Schumacher. Scelzi, Line and Smith #1 Pro Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade Automobile Club of Southern California Finals
Tony Schumacher breaks NHRA season record with his 11th #1 Top Fuel qualifying spot.NHRA Saturday Recap
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."
KJ Resets Pomona Track Speed Record, Sits Second Midway through Qualifying
Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
Kurt Johnson delivered another impressive performance during his second qualifying attempt for the Auto Club of Southern California Finals. Despite running in the less-preferred right hand lane, the ACDelco Cobalt powered through the quarter-mile in 6.683-seconds with a blistering top speed of 207.62 mph.
This stellar showing was not only enough to place Johnson second in the qualifying order midway through qualifying, but his top speed, which was a career best mark and the sixth fastest run in Pro Stock history, also reset the Pomona Raceway track top speed record. Even so, Johnson sees room for further improvement during his final two qualifying runs on Saturday.
"Although the numbers were certainly good, the run could have been better. It went hard to the left at the launch with the wheels in the air, and I had to bring it back into the groove. It was ugly during the run and even worse on the computer afterwards.
"If we want to nit pick the run, with a decent sixty foot time, there's no reason we couldn’t go 6.66 or even 6.65. Our ACDelco Cobalt is an animal in the back half of the track - it just wants to run. We just have to figure out what it needs in the early part of the run, and everything will be fine."
Smith takes over top spot with track record run - Ellis now No. 5
Courtesy Jerry Battlewww.georgia-motorsports.com
G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
OWNERS: GEORGE BRYCE & GEORGE SMITH
Visit our website at http://www.g2motorsports.net/
NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: G SQUARED S&S BUELL
RIDERS: CHIP ELLIS and MATT SMITH
41ST ANNUAL NHRA AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
POMONA RACEWAY – POMONA, CALIF.
NOVEMBER 3-6, 2005
POMONA, Calif. (November 4, 2005) - Matt Smith, from King N.C., on his G Squared-prepared and owned, S&S-powered Pro Stock Buell, moved to the top spot running a track record pass and the third quickest elapsed time in Pro Stock Motorcycle history during the second day of qualifying for the 41st annual NHRA Automobile Club of Southern California Finals.
Smith, aboard the G2 Red line Oil/Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels Buell, recorded a run of 7.000 seconds at 189.71 mph on the Pomona Raceway track and eclipsed the track record of 7.024 seconds set by teammate Chip Ellis at last year's Finals.
"We're striving to get to that 6-second zone," said Smith, following the run. "We won’t run a national record but we can definitely get into the 6's, maybe a 6.98 or 6.99. That's what we’ll go after tomorrow. The first session tomorrow should be the quicker of the two sessions.
"We put our S&S engine that we ran at Indy in for today and used the same tune-up from Indy. That S&S power has us flying. We're going to try and win this last race and end the year on a good note.
"I would like to thank George Smith and George Bryce for giving me the opportunity to sit on and ride this awesome bike. Thanks also go out to Red Line Oil and Evan Knoll at Torco Racing Fuels and Skull Gear. I couldn't be doing this if it wasn't for them."
Ellis, aboard his G Squared S&S Buell, bettered his time from yesterday, running a 7.079-second pass at 188.94 mph. At the end of Friday's qualifying the Americus, Ga., driver sat fifth on the Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying ladder.
Looking to the two remaining qualifying sessions tomorrow, George Smith, co-owner of G Squared Motorsports along with George Bryce, said, "These S&S powered bikes are flying. We need to check the tapes (computer) and then change our tune-up accordingly, but I think both Matt's and Chip's bikes have a little more left for tomorrow."
QUALIFYING: Two qualifying sessions for the 41st annual NHRA Automobile Club of Southern California Finals remain. Both Ellis and Smith will take to the track tomorrow, Saturday, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Ellis and Smith begin their quest for the Top Fuel title on Sunday with eliminations for all classes getting underway at 11 a.m. Times are local Pomona time - Pacific Time (PT) - 3 hours behind Eastern Time (ET) - and subject to change at anytime.
TELEVISION: Two hours of qualifying highlights for the 41st annual Automobile Club of Southern California Finals can be seen on ESPN2 late Saturday evening (Nov. 5) beginning at 10 p.m. ESPN2 will also air three hours of same-day television coverage of eliminations beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening (Nov. 6). The elimination show repeats on ESPN2 early Monday morning, Nov. 21, from 2:30 until 4:30 a.m. Also, tune in to NHRA2Day on ESPN2, the weekly show that gives you the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA2Day can be seen on Sunday morning, Nov. 6 at 11:30 a.m. Television times are Eastern Time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.
