Scelzi Loses Mopar HEMI®-Powered Duel with Troxel at Vegas
Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi came out on the losing end of a HEMI vs. HEMI duel, bowing to fellow Mopar-powered driver Melanie Troxel in the first round of eliminations at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals on Sunday, Nov. 2.
Scelzi, a Fresno, Calif. native and four-time NHRA POWERade champion, qualified No. 10, setting up a matchup with No. 7 qualifier Troxel and her R2B2 Dodge Charger R/T team. The two Mopar-powered drivers put on quite the show for The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway crowd. Troxel's 4.134/301.81 pass edged Scelzi's 4.123/299.33 run by a scant four feet. Troxel won on a holeshot, with her .091 reaction time (.000 is perfect) besting Scelzi's .111 mark at the lights.
"Well, the car was better this weekend, but the driver was late," said Scelzi, who announced he will step away from NHRA POWERade Drag Racing competition at the end of the season. "We are all trying very, very hard, as this Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T team has been doing all year. Unfortunately, our weekend at Vegas was just like it's been all year. We or I just can't make it happen. We've got one more shot at Pomona, and we'll try to get it done there."
Troxel paced all Mopar-powered Funny Car drivers, advancing as far as the quarterfinals, where she was knocked out by 14-time Funny Car champ John Force. Scelzi's Team Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing teammates also endured a weekend to forget. Valvoline MTS Dodge Charger R/T driver Jack Beckman, NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T pilot Ron Capps and Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge Charger R/T hotshoe Jerry Toliver saw their Vegas visits end prematurely in the first round on Sunday.
The Team Mopar Funny Car contingent will look to close out the season in style at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 13–16. For more info on the NHRA, visit http://www.nhra.com.
