NHRA News: Scelzi wrangles top honors on final day of testing at Las Vegas' Strip (2/1/2004)

Scelzi wrangles top honors on final day of testing at Las Vegas' Strip

Reporting by Dave Gerard of FastNews
Testing photos by Racers Edge Photography
2/1/2004

Scelzi's testing diary

Oakley Hemi Funny Car pro Gary Scelzi provided a testing diary each day from Las Vegas.

Man, am I tired. Going from lounging in the recliner to four passes a day in a Funny Car is a big shift. That's the thing about preseason testing. You do more than work on the cars. Everyone, from the driver to the crew guys, needs to get back in race shape.

We're very pleased to have low E.T. of the day. Historically, this car has been slow to 330 feet so that was what we've been working on. In fact, we're staying Monday to test some more before we head to Phoenix. If we can get the front end of our runs to match the bad-ass back-halves we normally run, we'll have a 4.60 car on our hands.

Everyone is going to the next level this year. We'll see 4.6s at plenty of the tracks we go to, including Pomona. With everyone else stepping up, Team Schumacher needed to step up also and that's why we're all working so hard.

Gary Scelzi put his Hemi-powered Oakley Funny Car at the forefront of Sunday's session of the Las Vegas Blast-Off, the first official weekend of testing for the POWERade Drag Racing Series, which begins Feb. 19 in Pomona, Calif. Scelzi, a three-time Top Fuel world champion with just 30 races of Funny Car experience, cruised down The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 4.794 at 310 mph.

Defending NHRA Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon saved his best run for the final day. Pedregon, longtime driver for John Force Racing who chose to guide his own destiny as a team owner in 2004, powered his Quaker State Chevy Camaro down the quarter-mile track in 4.798 seconds at 313.29 mph to end the three-day session.

Despite Scelzi's Sunday heroics, the best passes of the Blast-Off belonged to 12-time champion John Force, who put his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang through a 4.736-second pass on one attempt and reached a top speed of 329.18 mph on other run during Friday's action. Force and teammates Eric Medlen and Gary Densham, who both posted 4.7-second passes of their own, were not in attendance Sunday.

Scelzi's Schumacher Racing teammate Whit Bazemore also posted competitive performance numbers Sunday. Bazemore raced his Matco Tools Stratus to a 4.867 at 291.19. Bazemore's run was close to matching his effort from Saturday, a 4.861 at 318.62. Scelzi's best on Saturday was a 4.803 at 313.80.

Del Worsham raced to a 4.926 at 275.17 in his Checker Schuck's Kragen Pontiac Firebird on Saturday, his quickest run of the weekend.

NHRA nitro category teams will now move on to Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix for two days of testing (Feb. 7-8) before heading to Southwestern International Raceway for the final three days of testing (Feb. 13-15). The season officially opens with the 44th annual K&N Filters Winternationals at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway, Feb. 19-22. The $1.7 million race is the first of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series for 2004.

While most Pro Stock teams are busy preparing to test at the traditional Pontiac Pro Stock Super Bowl at Houston Raceway Park, Feb. 7, Ben Watson clocked two passes at The Strip on Saturday. He clocked a best of 6.945 at 198.45. Also Saturday, Pro Stock Bike top 10 finisher Mike Berry posted a testing-best of 7.229 at 184.95 on his Suzuki.

Las Vegas Blast-Off, Sunday Race Report 1 – The final day of pro testing is starting with the expectation that Team Force, among others, will not be running today. This morning we have bright blue sunny skies with only a few high jet contrails. It's definitely cooler today, with an expected high of only 52 degrees by late this afternoon. The temperature currently at the end of this session is around 51 degrees, humidity at 21-percent, and the barometer at 30.09 inches and falling.

10:45 a.m. Gary Scelzi:
.904 2.406 Scelzi will be the first pro car to challenge the track today and it's still only 48 degrees. He leaves well and then shuts it off before 150 feet.

10:50 a.m. Steve Densham TAFC:
1.050 6.552 209.23 The younger Densham continues to show improving skill.

11:05 a.m. Jerry Toliver:
.887 2.892 Very hard leave and an immediate abrupt move towards the wall. Toliver lifts and snaps it back to the center of the lane.

11:13 a.m. Darryl Hitchman TAD:
1.097 6.081 241.67 The engine is still not sharp sounding yet and the car struggles down the track.

11:18 a.m. Tony Pedregon:
.882 2.276 3.288 249.30 Last night, Pedregon said he is still getting used to his new ride and was working on getting comfortable with how he sits in the car, controls, etc. The new green car is very strong of the line and runs well to almost mid-track, where the cars starts to move hard towards the centerline. Pedregon pulls the chute and coasts on down the track.

11:22 a.m. Dennis Taylor TAFC:
.904 2.406 Taylor has a very aggressive leave, but the car makes a hard move toward the wall. A little too much excitement.

