Giovanni Scelzi Drives to Top 10 While Learning New Conditions

Inside Line Promotions – WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Aug. 1, 2016) – Giovanni Scelzi earned his seventh top 10 during his ninth career sprint car race last Friday at Ocean Speedway.

Scelzi piloted his family owned car during his debut at the bullring, where he was introduced to a new track condition.

“It was super hooked up,” he said. “That was probably the smallest place I’ve been to (in a sprint car) and it’s the most hooked up place I’ve been to. It was a new thing to learn.”

Scelzi opened the event by qualifying 10th quickest, which lined him up on the pole of a heat race.

“We were a little tight in qualifying,” he said. “At the start of the heat race I got pushed down in the grease and made a mistake in turn one and we were back to fifth on the first lap.”

Scelzi placed fifth in the heat race to lock into the 10th starting position for the main event.

“The track never really got slick,” he said. “It was one lane around the bottom. I got more comfortable in the feature. On the initial start I fell back to 12th, but I passed a few good cars.”

Scelzi rallied to record an eighth-place result on the tricky track.

“It was so fast,” he said. “You couldn’t go anywhere other than the bottom or you’d get freight trained. I’d say it was good to race on something that wet so when I go somewhere slick it’ll be slower.”

Scelzi will return to competition this Friday at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, Calif., where he will race a sprint car owned by Roth Motorsports. He will also compete on Saturday at Delta Speedway in Stockton, Calif., in a micro sprint.

“I feel like we should have a win with Roth,” he said. “We’ve been one of the best guys in Hanford. I have two races in Tulare and one in Watsonville since my last race in Hanford so hopefully we can show our improvement.”