Scelzi seeks second Vegas victory
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 22 of 23 ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NHRA NATIONALS The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race Date: Oct. 27-29, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; 203-243-2438 cell; jstropus@earthlink.net SCELZI SEEKS SECOND VEGAS VICTORY LAS VEGAS (Oct. 24, 2006) - Gary Scelzi, the Funny Car winner of the 2004 ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, is seeking to double his record this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, one of his favorites. The reigning Funny Car champion who drives the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing has had a tough year defending his title. He's seventh in the rankings, with no chance of claiming back-to-back crowns. But he welcomes the chance to give it a go for a second season win this weekend as the series winds down to its final two events. Scelzi does have a shot at a season-ending top-five finish, as he is 125 points behind Tony Pedregon, who sits in that spot. He was the Funny Car runner-up at this event in 2005, en route to his first Funny Car crown on top of his three Top Fuel championships, and has qualified No. 1 in both the spring and fall races in 2005. He also holds the Funny Car track record of 4.746 seconds, set last fall. It's been a good track for the Fresno, Calif., native. "We're just hoping that it continues to be a good race track for us," said Scelzi. "We stayed to test the Monday after Virginia (the last race in Richmond, Va.) and found a few things to make the Mopar/Oakley Dodge a little more consistent. It reacted well. "Vegas is going to be a whole bunch better race track than Virginia was. Should leave us a little bigger window for tuning, and, like I said before, we're taking the gloves off and trying to run as hard as we can, 'cause we have nothing to lose. "The Strip is a Bruton Smith race track. There's nothing better. It's a great time of year to be here. I'm just so happy to be back on the West Coast. It seems like your mood gets better out here after a long season. We're only five hours from my home, and my family is coming with me. So, we're going to have a good time, and I'm in the right frame of mind." GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS: * Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points after 21 events, 125 points out of fifth, 269 points behind third place, 323 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 The Strip: in 2004 (2). Runner-up in 2005 (2) * Qualified No. 1 in both 2005 events * 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. 27 -- PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2:30 and 5 p.m. SATURDAY, Oct. 28 -- PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT, with rounds at 12:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m. and 5 p.m. SUNDAY, Oct. 29 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, Oct. 28, 30 minutes of Budweiser Shootout coverage at 10 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 Saturday, Oct. 28, 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 Sunday, Oct. 29, NHRA 2Day, half-hour preview show at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 Sunday, Oct. 29, three hours of eliminations coverage at 8 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 SATELLITE: Friday, Oct. 27, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 23K (12160 MHz, vertical) Sunday, Oct. 29, 12:30-1 a.m. (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 24K (12184, MHz, horizontal) Sunday, Oct. 29, 11:30 p.m.-Midnight (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 23K (12160 MHz, vertical) ***