Pomona: Gary Scelzi Saturday summary

SCELZI TEARS UP POMONA WITH TRACK RECORD SPEED; QUALIFIES NO. 3

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2006) - Reigning NHRA Funny Car champion Gary Scelzi tore up the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona this weekend in qualifying for the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals by setting a track record speed of 332.51 mph and qualifying No. 3 in the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history.

The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car established that speed in the third round of qualifying, combined with a 4.775-second elapsed time, then bettered that ET in the final session by posting a 4.713-second pass, at the same time backing up his first 330-mph run with a second one, of 330.23 mph.

Meanwhile, his nemesis, 13-time champion John Force, the man he dethroned last year for the crown, shattered the ET track record with the quickest pass in NHRA history of 4.664 seconds at 329.91 mph.

"Boy, did we put that sharp stick in that cage, I guess," he said of Force's run. "We ran well. We changed things up a little bit, and ran a .71 at 330. I might have shut it off just a taste early, and that may be why the speed is down to only 330."

His other passes included a 4.798/322.73 and an 8.840/88.33.

"We're going to be fine. We have a real raceable car," he said. "We only didn't make it once, so three for four is not bad, and we'll load 'er up and go after it tomorrow."

Scelzi faces Tony Bartone in first round of eliminations on Sunday. All three DSR Funny Cars are on one side of the ladder, all three John Force Racing cars are on the other.

-dsr-