Four-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion Gary Scelzi has a mixed bag of memories of his previous visits to Heartland Park Topeka for the NHRA Summer Nationals. The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T counts a Top Fuel victory, a fiery crash, and a record-breaking result among them. He’d like to add a Funny Car win to the list at this weekend’s event.
“I am looking forward to going to Topeka,” said Scelzi, who has three Top Fuel crowns and one Funny Car championship on his resume. “It’s where unfortunately I had one of my first major crashes in Top Fuel, but it’s also one of the places where we broke the record for most wins in a season in Top Fuel. We won our seventh Top Fuel race of the year in 2000 to break the record. We beat Doug Kalitta in the final and we went on to win nine races that year. So, Topeka was a great start to a season which ended with our winning the championship.
“Topeka has a lot of positive things going for it. It used to be an extremely fast race track. I know the new owners have spent a lot of money on the facility, but if it is hot it’s going to be tricky. We’re just hoping it won’t be a one-lane race track,” added Scelzi, who is currently 14th in the Funny Car point standings.
The highlight of the weekend for Scelzi will be having his sons Dominic (11) and Giovanni (6) with him. Both have been busy running their own race schedules, with Dominic competing in 600cc Restricted Mini-Sprints and Giovanni in Mini-Sprints. “My boys are going with me,” said Scelzi. “They haven’t been to a race since Las Vegas so I am excited to have them with me and they’re going to hang out with Dad in the pits.
“And (World of Outlaws racer) Danny Lasoski is going to be there on Friday, who’s a real close friend of mine. It’s going to be fun. I’m going to make this a real positive weekend and I’m hoping that this is the weekend the Mopar/Oakley Dodge and Gary Scelzi turn this season around.”
GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* No. 14 in points after eight events in 2008 (two quarterfinal finishes, five first rounds and a DNQ)
* Has one Top Fuel win in Topeka (2000)
* Was Topeka low qualifier in Top Fuel in 1998 and 2000
* Qualified No. 14 at 2007 Summer Nationals, lost second round to teammate Jack Beckman
* Third in 2007 Funny Car point standings
* Won class-best four national events in 2007, in four final rounds
* Qualified No. 1 and won the 2007 season-opening Pomona event (against Robert Hight), again qualified No. 1 and won the Chicago event, then won in Memphis and Richmond
* Seventh in 2006 Funny Car points, with one win in three final rounds, no low qualifiers
* 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, was low qualifier six times
* 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 24 Funny Car top speeds since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2003
* 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
* Has 37 career national-event titles in 58 final rounds
* Career round win-loss record is 371-199
* Age 47 (Aug. 11, 1960), born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 11, races Restricted 600 Mini Sprints; Giovanni races Mini 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 12 Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2008 is his sixth 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 14-time Funny Car champion John Force: 3-1 in final rounds, 12-11 in head-to-head match-ups
* Said early in 2007 that he would step away from NHRA competition at end of season. An offer from NHRA team owner Ken Black to fly him to and from 10 races in 2008, so he could spend more time with family business and family, helped him change his mind and return with DSR in 2008
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