Scelzi says changes to Mopar/Oakley Dodge may spoil everybody's day in Pomona
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 23 of 23 AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.) Race Date: Nov. 9-12, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net SCELZI SAYS CHANGES TO MOPAR/OAKLEY DODGE MAY SPOIL EVERYBODY'S DAY IN POMONA POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2006) - Gary Scelzi has had a tough 2006 season defending his 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship, and aims to end it by "spoiling everybody's day" at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals this weekend. "I always love coming to Pomona," says the driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, a Fresno, Calif., native, "because it's only four hours away from home, and what we learned on Monday testing after the Las Vegas race, with my teammate Ron Capps driving my car, I think, is going to be a big benefit to us at Pomona. The race track is outstanding, I've had a lot of success here over my career, and we think we can cause a lot of problems for the points leaders (John Force, Capps and Robert Hight). While they're out fighting for the championship, we think we can come in and spoil everybody's day. That's what we're hoping to do." No, the four-time NHRA world champion is not being mean-spirited, just extremely motivated. After winning three events in 2005 to take the championship down to the wire at the final Pomona event that year, he's struggled to win only once in 2006, and stands seventh in Funny Car points. "We've been pretty quiet for most of the year, except for (winning in) Denver," he says. "And our Mopar/Oakley Dodge hasn't been that consistent, but we feel that the changes that we made in Monday testing at Vegas are going to make our car run really well on a good race track. And that's what we like to see." As for his difficult season finally coming to an end: "I'm glad it's over," he adds. "It's been a long, frustrating year for all of us. Hopefully Pomona will show that the changes we made finally at the end of the year are going to make our car consistent again, and then we're going to have something to build on with January testing and we'll come right back to Pomona (for the 2007 season opener) in fighting trim. That will be a good thing." Scelzi's Pomona record includes three Top Fuel wins (Pomona 1 in 1997, Pomona 1 and 2 in 2000), but no Funny Car victories. He's qualified No. 1 four times at Pomona Raceway: three times in Top Fuel, and once in Funny Car, in last year's Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA finals. GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS: * Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points after 22 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 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 (1997, 1998, 2000) * Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first * Has three Top Fuel wins in Pomona (Pomona 1 in 1997, Pomona 1 and 2 in 2000), but no Funny Car victories. * He's qualified No. 1 four times at Pomona Raceway: three times in Top Fuel, and once in Funny Car in last year's Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA finals. * Qualified No. 1 in 2005 Auto Club Nationals, lost second round to Tommy Johnson Jr. * 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: THURSDAY, Nov. 9, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 1:30 p.m. FRIDAY, Nov. 10, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 1:30 p.m. SATURDAY, Nov. 11, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. SUNDAY, Nov. 12, Pre-race ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, Nov. 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10 p.m. (ET). Sunday, Nov. 12, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET). Sunday, Nov. 12, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 12:30 p.m. (ET). SATELLITE: Friday, Nov. 10, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) Galaxy 10 R / Transponder 23 K (12160 MHz, vertical) Sunday, Nov. 12 (Saturday late night), 12:30-1 a.m. (ET) Galaxy 10 R / Transponder 23 K (12160 MHz, vertical) Sunday, Nov. 12, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) Galaxy 10 R / Transponder 23 K (12160 MHz, vertical)