NHRA News: Scelzi's Sonoma win could be a harbinger of Funny Car's future (8/13/2003)

Scelzi's Sonoma win could be a harbinger of Funny Car's future

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
8/13/2003

"Let me tell you, when your peers respect you, it's special."
– Gary Scelzi

In his six and a half years as a professional racecar driver, Oakley Funny Car pilot Gary Scelzi has proven to be one of the best interview subjects on the POWERade Drag Racing Series. He's insightful, brash without being cocky, quick-witted, and respectful of his adversaries and his predecessors. But the last time a microphone was stuck in his face, after winning his first career Funny Car title at the Fram-Autolite Nationals, Scelzi folded like a cheap suit.

"I admit, I blew it," Scelzi said. "I totally spazzed out on national television."

Blame it on the rust, Gary.

After a two-year absence from an NHRA winner's circle, Scelzi finally broke through at his home track in Sonoma, Calif. The emotion, the relief, the pressure, it was all too much to handle.

"When I saw that win light come on," Scelzi said of his final-round tilt against a game Dean Skuza, "I felt like a million pounds had been lifted off my shoulders. I immediately tried to contain my emotions and all that energy because in my mind I was thinking of all the people I needed to thank, all those people that believed in me, but when I saw my guys and the TV crew came running over, it was just too much. I let loose."

With his mind and mouth still revving at 10,000 rpm, Scelzi gushed a laundry list of thoughts to a national ESPN audience before performing an off-balance cartwheel and jumping into the waiting arms of his jubilant teammates. Little did he know, it was actually one of his best performances, a perfect 10 of originality.

How sweet it is! Scelzi kisses his first Funny Car Wally.
RacersEdge Photography

"When I turned Pro and my first job was driving for the [then] series sponsor [Winston] in the most high-profile car on the circuit, not to mention the fact I was supposed to fill the shoes of the great Blaine Johnson, I thought the pressure couldn't get any bigger," Scelzi said. "I was wrong. There was so much pressure to win with this car. [Oakley founder] Jim Jannard had runner-ups before. He knew what that felt like. He needed a win for all he's put into this sport. My awesome crew chief, Mike Neff, he needed to get his first of many wins to come. These Oakley crew guys who have bled for me, they deserved a win so much. The fact it was my first Funny Car win was secondary. This one was for everyone else.

"Mostly, I wanted to win for Zippy [Neff] and Jim Jannard. When I was hanging around at the end of last season and it looked like I wouldn't have a job, Jim Jannard was there for me. If you remember, Scotty Cannon announced he was going back to Pro Mod and Jim said I could have the Funny Car ride. Then Jim talked Scotty into staying and I thought I'd be the odd man out. But Jim came to me and said, 'I gave you my word you'd be driving an Oakley car and that's that.' He added a second car just for me.

"I wanted to promise him a win right there, but I didn't. I don't want to show up Scotty. He's my teammate and friend. Scotty will win a bunch of these races for Jim. He just needs the consistency. Still, Jim believed in me and it was so cool to pay him back a little bit with this win, his first win."

The Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T has carried Scelzi to an eighth-place perch in the POWERade points.
RacersEdge Photography

This was actually the 32nd victory of Scelzi's career. He had 25 in Top Fuel and three each in Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster. Scelzi now has the distinction of being the only driver to win national events in the NHRA's four quickest categories, while becoming just the 13th professional to win races in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. His next goal is to win a series title in Funny Car, which would place him next to Kenny Bernstein, the only driver in history to win titles in both nitro classes so far.

"I never say this out loud and I've never said it before in an interview, but in my mind when I pull up to the starting line, I'm telling myself over and over that I'm the best driver out there," Scelzi said. "And I really don't mean that to sound like I'm 'The Man,' it's just the way I've come to deal with the fact I have to race John Force or Joe Amato or Kenny Bernstein, or anybody else for that matter. If I don't think I'm capable of beating the best of the best every time, then I've already lost.

"I'll tell you something else: Reporters can love you and write great things about you, fans can line up for hours to get your autograph, your friends can tell you how great you are, but the thing I'll remember the most about winning Sonoma was that Force rode his scooter down to the top end to congratulate me. He said he'd be there when I won my first race and he was. That meant so much to me. Let me tell you, when your peers respect you, it's special."

Scelzi was also touched by the fact that Force singled him out as a threat in a recent interview with NHRA.com.

Twelve-time series champion John Force was one of the first to congratulate Scelzi on his win.
RacersEdge Photography

"Even though a lot of people doubted my ability, so much so that I started to doubt myself at times, I always knew I could do this," Scelzi said. "To hear guys like John Force and Don Schumacher tell you straight up that they believe in you, that really carried me.

"Then I start working for Don and I came together with this team, the guys were like, 'Wow, we have a three-time champ driving for us. How cool is that?' They picked me up. My confidence has been sky-high with this group ever since. The media and the fans were like, 'When, when, when, are you gonna win?' and all I'm thinking is, 'It's just a matter of time.' I knew we'd be contenders.

"When we pulled in the gates at Pomona [for the season opener] I knew we had as good a chance of winning as anyone else. I think if you asked any of the top teams, they'd tell you they never thought we were a duck sitting over there in the other lane. They knew they had to race us every time.

Oakley founder Jim Jannard enjoys the raucous celebration.
RacersEdge Photography

"I knew from my days of winning championships that there are times when your car is super-fast but you're just a little inconsistent so you can't get those wins. That's how we all felt early on this year, so I knew once we got the consistency we'd be fighting for every trophy. That's how it's been lately. I said before the race at the press conference in San Francisco that I fully expected to win, and I meant that."

As it stands, the only thing that might slow Scelzi is the unpredictability of his team's status. Schumacher's deal with Oakley only runs through the end of the season. What happens beyond that is anybody's guess.

"It would be a tragedy if we don't keep this together," Scelzi said. "I know Don is working like crazy to keep this team together. If he can do that there is no doubt in my mind that we'll contend for the championship in 2004.

"We should contend for every trophy this year. There are eight races left so we have eight great chances to win. If we do win, I promise my next interview will be better."

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