2007 NHRA NATIONAL EVENT SCHEDULE
Listen to Trackside Interviews with Champions, Drivers and Crew Chiefs
Robert Hight
Hillary Will
Bob Vandergriff
Dave Connolly
Ed Iskenderian
Cory McClenathan
Robert Hight
Jim Yates
Tony Bartone
Hillary Will
Whit Bazemore
Byron Hines
| TWO-TIME TOP FUEL HOUSTON WINNER
SCELZI TARGETS FIRST FUNNY CAR WIN FRESNO, Calif. (March 27, 2007) - Gary Scelzi has a solid record at Houston Raceway Park throughout his three Top Fuel championships - two pole positions, two victories, one runner-up and the Top Fuel elapsed-time track record of 4.480 seconds, set in October 1999, which he still holds. What he doesn't have on his Houston scorecard is a win in Funny Car, the class he joined full-time in 2003, and in which he won his first Funny Car crown in 2005. The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car figures his Top Fuel elapsed-time record will be surpassed at this weekend's O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals, so he'd like to leave a new mark at this track by adding to his nine career Funny Car victories, including one so far this season at Pomona. "Houston has just been completely repaved, from what I understand," he said, "and there were some bumps in the right-hand lane that were starting to get pretty drastic. "I do have one special memory from Houston. When I won my first Top Fuel championship, we pretty much sealed the deal there in Houston in the final round, when we won in 1997, so that's something about Houston I'll never forget. "Other than that, racing in Houston has been pretty anticlimactic. In Funny Car, I don't think I've gone past first round or second round there (and DNQ'd in 2006). So, we're going to try to change that. We had a little miscue in Gainesville (first-round loss) and that kind of happens every now and then. You can't control that. "There's no question about how good the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger is now. We haven't qualified worse than third the first three races (first, third and second). I don't see that changing. We'll just have to watch and be careful when the sun comes out on the race track. That's one thing we have to pay attention to. Other than that, we'll just go see where the chips fall. "The goal is the same as always, try to qualify in the top half, and try to win the race." Racing without Eric Medlen will be tough on everyone this weekend. "I'm shocked and I'm numb," said Scelzi after hearing the news of Medlen's passing. "In my mind I thought he was going to make it through and be the Eric we were all used to seeing and joking with, playing with and racing against. Words don't describe what I feel right now. It just doesn't seem right. But, my heart goes out to John Force, John Medlen and Eric's family. These guys are close friends of mine, and this just devastates me." GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS: * Fourth in Funny Car points after qualifying No. 1 and winning the 2007 season-opening Pomona event, and first-round losses in Phoenix and Gainesville, 62 points behind leader Robert Hight * Scelzi's Houston record includes low qualifier in TF in 1997(2), 1998(2), winner in TF in 1997(2), 1998(2), runner-up in 1999(2) * Holds Top Fuel elapsed-time track record here, of 4.480 seconds, set in Oct. 1999 * At 2006 in Houston, Scelzi DNQ'd * Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points, with a win in Denver (three final rounds), runner-up in Englishtown, N.J., runner-up in Brainerd, Minn., and three semifinal finishes in Bristol, Tenn., Joliet, Ill., and St. Louis. * Also had seven quarterfinal finishes and no No. 1 qualifiers in '06 * 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 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 - one in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, one in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories) * Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004) * Career Funny Car bests: 4.690-second ET (Pomona 1 '07), 333.49 mph (Pomona 1 '07) * 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 nine Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins * Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class * 2007 is his fifth 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 by winning Nitro Funny Car 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: FRIDAY, March 30 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 3 and 6 p.m. SATURDAY, March 31 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. SUNDAY, April 1 Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, March 31, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 7 p.m. (ET). Sunday April 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will broadcast NHRA Race Day at 11 a.m. (ET). Sunday, April 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 4 p.m. (ET). SATELLITE: Friday, March 30, 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 23K (downlink freq: 12160, MHz Vertical) Saturday, March 31, 9:30-10 p.m. (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 23K (downlink freq: 12160, MHz Vertical) Sunday, April 1, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) Galaxy 10R / Transponder 23K (downlink freq: 12160, MHz Vertical) |
