TEAM REPORTS (POMONA) - Last-ditch effort in Pomona for Scelzi
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Scelzi, driving the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing, is 91 points behind leader Tony Pedregon following last weekend's Las Vegas event, where Pedregon was the victor and the other three in the top four were dismissed in the opening round. Mathematically, Scelzi is still in the running, but, in truth, all Pedregon has to do is qualify this weekend to claim the crown.
The one chance Scelzi and the others have to take the crown is to win the event and set a national elapsed-time record (20 bonus points). Pedregon not qualifying would help.
"We're going to Pomona to try to set the record and who knows?" said Scelzi. "Pomona is a great race track. Boy, you can haul ass. We're going to go there and try to haul ass. We're going to go there more aggressive than ever, because that's what we need to do.
"And I think this Mopar/Oakley Dodge will run as hard if not harder than anybody. Like I've said before, we'll take the gloves off, and we'll just go kicking and fighting and biting and screaming and see if we can't finish as high as we can, if not get the championship."
Scelzi's Pomona record includes three Top Fuel wins (Pomona 1 in 1997, Pomona 1 and 2 in 2000), and his first Funny Car win at this season's opening event. He's qualified No. 1 five times at Pomona Raceway: three times in Top Fuel, and twice in Funny Car (at the opener earlier this year and in last year's Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA finals).
FUNNY CAR COUNTDOWN TO ONE STANDINGS (season event wins in parentheses) 1. Tony Pedregon (3) - 3,147 2. Gary Scelzi (4) - 3,056 (-91) 3. Robert Hight (2) - 3,048 (-99) 4. Ron Capps (3) - 3,034 (-113)
WEEKEND SCHEDULE: THURSDAY, Nov. 1 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 1:30 p.m. FRIDAY, Nov. 2 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 1:30 p.m. SATURDAY, Nov. 3 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. SUNDAY, Nov. 4 Pre-race ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION: Saturday, Nov. 3, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two one-hour shows of qualifying coverage at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. (ET). Sunday, Nov. 4, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three-and-a-half hours of eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET). Sunday, Nov. 4, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA RaceDay, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. (ET).