SCELZI CHASES FIRST U.S. NATIONALS WIN IN FUNNY CAR
Wed, 2008-08-27 18:35
In looking at his stat sheet, Gary Scelzi appears to have earned more than his fair share of drag racing accolades.
Consider this. The Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion holds an impressive list of accomplishments which includes 37 national events in 58 final rounds, was the first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier, won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie, and is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Yet there’s one simple tidbit that sticks in his craw.
Scelzi has not won the prestigious U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class. His solo victory at this event came in Top Fuel, in 1998.
"It's time," Scelzi admitted. In looking at his stat sheet, Gary Scelzi appears to have earned more than his fair share of drag racing accolades.
Consider this. The Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion holds an impressive list of accomplishments which includes 37 national events in 58 final rounds, was the first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier, won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie, and is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Yet there’s one simple tidbit that sticks in his craw.
Scelzi has not won the prestigious U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class. His solo victory at this event came in Top Fuel, in 1998.
"It's time," Scelzi admitted.
Scelzi is out of the hunt for a fifth championship this season, having missed a berth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs, but he's ready to "wreak havoc" on the rest of his competitors in the class as he prepares for this weekend's 54th annual U.S. Nationals with a new crew chief on board, stepping in for ailing tuner Todd Okuhara, and high hopes.
"We've got Richard Hogan tuning the car, who has been in the shop for a week, going through, refining, trying to find a combination that he will be comfortable with," says Scelzi. "He's working with Todd, he's working with Phil (Shuler, tuner of Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge), John Collins, our assistant crew chief, and everybody on the Don Schumacher Racing team.
"Everybody seems to be upbeat and going in a good direction. It's risky doing this before the U.S. Nationals. It's great that you've got an extra qualifying session (five in all), but you’ve also got a bunch of cars coming and everyone is trying to be a hero, and so are we.
"We know we can't win the POWERade championship so our plan now is to try to salvage the year by winning the U.S. Nationals.
"There's been a lot of changes, a lot of things going on. Hopefully we can get a handle on it all and cause havoc on all these guys who are going to be in the Countdown.
Consider this. The Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion holds an impressive list of accomplishments which includes 37 national events in 58 final rounds, was the first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier, won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie, and is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Yet there’s one simple tidbit that sticks in his craw.
Scelzi has not won the prestigious U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class. His solo victory at this event came in Top Fuel, in 1998.
"It's time," Scelzi admitted. In looking at his stat sheet, Gary Scelzi appears to have earned more than his fair share of drag racing accolades.
Consider this. The Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion holds an impressive list of accomplishments which includes 37 national events in 58 final rounds, was the first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier, won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie, and is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Yet there’s one simple tidbit that sticks in his craw.
Scelzi has not won the prestigious U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class. His solo victory at this event came in Top Fuel, in 1998.
"It's time," Scelzi admitted.
Scelzi is out of the hunt for a fifth championship this season, having missed a berth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs, but he's ready to "wreak havoc" on the rest of his competitors in the class as he prepares for this weekend's 54th annual U.S. Nationals with a new crew chief on board, stepping in for ailing tuner Todd Okuhara, and high hopes.
"We've got Richard Hogan tuning the car, who has been in the shop for a week, going through, refining, trying to find a combination that he will be comfortable with," says Scelzi. "He's working with Todd, he's working with Phil (Shuler, tuner of Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge), John Collins, our assistant crew chief, and everybody on the Don Schumacher Racing team.
"Everybody seems to be upbeat and going in a good direction. It's risky doing this before the U.S. Nationals. It's great that you've got an extra qualifying session (five in all), but you’ve also got a bunch of cars coming and everyone is trying to be a hero, and so are we.
"We know we can't win the POWERade championship so our plan now is to try to salvage the year by winning the U.S. Nationals.
"There's been a lot of changes, a lot of things going on. Hopefully we can get a handle on it all and cause havoc on all these guys who are going to be in the Countdown.
Categories:
