Giovanni Scelzi Earns Prestigious Wins and Awards on Biggest Level in 2018

Inside Line Promotions – FRESNO, Calif. (Nov. 13, 2018) – If 2017 was a breakout season for Giovanni Scelzi this year was a welcome to the national scene season.

Scelzi won a trio of races, most notably a World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series show during the National Open weekend at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., when 50 drivers battled it out in a World of Outlaws versus Pennsylvania Posse versus invaders showdown.

“To win that and knock that off the bucket list was pretty incredible,” he said. “To make it Bernie’s first win and get the phone calls from a lot of people who were happy for me was really special. I felt like it was coming, but I didn’t expect it to come there.”

Scelzi became the youngest winner in World of Outlaws and Williams Grove Speedway history. He capped the impressive weekend by earning the National Open Rookie of the Year Award the following night.

Scelzi opened the season with the same award during the famed Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. He then garnered the Knoxville Nationals Rookie of the Year Award and became the youngest driver in the history of the famous event to make the Saturday A Main at only 16-years-old, besting a record held by former NASCAR star Jeff Gordon.

“Going into Knoxville for your first Nationals you can’t have any expectations,” he said. “Just to make the show on our prelim night was an accomplishment in itself. You take it steps at a time because the competition is so good around you. The whole weekend from autograph sessions to being around past champions, it was so cool for me. I’d only been to the Knoxville Nationals one time to watch. It was an unbelievable week. It’s hard to put into words how special it was.”

Scelzi spent most of his season racing for Bernie Stuebgen in the Indy Race Parts No. 71 and the duo won their first race together during a BOSS Series event at Gas City I-69 Speedway in Gas City, Ind., which was topped by the World of Outlaws triumph only a few weeks later.

Scelzi was also victorious in a family owned car during the opening night of the Peter Murphy Classic at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif.

Other highlights this season include finishing second out of 75-plus drivers in the Trophy Cup standings and recording a fifth-place finish during the World of Outlaws World Finals.

“I think being consistent all year and qualifying as good as we have stands out,” Scelzi said. “It’s such a hard part because everyone is so close with the equipment and engines. The racing will come with experience, but qualifying well is so crucial. To be competitive consistently with whatever series we’d run with, the World of Outlaws and All Stars, stands out.

“I feel like once I got with Bernie things started clicking and I improved as a driver. I want to thank him and Betsy along with Richard and Jennifer Marshall, Paul Silva and my family for the opportunities to race. Also, thank you to Neil Kelly and Brandon Hickman