(Photo by Collin Markle Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – STOCKTON, Calif. (March 21, 2016) – Dominic Scelzi is all smiles following what he described as his best weekend competing with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Scelzi registered a career-best result with the series on Friday at the Stockton Dirt Track before he nearly capped the FVP Western Spring Shootout doubleheader on Saturday with his second straight top 10.
“It was an extremely good weekend,” he said. “I think we’re growing as a team and we are getting better every single night. I’ve had a race car every night this year that I’ve been able to drive. I’ve been able to learn and not have to worry about things a driver shouldn’t have to worry about when racing. My focus is on point and I think that has showed.”
The weekend began last Friday with Scelzi qualifying 18th quickest overall. He then finished where he started – fifth – in a heat race to lock into the 18th starting position for the 30-lap main event.
“We made it through our heat and then in the main event the car was perfect,” he said. “We ran the bottom in turns one and two and the top in turns three and four. Nobody was really running where we were running. We had the lanes to ourselves and could move forward.
“Actually on the first restart they ended up moving me back to 20th. Come to find out they had an issue with the transponders and they misread the numbers so they moved me back behind Jason Sides. In the beginning of the race I was racing really hard with the guys around me. About halfway I was around 14th or 15th. Once I got up there I was able to have an open track. I made all my speed up and was able to run around guys in front of me. I got to 12th before the last restart.”
Scelzi took advantage of the late-race restart as he picked up four positions in the final two laps.
“We had a really good restart,” he said. “I went to the top in turns three and four and everybody was trying to protect. We ended up getting around a few guys. It was a really good way to start the momentum that we now have.”
Scelzi’s eighth-place finish also netted him the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars.
The weekend concluded on Saturday with Scelzi timing in 13th quickest during qualifying before placing sixth in a heat race. That locked him into the 16th starting position for the feature.
“In the main event I got to ninth when a yellow came out on Lap 10,” he said. “We were running real strong. When the race restarted I got back up to the cushion and it felt like I had a completely different race car. We’re not sure what happened. We were still in 11th with four or five laps to go, but the car got extremely hard to drive and it cost me several positions in the end.”
Scelzi held on for a 15th-place result.
He will take this weekend off before resuming action with the World of Outlaws on April 1 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., for the Ocean Outlaw Showdown presented by Budweiser and on April 2 at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., for the Mini Gold Cup.
QUICK RESULTS –
March 18 – Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif. – Qualifying: 18; Heat race: 5 (5); Feature: 8 (18).
March 19 – Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif. – Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 6 (5); Feature: 15 (16).
SEASON STATS –
12 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 2 top 10s, 5 top 15s, 5 top 20s
UP NEXT –
April 1 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., for the Ocean Outlaw Showdown presented by Budweiser and April 2 at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., for the Mini Gold Cup with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.GaryScelziMotorsports.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicScelzi41
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scelzi41
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Scelzi Enterprises
In 1979, brothers Mike, James and Gary Scelzi began manufacturing their line of flatbeds out of their company’s 4,500-square-foot facility in Fresno, Calif. They added truck service bodies and crane bodies to their line in 1990. Today, Scelzi Enterprises is the Valley’s largest manufacturer and supplier of truck bodies and parts. The operation includes 16 acres with more than 200,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities in Fresno alone. Scelzi Enterprises creates custom truck bodies for a wide range of customers, from single vehicles for individuals to entire fleets for some of California’s largest companies and utilities. For more information, visit http://www.SEInc.com.
“Scelzi Enterprises has been around long before my brother and I,” Scelzi said. “My dad and uncles have been involved in racing for years. They owned a sand dragster when my dad was young and started racing, and my uncle owned a very famous hard top years ago with many famous California drivers behind the wheel, including the one and only Al Pombo.”
Scelzi would also like to thank Whipple Superchargers, Fuel Delivery Services, Inc., Fowler Packing, Panella Trucking, Carlucci Transport, Red Rose Transportation, Inc., Todd Jorgensen, Roth Motorsports, Schoenfeld Headers, Red Line Oil, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, FK Rod Ends, Weld Wheels, Sparco, Simpson Race Products, Worldwide Bearings, Blast Tech, G&J Truck Sales, K&N Filters, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Meridian Steel, Kenny’s Components, Lincoln Auto Auction and Auto Meter 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 Mar 21, 2016
- Article Date: 3/21/2016 by Inside Line Promotions