(Photo by JDavenport Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – CHICO, Calif. (Sept. 14, 2023) – Dominic Scelzi has produced a pair of successful weekends with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series during its annual West Coast Swing.
Scelzi earned three top 10s in four races in Washington State before capturing back-to-back top fives last weekend in his home state of California.
Labor Day Weekend featured four races in a five-day span in The Evergreen State. Scelzi kicked off the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals at Skagit Speedway in Alger by advancing from 14th to ninth on Aug. 31. The following night he maneuvered from 12th to seventh before ending the event with a 16th-place finish during the finale on Sept. 2.
“The goal was to be in the top 10 every night,” he said. “The first night the track was really rough and hooked up. We moved forward and I could run pretty much anywhere on the track. We were running seventh and I was trying for a top five. We hit a hole wrong and fell back. Thursday night was our best night. It was really slick and wide and we got going on the bottom early. We drove up to seventh and I was really happy with that. The last night we were passing for a dash spot in a heat race and got run through the infield. That took us from possibly being in the dash to finishing fourth in our heat. We had to start 15th in the feature and it was really hard to pass. We were ripping around the top and it was the same speed as the bottom.”
Scelzi headed to Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma on Sept. 4. He capped the night with a 10th-place result.
“In the main event we ran between seventh and 10th the entire race,” he said. “We’d get going and get by some guys and then fade and get passed. We had a really good restart to get to seventh with about 10 laps to go. Then we had a restart at the end and I tried to make a hero move to get to sixth and wasn’t able to clear the slider. When I slid up to the cushion I didn’t get off the corner well and got passed by a few cars.”
The team headed to Silver Dollar Speedway last Friday for preliminary action of the Gold Cup Race of Champions. Scelzi timed in 12th quickest and advanced a spot in a heat race to finish third, giving him the 10th starting position in the A Main.
“We didn’t have the speed we needed in qualifying,” he said. “When you’re not up to full potential the Outlaws expose that. Going 12th quickest wasn’t anything to be too upset with, but I felt we should have been better. I fell back to fifth on the start of the heat race and had to race my way to third. In the feature the track was slick and wide. We were really, really good. I was able to run the top and the bottom. We were really solid and had good speed. At the very end we were pretty much on the bumper on the leader and second. If things go a little different maybe we win. I just wish we could have started a little further forward to have put ourselves in a better position to compete for the win.”
The third-place outing ranked Scelzi as the top driver not locked into Saturday’s program, but that changed as he won a heat race to advance into the dash.
“We did what we needed to do in the prelim night,” he said. “We had great speed on Saturday and won the heat race to make the dash. The curb was really treacherous in the dash. We made a pass for fifth through turns one and two and then a yellow flag came out. We restarted sixth and didn’t get a great restart and fell to seventh. In the main event they reworked the track too much and it was one lane around the bottom. We had to be patient and wait for guys in front to move up. Once we got to fifth the top started to come into play and I was able to get back by Brad (Sweet). The last five or six laps me and Buddy (Kofoid) were racing pretty hard and (Justin) Sanders was right in front of us, but I wasn’t able to put Buddy away and we finished fourth.
“We weren’t stellar in Washington. In Chico we were really strong. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t maximize our speed. We were better than third on Friday and fourth on Saturday, but when you race with the best in the world you have to maximize your performance. It was my best Gold Cup finish and the best month of September I’ve had in many years so there’s a lot to be happy with.”
The World of Outlaws West Coast Swing concludes with races this Friday at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., for the Tom Tarlton Classic and Saturday at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., for the World of Outlaws 49er Gold Rush Classic.
“We’re going to two places I have a lot of laps at,” he said. “I’m excited to get to Hanford and I’m really hoping we can continue the speed we’ve been having. Fingers crossed we can battle for at least a couple more top 10s.”
QUICK RESULTS –
Aug. 31 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 22; Heat race: 4 (6); Feature: 9 (14).
Sept. 1 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 12; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 7 (12).
Sept. 2 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 15; Heat race: 4 (4); Feature: 16 (15).
Sept. 4 – Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. – Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 3 (5); Feature: 10 (7).
Sept. 8 – Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. – Qualifying: 12; Heat race: 3 (4); Feature: 3 (10).
Sept. 9 – Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. – Heat race: 1 (1); Dash: 7 (6); Feature: 4 (7).
SEASON STATS –
43 races, 11 wins, 29 top fives, 35 top 10s, 39 top 15s, 42 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., for the Tom Tarlton Classic and Saturday at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., for the World of Outlaws 49er Gold Rush Classic with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.GaryScelziMotorsports.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicScelzi41
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scelzi41
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Fuel Delivery Services, Inc.
Based in Stockton, Calif., Fuel Delivery Services, Inc., is a premier bulk transporter of refined petroleum products. For more information, visit http://www.FuelDeliveryServices.net.
“Mike with Fuel Delivery Services is a great guy who wants to see us do well and make it in racing,” Scelzi said. “We really appreciate his support and look forward to the continued success with Fuel Delivery Services.”
Scelzi would like to thank Red Rose Transportation, Inc., Scelzi Enterprises, Whipple Superchargers, System 1, Fuel Delivery Services, Inc., Red Line Oil, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Roth Motorsports, K&N Filters, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, NAPA Auto Parts, Todd Jorgensen, Sparco, Allstar Performance, Meridian Steel, Auto Meter, Kenny’s Components and Worldwide Bearings for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Sep 14, 2023
- Article Date: 9/14/2023 by Inside Line Promotions