NEW TOP DOG IN TOP FUEL SCELZI OUTRUNS FORMER CHAMP IN POMONA FINAL.Byline: Steve Ramirez Staff Writer POMONA - Gary Scelzi Gary Scelzi, (born August 11, 1960, Fresno, California), is an American dragster racer and midget car owner who has won the NHRA Powerade Top Fuel championship on three occasions and the Funny Car title once. has enough experience to know that one race does not make a championship. That didn't stop him from celebrating Sunday after defeating reigning Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher This article is about the drag racer. For the German football players, see Toni Schumacher. Tony Schumacher (born December 25, 1969 in Long Grove, Illinois), is an American drag racer, currently competing in the NHRA top fuel class, of which he is a four-time to win the 40th Winternationals at the Fairplex. Scelzi, who won this event in 1997, was joined in the winner's circle win·ner's circle n. pl. winners' circles An enclosed area at a racetrack where the winning horse and jockey are brought for awards and publicity. Noun 1. with Jerry Toliver in Funny Car, Jeg Coughlin in Pro Stock and Bob Panella in Pro Stock Truck. ``To beat Tony Schumacher was extra special,'' said Scelzi after beating his new rival in the final. ''He's the (Top Fuel) champion. We're No. 2, but right now we're No. 1 in (championship points). ``You can't forget the rest of the season. This is one race, but it's a great way to start.'' And Scelzi achieved the right beginning with consistency. The former two-time series champion had both the quickest and most consistent car Sunday, making four passes in the 4.60-second range, including a 4.605 at 317.12 in the semifinals. ``When you get to the final and don't win it,'' said Scelzi, who beat Tim Gibson, Cory McClenathan and Larry Dixon This article is about the novelist and fantasy artist. For the senator from Alabama, see Larry Dixon (politician). For the professional racer, see Larry Dixon (drag racer). Larry Dixon (b. July 28, 1966) is a fantasy artist and novelist. en route to the final, ``it's like somebody putting a big chocolate "Big Chocolate" is a pejorative business term assigned to multi-national chocolate food producers, much akin to the terms assigned to "Big Oil" and "Big Tobacco". According to Asamoah[1] and Estis[2] cake in front of you with a mountain of ice cream. You finally get to it, then somebody takes it away.'' Not on Sunday. Scelzi made sure by blistering the Pomona asphalt with a stout 4.613 at 317.79 mph, more than enough to beat Schumacher's losing 4.712 at 309.56. ``(Former Funny Car champion) Frank Hawley Frank Hawley (born 1954 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a two-time World champion drag racing driver. He won seven National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car and two Top Fuel Dragster national events during his 10-year Top fuel racing career that included the 1982 and 1983 once told me that every athlete that does well, practices,'' Scelzi said. ''You have to. My guys went into training during (preseason testing). (Crew chief Alan Johnson) was playing with different combinations and he found out what worked. It carried right over to Pomona. My guys are tired right now, but there's nothing like winning. ``The final, I was probably a little more nervous. It was Tony Schumacher. He's the champ, and I want to knock him off. I didn't want to blow it because I knew we had a race car. And I knew they would have to step up to beat us, and they didn't.'' Consistency proved to be the difference for Toliver as well. The former drag boat racer, in just his second full season, made three consecutive passes of 4.95 or quicker before beating Tony Pedregon on a hole shot in the Funny Car final. ``I was just in a zone,'' said Toliver, who has now won back-to-back national events at Fairplex. ``Everything was great. My lights were great, I was leaving hard and the car was was working well. ``What did we run all day? (4.94s), .95s, .93s . . . that's tight. That just shows you the ability of (crew chief) Dale Armstrong. He's phenomenal.'' So was Toliver, who used a .09-second advantage off the starting line starting line n. Sports The point or line at which a race