRST U.S. NATIONALS WIN IN FUNNY CAR CLERMONT, Ind. (Aug. 29, 2006) - Four-time NHRA world champion Gary Scelzi is the 1998 Top Fuel U.S. Nationals winner, but the reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion has not won this prestigious event since joining the Funny Car class full-time in 2003. The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T, who has 33 career national-event wins to his credit (eight in Funny Car), hopes to change that this weekend at O'Reilly Raceway Park. At the same time, he'll be vying for the $100,000 prize to win the Skoal Showdown bonus event. Scelzi is making his third appearance in the Showdown, which he has not won. He's qualified fourth and will face Tommy Johnson Jr. in the first round. "This is a big race," Scelzi says. "We're running a brand-new car that we tested with at ORP last week. We switched just because the other car had 100 runs on it. We got the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger to go down the track at least 75 percent of the time, no matter what the track temperature was, so that was encouraging. "We're in the Skoal Showdown, we have a lot of positives going into this event, and we have a lot of opportunities. "Besides being the oldest, most prestigious race going, the U.S. Nationals has made a lot of guys' careers who have never won championships." Scelzi is currently seventh in the Funny Car rankings after struggling earlier in the year, 275 points out of the lead, and concedes that he has little chance to repeat as Funny Car champion. "It's pretty obvious that we're not going to win a championship this year," says the Fresno, Calif., native, "so it would be a great way to cap off the season with an Indy win. "I feel good about it. I think testing was positive. We learned a lot of things, we're coming in here with a tried-and-true combination, we're not making any changes, and hopefully Indy will be kind to us." GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS: * Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points after 17 events * So far, in 2006, his best results are a win in Denver, runner-up in Englishtown, N.J., runner-up in Brainerd, Minn., and three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis. Also has five 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 * Only win at U.S. Nationals was in Top Fuel in 1998; no No, 1 qualifiers here * At 2005 U.S. Nationals, he qualified No. 7, lose semifinals to Frank Pedregon * 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 46 (Aug. 11, 1960), 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 eight 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: 11-8, 3-1 in final rounds WEEKEND SCHEDULE: FRIDAY, Sept. 1 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 6:15 p.m. SATURDAY, Sept. 2 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 1 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. SUNDAY, Sept. 3 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. SKOAL SHOWDOWN ELIMINATIONS at 12:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 4 p.m. MONDAY, Sept. 4 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 9:30 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, Sept. 2, ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 5 p.m. (ET). Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at noon (ET). Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 11 p.m. (ET). Monday, Sept. 4, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of eliminations coverage at noon (ET). Monday, Sept. 4, ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 4 p.m. (ET). SATELLITE: Friday, Sept. 1, 11-11:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / Transponder 15 K (12003 MHz, horizontal) Saturday, Sept. 2, 9:30-10 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / Transponder 15 K (12003 MHz, horizontal) Sunday, Sept. 3, 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / Transponder 15 K (12003 MHz, horizontal) Monday, Sept. 4, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / Transponder 15 K (12003 MHz, horizontal)