Funny Car champ Scelzi faces unknown in Richmond
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 21 of 23
TORCO RACING FUELS NHRA NATIONALS
Virginia Motorsports Park
Dinwiddie, Va.
Race Date: Oct. 6-8, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net
FUNNY CAR CHAMP SCELZI FACES UNKNOWN IN RICHMOND
DINWIDDIE, Va. (Oct. 3, 2006) - It's been five years since the NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series has competed at Virginia Motorsports Park, south of
Richmond, Va., and it's where the reigning Funny Car champion and three-time
Top Fuel champion Gary Scelzi holds two ends of the track record in the Top
Fuel class: 4.494-second elapsed time, 321.12-mph top speed - both set in
1999.
Since his last visit here, the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T
Funny Car captured his third Top Fuel crown in 2000, left the Top Fuel class
at the end of 2001, entered the Funny Car ranks in 2002, joined Don
Schumacher Racing in 2003, and won his first Funny Car championship in 2005.
It's been a tough road defending his title in 2006, but the popular Fresno,
Calif., native is eyeing strong results here as the season winds down to the
final three events, despite the challenge of not knowing what to expect in
Dinwiddie.
"It's been a long time since we've been here," he says. "We've won here
before (1997 in TF). I don't know what kind of improvements they have made
to the race track; nobody seems to know, but we're ready for it. I'm sure my
track records will be blown away, although that ET record is still pretty
stout."
This weekend will also mark another visit to "NASCAR country." "My old
Winston teammate Jimmy Spencer, who announces for NASCAR now, is going to
come visit me," Scelzi adds, "and so is Bobby Masten, one of my old bosses
from RJR, so maybe we'll play a little golf on Friday."
Scelzi is seventh in the Funny Car point standings, and is aiming to move up
in the rankings before the season ends in Pomona, Calif., in November. He
knows his chances of defending his crown are over, but he still has an
opportunity to move into the top five. He is 61 points short of that spot.
To finish in fourth, he would have to make up 133 points.
He's looking for some more luck in these remaining season events, following
four consecutive early-round losses. "I can't say my luck hasn't changed,
because the first round in Reading was awfully lucky," he says of his
opening-stanza win after his opponent crossed the centerline while Scelzi
was dead in the water in his lane following a breakdown. "We just have to
get four rounds under our belt in Richmond."
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points after 20 events, 61 points out of the top
five, 244 points behind third place, 279 short of leader John Force
* 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 seven
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 one win at Virginia Motorsports Park, in Top Fuel in 1997; No. 1
qualifier in 1997 and 1999
* 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 - two in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, one in Pro Stock, two in Pro
Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories) - and one individual team
competing under the DSR banner: Mike Ashley's Funny Car team, managed by 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, Oct. 6 - Professional Qualifying Sessions at 3 and 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, Oct. 7 Professional Qualifying Sessions at noon and 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, Oct. 8 Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. Final Eliminations begin at 11
a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Oct. 7, ESPN and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying
highlights at 10 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 7, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute
magazine show at 12:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 8, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations
at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, Oct. 6, 9-9:30 p.m. (ET) SBS 6, Transponder 16K (12092.5 MHz,
Vertical)
Saturday, Oct. 7, 7:30-8 p.m. (ET) SBS 6, Transponder 16K (12092.5 MHz,
Vertical)
Sunday, Oct. 8, 7-7:30 p.m. (ET) SBS 6, Transponder 16K (12092.5 MHz,
Vertical)
Feeds include action with natural sound of Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro
Stock, plus interviews with qualifying leaders on Saturday and winners on
Sunday.
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