FURNISHED BY:
G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
OWNERS: GEORGE BRYCE & GEORGE SMITH
Bernstein, Scelzi, Line and Smith New Pro Qualifying Leaders at the NHRA POWERade Automobile Club of Southern California Finals
KJ Opens Pomona Qualifying in Second
Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
Kurt Johnson continued his string of strong runs during Thursday's first qualifying session at the Auto Club of Southern California Finals, powering through the quarter-mile in 6.699 seconds with a top speed of 206.64 mph. This placed the ACDelco Cobalt in the second position with three sessions remaining on Friday and Saturday. Even though it is early in the qualifying procedure, Johnson was encouraged by his team’s continued strong performance.
"We made about four or five changes before the run to adjust for the conditions, and apparently we made some good calls. Getting down the racetrack is what it's all about right now, making sure we qualify and lock up the second spot in the POWERade points, and I think that run should do it. Now we can start working on it and see if we can pick up our ACDelco Cobalt's performance even further. It's a good start to the weekend."
Thursday in Pomona Finds WJ in Ninth
Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
The unusual three-day qualifying procedure for the Auto Club of Southern California Finals got underway with a single session on Thursday at Pomona Raceway. Warren Johnson took advantage of the opportunity, recording a competitive 6.741-second, 206.35 mph effort, placing the GM Performance Parts GTO in the ninth position. With three sessions remaining on Friday and Saturday, The Professor immediately began looking for ways to improve his standing.
"The best way to describe our effort is that we successfully made it to the other end. Our car just refuses to run well from the 60 foot mark to the eighth mile. After that, it's fine. It's obviously doing something we don't want it to do, so we'll go over our notes and decide what we need to do to make it stop, and get our GM Performance Parts GTO back to the top of the charts."
Ellis No. 2, Smith No. 3 after first day of qualifying
Courtesy Jerry Battle
G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
OWNERS: GEORGE BRYCE & GEORGE SMITH Visit our website at www.g2motorsports.net
NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: G SQUARED S&S BUELL
RIDERS: CHIP ELLIS and MATT SMITH
MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Schultz
41ST ANNUAL NHRA AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
POMONA RACEWAY - POMONA, CALIF.
NOVEMBER 3-6, 2005
POMONA, Calif. (November 3, 2005) - Chip Ellis and teammate Matt Smith, aboard their G Squared-prepared and owned, S&S-powered Pro Stock Buells, ended the first day of qualifying for the 41st annual NHRA Automobile Club of Southern California Finals No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.
The qualifying for the two races at Pomona is unique in that one qualifying session is run on Thursday and one on Friday instead of the traditional two sessions on Friday.
Ellis, using the same S&S engine and set up that he has had since Reading, cruised the Pomona Raceway quarter-mile on his G Squared S&S Buell in 7.091 seconds at 187.60 mph to end the day in the second position.
Smith, using an engine the team rebuilt this morning, clicked off a pass of 7.097 seconds at 189.82 mph aboard his
G2 Red line Oil/Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels Buell. This placed Smith just behind Ellis in the third qualifying spot. Smith's speed of 189.82 mph was fastest of the session.
Three Buells finished in the top three position with Ryan Schnitz nailing down the provisional No. 1 position as day one of qualifying came to an end.
QUALIFYING: Three qualifying sessions for the 41st annual NHRA Automobile Club of Southern California Finals remain. Both Ellis and Smith will take to the track for a single session on Friday at 2 p.m. Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying concludes with two additional sessions on Saturday, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Ellis and Smith begin their quest for the Top Fuel title on Sunday with eliminations for all classes getting underway at 11 a.m. Times are local Pomona time - Pacific Time (PT) - 3 hours behind Eastern Time (ET) - and subject to change at anytime.
TELEVISION: Two hours of qualifying highlights for the 41st annual Automobile Club of Southern California Finals can be seen on ESPN2 late Saturday evening (Nov. 5) beginning at 10 p.m. ESPN2 will also air three hours of same-day television coverage of eliminations beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening (Nov. 6). The elimination show repeats on ESPN2 early Monday morning, Nov. 21, from 2:30 until 4:30 a.m. Also, tune in to NHRA2Day on ESPN2, the weekly show that gives you the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA2Day can be seen on Sunday morning, Nov. 6 at 11:30 a.m. Television times are Eastern Time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.
Fuller, Hight, Enders and Schnitz Early Pro Qualifying Leaders at NHRA POWERade Automobile Club of Southern California Finals
In the funny car war, Ron Capps and Gary Scelzi take an early advantage over John Force. After one round of qualifying, Capps is #3 (4.768 @ 326.63), Scelzi is #6 (4.778 @ 320.66) and Force is #19 (9.959 @ 67.68). Force smoked the tires after swinging for a home run (record attempt) with his lightened Mustang.NHRA Recap
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