begins. Noun 1. starting line - a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game scratch line, scratch, start to defeat Pedregon, who ran a quicker 4.929 but couldn't get around Toliver before the finish line. Coughlin, victorious in the previous two national events at the Pomona facility, made it three in a row after running a smooth 6.89 at 199 mph, beating two-time defending class champion Warren Johnson Warren Johnson (born July 7, 1943 in Buford, Georgia) is an NHRA drag racing driver. He is the driver with the most wins in pro stock with 96 career wins. In 2006 Johnson reached his 500th career race. . ``(Crew chief Dick Maskin) has a good handle on tuning here at Pomona and I just like running here,'' Coughlin said. ``I wish we could be here for the next 23 (national events). ``The highlight of today was that we were the quickest car every round. To have last year's champion and runner-up in the final, that's what it's all about. And fortunately, No. 2 beat No. 1.'' Panella won in Pro Stock Truck, beating former sportsman teammate Greg Stanfield following a 7.454 pass at 178.52 mph. Stanfield, who held a slight starting-line advantage, ran a slower 7.568. NHRA NHRA National Hot Rod Association NHRA Northland Human Resource Association NHRA National Human Resources Association NHRA Nursing Home Reform Act NHRA National Hospice Regatta Alliance NHRA National Heritage Resources Act (South Africa) WINTERNATIONALS Top Fuel Gary Scelzi, Fresno, 4.613 seconds, 317.79 mph def. Tony Schumacher, Park Ridge Park Ridge, city (1990 pop. 36,175), Cook co., NE Ill., a suburb adjacent to Chicago, on the Des Plaines River; inc. 1873. It is chiefly residential. Several national and international corporations have their headquarters in Park Ridge. Nearby is O'Hare International Airport. , Ill., 4.712 seconds, 309.56 mph. Funny Car Jerry Toliver, Huntington Beach Huntington Beach, city (1990 pop. 181,519), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast, across from Santa Catalina Island, in an oil-producing area; inc. 1909. It manufactures aerospace vehicles, aircraft parts, optical instruments, and heat transfer equipment. , Chevrolet Camaro, 4.970, 309.06 def. Tony Pedregon, Chino Chino (chē`nō), city (1990 pop. 59,682), San Bernardino co., S Calif.; founded 1887, inc. 1910. It is the business and processing center of a diversified farming (notably dairying) area. Hills, Ford Mustang, 4.929, 308.35. Pro Stock Jeg Coughlin, Columbus, Ohio, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 6.894, 199.17 def. Warren Johnson, Buford, Ga., Pontiac Firebird, 6.953, 197.65. Pro Stock Truck Bob Panella Jr, Stockton, Chevrolet S-10, 7.544, 178.52 def. Greg Stanfield, Bossier City, La., S-10, 7.568, 179.09. Federal-Mogul Dragster drag·ster n. 1. An automobile specially built or modified for drag racing. 2. A person who races such an automobile. Rick Santos, San Leandro, 5.365, 262.74 def. Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.446, 260.41. Federal-Mogul Funny Car Larry Miner, Woodbridge, Dodge Avenger, 5.682, 256.02 def. Jay Payne, Upland, Camaro, 5.721, 234.25. Comp Eliminator Bryan Morrison, Chino Hills, '92 Camaro, 8.822, 151.04 def. Jeff Gillette, Benicia, 7.038, 189.63. Super Stock Bill Bennett, Mt. View, Camaro, 10.530, 132.99 def. Keri Angeles, Fountain Valley, Firebird, foul. Stock Don Little, Westly, Plymouth Barracuda, 10.365, 127.84 def. Toby Lang, Auburn, Wash., Chevrolet Chevelle, 11.834, 108.34. Super Comp Kyle Seipel, San Leandro, 8.880, 151.83 def. Mark Cavar, Puyallup,, Wash., 8.868, 166.62. Super Gas Bob Herr, Sacramento, Corvette corvette, small warship, classed between a frigate and a sloop-of-war. Corvettes usually were flush-decked and carried fewer than 28 guns. They were widely employed in escorting convoys and attacking merchant ships during the great naval wars of the late 18th and , 9.962, 148.76 def. Steve Williams, Loma Linda, Chevrolet Beretta, 9.996, 145.85. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Jerry Toliver's Chevrolet Camero outdueled Tony Pedregon to win the Funny Car final at the Winternationals. Associated Press Box: NHRA Winternationals (see text) |
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