Indy IRP test notes 2004-08-25

Sclezi Blazes To The Top in Funny Car at Indy Testing

CLERMONT, Ind. - Gary Scelzi clocked the quickest time in Funny Car Wednesday at Indianapolis Raceway Park as testing for the world's most prestigious drag race came to a close.

NHRA teams used the two-day test session in preparation for the 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 1-6, at the multi-purpose motorsports complex located just west of downtown Indianapolis. The $2.2 million race is the 18th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Scelzi - second in the Funny Car points chase - drove his Oakley Dodge Stratus to a time of 4.770 seconds at 325.77 mph for the best time in the Funny Car category.

The three-time Top Fuel champion is chasing 12-time Funny Car champion in the race for the POWERade championship.

"Any time you can run the car you can always learn something," Scelzi said. "We needed to run new parts for the fuel system and the clutch package and it's really hard to do that during a three-race swing.

"We are really pleased with the 4.777 because this test session is very important to us. Our whole goal is to earn some wins in this Oakley car this season before the season is out."

Brandon Bernstein was the quickest in Top Fuel, running a 4.515 at 327.43 in the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.

Greg Anderson, a two-time U.S. Nationals winner, again continued to set the pace in Pro Stock with the quickest run of the day. He drove his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac Grand Am to a 6.831 at 201.25.

Teammate Jason Line had the second-best pass, running a 6.848 at 201.19 in the KB Racing Pontiac Grand Am.

"I'm glad that we are going back to the shop before the race starts here in Indy," Line said. "We learned a lot about the cars, but we clearly have some work to do. Testing can be so frustrating, but we learn so much that we can't ever pass up the chance to test at Indy."

Antron Brown rode the quickest Pro Stock Bike during the second day of testing, posting a 7.147 at 187.11 on his U.S. Army Suzuki.

<pre> Top Fuel

Psn  Num Driver, Home Town, Car Type                     ET     Spd     Top Spd
  1    6 Brandon Bernstein, Lake Forest CA, McKinney-TFX 4.515  327.43  327.43
  2    5 Cory McClenathan, Anaheim CA, McKinney-BAE      4.554  323.27  323.27
  3  757 David Grubnic, Ennis MT, McKinney-TFX           4.581  318.99  318.99
  4    3 Tony Schumacher, Mt. Prospect IL, Hadman-TFX    4.604  316.67  317.34
  5 757* David Grubnic,                                  4.607  283.79  313.51
  6    1 Larry Dixon, Indianapolis IN, McKinney-KB       4.629  293.86  293.86
  7  999 Doug Foley,                                      NT

*David Grubnic driving Scott Kalitta's car.

Funny Car

Psn  Num Driver, Home Town, Car Type                     ET     Spd     Top Spd
  1    6 Gary Scelzi, Fresno CA, '04 Stratus             4.770  325.77  325.77
  2    5 Gary Densham, Bellflower CA, '02 Mustang        4.800  321.73  322.81
  3    3 John Force, Yorba Linda CA, '02 Mustang         4.804  322.42  322.42
  4    2 Whit Bazemore, Indianapolis IN, '04 Stratus     4.807  321.73  321.73
  5  716 Eric Medlen, Yorba Linda CA, '02 Mustang        4.860  320.43  320.43
  6  503 Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon IN, '04 Monte Carlo     4.923  313.88  313.88
  7   28 Ron Capps, Carlsbad CA, '04 Monte Carlo         4.942  274.94  274.94
  8   71 Cruz Pedregon, Camarillo CA, '04 Monte Carlo    4.949  245.90  245.90
  9    1 Tony Pedregon, Chino Hills CA, '04 Monte Carlo  4.965  273.61  273.61
 10  444 Jerry Toliver, Santa Maria CA, '02 Celica       5.105  296.70  296.70
 11    4 Del Worsham, Chino Hills CA, '04 Monte Carlo    5.263  198.47  206.10
 12   10 Johnny Gray, Carlsbad NM, '04 Stratus           5.317  200.41  200.41
 13  156 Phil Burkart, Yorkville NY, '04 Monte Carlo     5.896  166.25  174.21
 14  388 Jim Head, Columbus OH, '02 Celica               9.281   83.86   83.86

Pro Stock

Psn  Num Driver, Home Town, Car Type                     ET     Spd     Top Spd
  1    1 Greg Anderson, Concord NC, '04 Grand Am         6.831  201.25  201.25
  2 2455 Jason Line, Terrell NC, '04 Grand Am            6.848  201.19  201.19
  3   30 Steve Schmidt, Indianapolis IN, '02 Cavalier    6.864  200.86  200.86
  4  228 Mark Whisnant, Stockbridge GA, '02 Cavalier     6.872  200.68  200.68
  5    7 Ron Krisher, Warren OH, '04 Cavalier            6.902  199.73  200.00
  6  999 Craig Hankinson,                                6.905  197.57  197.57
  7  701 Ben Watson, Concord CA, '02 Cavalier            6.952  198.12  198.23
  8  376 Kevin Lawrence, Palos Hills IL, '02 Cavalier    6.960  197.19  197.19
  9 2062 Ronnie Humphrey, Jacksonville NC, '02 Cavalier  7.837  134.47  134.47

Pro Stock bike

Psn  Num Rider, Home Town, Machine                       ET     Spd     Top Spd
  1    6 Antron Brown, Indianapolis IN, Suzuki GSXR      7.147  187.11  187.11
  2    7 Andrew Hines, Trinidad CO, Harley V-Rod         7.178  184.45  184.45
  3   7* Andrew Hines,  ,                                7.191  180.62  180.77
  4  751 Steve Johnson, Birmingham AL, Suzuki            7.215  185.77  185.77
  5  313 Wesley Wells, Greenwood IN, Kawasaki            7.428  177.98  177.98
  6  101 Connie Cohen, Bristol CT, Suzuki GSXR           7.445  176.86  177.30
  7  235 Hector Arana, Miami FL, Suzuki                  7.478  173.27  173.27
  8    1 Geno Scali, Palatine IL, Suzuki                 7.744  171.34  171.34

* Andrew Hines riding GT Tonglet's bike.

-nhra-