SCELZI NO. 1 QUALIFIER ON FRIDAY IN POMONA
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 4, 2005) - Gary Scelzi backed up a potential national
record with his 4.696-second elapsed time at 329.18 mph today, qualifying
No. 1 after two sessions.
If he were to surpass the 4.665-second national record held by John Force
before the weekend is over, he may be the one who earns those 20 bonus
points, and not Force who has publicly proclaimed his plan to do just that.
Scelzi entered this final race of the year the leader in NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series Funny Car points, with his teammate Ron Capps two points
behind in second. Force trailed in third, 28 points back. One of these
drivers will emerge as the 2005 Funny Car champion on Sunday.
After two qualifying sessions, Force is eighth and Capps ninth.
"Yesterday I was nervous because things can happen," said Scelzi, "and I've
seen it happen to where if you go for the throat on the first run and you
smoke the tires then you start chasing, and if a stupid part breaks or
anything happens, you have a mental lapse, you could end up not racing on
Sunday, and then what kind of a championship is this?
"So it was really important to get the car qualified. But, really, since
Indy, I don't feel like I've really been on my game. I've been tense more so
than all of the other championships. In Vegas I started to come around.
"But, it was so funny today. We're in the staging lanes before this second
run and Frank Hawley (Drag Racing School owner) was there. I went and saw
Frank in 1998. And Frank says, 'Scelzi, what's going on? I want to take your
picture because you went to my school years ago and yadayadayada.
"So, I said, Frank, while you're here, why don't we have a little
conversation? I've been edgy, I've been nervous, I haven't been the normal
goofy Scelzi. It just seems like I'm putting so much into this because you
don't know when you're going to get a chance to have a shot at a
championship. You work your whole life for it. I've been fortunate enough to
win them and they're not easy. And they're really even worse when you're
going against the 13-time champ and Ron Capps, who is all of the above. He
just hasn't got the ring yet, but he's more than capable.
"And Frank said, 'Well, the one thing I can tell you, Scelzi, I don't have
to teach you how to drive because you've won in everything you've been in.
The only thing I think you're missing is that you forgot why you're doing
this. Because it's fun. Because you love doing this, and you just need to
relax and get the attitude that nobody's going to beat you and it doesn't
matter. It doesn't matter what anybody says, what anybody thinks, the media,
the press, whatever. It doesn't matter. You just go in there and have fun
because you're in the car, you're in control.'
"I rolled up there, rolled a 4.69, had a great light, and I felt good. They
talk about psychiatrists, but Frank didn't tell me anything I didn't know. I
had just forgotten what this is all about. Hats off to Frank Hawley, and
what a great advertisement. But it works. It's the truth. I'm not just
b.s.-ing."
Can he back up that run for a national record? "Tomorrow we'll be running in
these [same cooler] conditions here, and if weather permits, we'll stand on
it even harder.
"I don't think you can set a national record with that rev limiter. That's
the one key element. We were in Chicago in a mine shaft. This place is good,
but it's not quite as smooth, the conditions aren't quite as good, and 4.68
was the best they ran there. I'm not saying it can't happen, but, I tell
you, it's going to be an Act of Congress to make that happen."
What about Force's proclamation that he was going for the national record?
"I thought John was just trying to get more press," Scelzi said, "because
that record thing is a longshot and John may seem like he's desperate, but
he's not.
"If John Force happened to win the POWERade championship this year I don't
think anyone would be shocked. I think the big shock would be if Capps or
myself can beat him. And I'm not just saying that. That guy has won too many
championships. And the last time I checked he still had a pulse."
Contact: Judy Stropus
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 4, 2005) - Gary Scelzi backed up a potential national
record with his 4.696-second elapsed time at 329.18 mph today, qualifying
No. 1 after two sessions.
If he were to surpass the 4.665-second national record held by John Force
before the weekend is over, he may be the one who earns those 20 bonus
points, and not Force who has publicly proclaimed his plan to do just that.
Scelzi entered this final race of the year the leader in NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series Funny Car points, with his teammate Ron Capps two points
behind in second. Force trailed in third, 28 points back. One of these
drivers will emerge as the 2005 Funny Car champion on Sunday.
After two qualifying sessions, Force is eighth and Capps ninth.
"Yesterday I was nervous because things can happen," said Scelzi, "and I've
seen it happen to where if you go for the throat on the first run and you
smoke the tires then you start chasing, and if a stupid part breaks or
anything happens, you have a mental lapse, you could end up not racing on
Sunday, and then what kind of a championship is this?
"So it was really important to get the car qualified. But, really, since
Indy, I don't feel like I've really been on my game. I've been tense more so
than all of the other championships. In Vegas I started to come around.
"But, it was so funny today. We're in the staging lanes before this second
run and Frank Hawley (Drag Racing School owner) was there. I went and saw
Frank in 1998. And Frank says, 'Scelzi, what's going on? I want to take your
picture because you went to my school years ago and yadayadayada.
"So, I said, Frank, while you're here, why don't we have a little
conversation? I've been edgy, I've been nervous, I haven't been the normal
goofy Scelzi. It just seems like I'm putting so much into this because you
don't know when you're going to get a chance to have a shot at a
championship. You work your whole life for it. I've been fortunate enough to
win them and they're not easy. And they're really even worse when you're
going against the 13-time champ and Ron Capps, who is all of the above. He
just hasn't got the ring yet, but he's more than capable.
"And Frank said, 'Well, the one thing I can tell you, Scelzi, I don't have
to teach you how to drive because you've won in everything you've been in.
The only thing I think you're missing is that you forgot why you're doing
this. Because it's fun. Because you love doing this, and you just need to
relax and get the attitude that nobody's going to beat you and it doesn't
matter. It doesn't matter what anybody says, what anybody thinks, the media,
the press, whatever. It doesn't matter. You just go in there and have fun
because you're in the car, you're in control.'
"I rolled up there, rolled a 4.69, had a great light, and I felt good. They
talk about psychiatrists, but Frank didn't tell me anything I didn't know. I
had just forgotten what this is all about. Hats off to Frank Hawley, and
what a great advertisement. But it works. It's the truth. I'm not just
b.s.-ing."
Can he back up that run for a national record? "Tomorrow we'll be running in
these [same cooler] conditions here, and if weather permits, we'll stand on
it even harder.
"I don't think you can set a national record with that rev limiter. That's
the one key element. We were in Chicago in a mine shaft. This place is good,
but it's not quite as smooth, the conditions aren't quite as good, and 4.68
was the best they ran there. I'm not saying it can't happen, but, I tell
you, it's going to be an Act of Congress to make that happen."
What about Force's proclamation that he was going for the national record?
"I thought John was just trying to get more press," Scelzi said, "because
that record thing is a longshot and John may seem like he's desperate, but
he's not.
"If John Force happened to win the POWERade championship this year I don't
think anyone would be shocked. I think the big shock would be if Capps or
myself can beat him. And I'm not just saying that. That guy has won too many
championships. And the last time I checked he still had a pulse."
posted by David @ 10:34 PM
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