11:25 a.m. Steve Federlin TAD:
.927 5.435 257.87 The blown alcohol dragster is right down Broadway, with an impressive pass.

11:32 a.m. Shep Ginsburg:
.971 Another license pass. Sixty feet and up in smoke.

11:45 a.m. Cruz Pedregon:
.901 2.638 A quick squirt and then tire spin.

Las Vegas Blast-Off, Sunday Race Report 2 – Action since 12 p.m. The temperature currently at the end of this session is around 51 degrees, humidity at 21-percent, and the barometer at 30.09 inches and falling. The rigs of Team Worsham, Gallio, and Gordon were seen exciting the town last night, so we won't be seeing them today.

12:12 p.m. Whit Bazemore:
.899 2.309 3.305 254.86 4.134 4.867 291.19 Almost a full pull, with a near perfect pass down the track. Right before the lights, there was a lot of smoke from the engine and the car slowed. No oil on the track, so it looks like all of the big pieces stayed inside.

12:27 p.m. Morgan Lucas TAD:
1.063 6.112 202.30 Lucas does a "non-burnout" roll out across the starting line, back ups, and then comes up to stage. Looks like a lot of dropped cylinders going down the track and he lifts before the 1,000-foot lights.

12:30 p.m. Gary Scelzi:
.902 They must be on a 90-minute turn around in the pits. Scelzi hits the throttle and is up in smoke within a hundred feet.

12:37 p.m. Tommy Johnson Jr.:
.906 2.423 Strong straight leave and then fuel out of the pipes before mid-track.

12:52 p.m. David Wilson TAD:
.974 5.619 252.66 Nice straight pass for the English Team.

1:04 p.m. Jerry Toliver :
.898 2.320 3.478 188.25 Toliver and Head are sharing one body between the two chassis, as the wing was damaged on the other body Thursday. The car leaves a little softer on this pass and runs well to almost mid-track before he lifts.

1:48 p.m. Ron Capps:
.887 2.426 Capps has a good run going until near the 330-foot lights, where it looks like a broken blower belt prematurely ends the run. Lots of raw fuel from the pipes.

Las Vegas Blast-Off, Sunday Race Report 3 – Action since 2 p.m. After a high of 56 degrees earlier this afternoon, the temperature at the end of this final session is around 54 degrees, humidity at 20-percent, and the barometer at 30.045 inches and falling.

2:15 p.m. Gary Scelzi:
.883 2.267 3.264 256.55 4.080 4.794 310.48 Scelzi has a great pass going from the hit. Straight and true through the mid-range. There is a lot of smoke from the engine near the finish line, so it will definitely go faster.

2:21 p.m. Bernie Harrington TAFC:
.973 5.755 249.95 Nice run for a new career best run for Harrington.

2:25 p.m. Tony Pedregon:
.938 The tires are up in smoke as soon as he hit the pedal.

2:30 p.m. Steve Federlin TAD:
.000 The team shuts him off before he goes up to stage.

2:32 p.m. Cruz Pedregon:
.901 2.344 3.416 223.17 The Advance Auto Parts Funny Car makes a strong and straight squirt to near mid-track.

2:38 p.m. Whit Bazemore:
.911 Short squirt off the line and then Bazemore lifts.

2:55 p.m. Steve Federlin TAD:
.938 5.508 255.43 It must have been a small problem, as there are back up to try again. There is a little shake and spin at the shift, but Federlin still makes a strong pass.

2:58 p.m. Jerry Toliver:
1.252 There are unexpected problems afterthe burnout and Alan Johnson has Toliver click it off. After wiping up some liquid from under the engine, the batteries are brought back to the Funny Car and the engine restarted. Toliver is directed back up to the starting line, rolls the lights, and goes up in smoke at the hit.

3:05 p.m. Tommy Johnson Jr.:
.887 2.309 3.330 248.29 TJ has a good-looking half-pass. The Snake Team is focusing on improving their performance to mid-track this weekend.

3:23 p.m. Shep Ginzburg:
.892 2.369 Ginzburg on another license pass. The car makes a good move and he clicks if off before mid-track.

3:50 p.m. Jim Head:
.000 Well, that was disappointing. The Funny Car just keep driving slowly down the track after the burn out.

4:04 p.m. Bernie Harrington TAFC:
.982 5.743 251.20 Harrington makes another strong pass to improve on his earlier best times.

4:15 p.m. Morgan Lucas TAD:
1.022 This will be a planned shut-off early pass for the new team. He had a 2.660 E.T. at 330 feet and 3.918 E.T. at 199.20 mph at mid-track before lifting.

4:21 p.m. Ron Capps:
.884 2.510 Nice short time, but Cappsclicked it before mid-track.

4:28 p.m. Tony Pedregon:
.902 3.273 258.42 4.798 313.29 Pedregon makes his best pass of the weekend.

Saturday testing report
Friday testing report
Thursday testing report

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