Bonus Controversy Fuels Scelzi’s Anger

It won’t show on Gary Scelzi’s 2000 income-tax return, but the top-fuel driver from Fresno collected $100,000 Saturday at Pomona Raceway for winning “last year’s” Budweiser Shootout, postponed from November because of rain.

Scelzi won by defeating rookie Darrell Russell in the final after sidelining veteran Kenny Bernstein in a semifinal round.

And he wasn’t happy about it.

A $50,000 bonus had been posted by the National Hot Rod Assn. for any driver who won both the 2000 Shootout and the season-ending Auto Club Finals. Since Scelzi won the Finals and then won the delayed Shootout, he thought he earned the bonus.

Not so fast, said NHRA officials, who changed the rules in half-track and declared that the bonus would be paid to any driver who won the Shootout and then today’s AutoZone Winternationals. Graham Light, NHRA vice president of racing operations, said the new rules had been agreed to by all participants.

“That’s absolutely bull,” Scelzi said. “No way in a million years would I have agreed to that. I didn’t hear about the change until we went to Tucson two weeks ago for testing. I’d already won one part of the bonus. Now I don’t get credit--or the money--for winning the second part.

“The only way I’ll have the last laugh is to win again Sunday.”

There is no precedent for that. In 40 years, no driver has repeated as Winternationals top-fuel winner.

Scelzi, in the quicker left lane for both runs, ran a 4.762-second elapsed time in the final to end the bid of Russell, who was making only his second competitive quarter-mile run in a top-fuel car since being chosen by five-time NHRA top-fuel champion Joe Amato to drive his car. Amato retired at last year’s final race because of eye surgery.

“I thought for a second Darrell was going to make history by coming in and beating the old-timer in his first start,” said Scelzi. “He got off ahead of me, but we were fortunate to catch him. I still think somebody owes me $50,000.”

It was the third Shootout victory for Scelzi, second only to Amato’s six in the 16-year history of the all-star event for the previous year’s eight leading qualifiers.

“We discussed this with all four [qualified] teams at last year’s finals and all agreed to postponing the last two rounds to this week, to letting Amato name a substitute driver and to make the bonus part of the Winternationals,” Light explained.

Scelzi said he knew nothing of the agreement.

“All I can say is I guess [team owner] Alan Johnson didn’t want to make waves. As far as I’m concerned I earned the 50 grand the way the rules were originally written. I don’t know how they can change the rules that way.”

Russell, a former top-alcohol dragster driver from Houston, advanced to the final by getting a hole-shot on 1999 Winston champion Tony Schumacher with an impressive 4.663-second run in the semifinals to Schumacher’s 4.706. Scelzi had earned lane selection with a slightly quicker 4.627 in his semifinal.

All day, all three days in fact, the left lane has been the better one.

“The left lane seems to stay more consistent, you can count on it,” said Bruce Allen, pro stock pole sitter. “The right lane feels a little loose.”

Even though they were running for $100,000 in the Shootout, Scelzi and Russell didn’t move up in the 16-car elimination field. Scelzi remained fifth and Russell ninth.

Until he faced Schumacher in the early run Saturday, Russell had never driven a 6,000-horsepower car in competition. In fact, he had made only five runs under any circumstances, three to earn his license two weeks ago at Firebird Raceway in Arizona and one Thursday and one Friday in qualifying at Pomona.

“I think Darrell acquitted himself very well for a first time,” said an obviously pleased Amato.

Doug Kalitta, who had been the No. 1 qualifier since Thursday, picked up a few fractions Saturday afternoon to retain his top position with a time of 4.576 seconds. Kalitta, a former U.S. Auto Club sprint-car champion, was driving a car owned and tuned by his uncle, Connie Kalitta, who won the Winternationals in 1967.

Mike Dunn, driving Darrell Gwynn’s New York Yankee-sponsored top fueler, ran a 4.599 to move into the second spot. Dunn recently gave up his contact lenses after laser vision correction surgery.

“I could see fine with my contacts, but they were a bother when it got dusty or smoggy,” said Dunn. “Now I am seeing even better than ever and don’t have to bother with taking the lens in and out. The real test was out there this week when it was sunny and bright. The eyes worked perfectly.”

The top-fuel field for today’s eliminations is the most lopsided in Pomona history. From Kalitta’s 4.576 seconds and Doug Herbert’s 317.57 mph, the final qualifier is Rob Passey, a former American Hot Rod Assn. driver from Salt Lake City who got in with a 16.163-second run in which he reached 62 mph.

Kalitta, who will face Passey in today’s first round, said, “We hope we can run faster than [62 mph], but this is a humbling sport. There’s always the red light to think about.”

The red light, caused by starting too soon, or crossing the center line, is automatic disqualification.

Tommy Johnson Jr., recently picked by former funny car champion Don Prudhomme to drive a second car, gave his new boss a present by taking the No. 1 berth with a 4.838 second run in his Camaro. Johnson’s teammate, Ron Capps, gave Prudhomme some nervous moments before making the field on his final run. A 4.881 effort moved Capps into the fourth spot behind Johnson, Frank Pedregon and Jerry Tolliver.

Ten-time champion John Force was a surprising seventh, managing to coax only 4.931 seconds out of his Mustang.

Allen, 50, had his best pro stock run Thursday and withstood a 200-mph challenge by the Johnsons of Sugar Hill, Ga. Father Warren and son Kurt both had four runs over 200, but neither could quite match Allen’s 6.828 clocking. Warren’s best was 6.838, Kurt’s 6.866. Allen and Warren Johnson drove Pontiac Grand Ams, while Kurt Johnson was in a new ACDelco Cavalier.