Giovanni Scelzi Caps Strong Week With Career-Best 410 Run at Knoxville

Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 9, 2019) – Giovanni Scelzi scored a trio of top-10 finishes last week, including his career-best 410ci winged sprint car result at Knoxville Raceway.

The action began on Wednesday for Scelzi and car owner Bernie Stuebgen as the duo invaded Waynesfield Raceway Park in Waynesfield, Ohio, for an NRA Sprint Invaders show. Scelzi qualified second quickest and placed fourth in a heat race before he rallied from 14th to seventh in the A Main.

“We were too tight all night,” he said. “We hadn’t run a 360 at a short track in a long time and the feature went green to checkered. We were better at the end and were able to make some passes.”

The team ventured to Knoxville Raceway on Friday for the first night of a two-day event. Scelzi competed in a 360ci winged sprint car race, qualifying fourth quickest in his group and placing fifth in a heat race. That ranked him ninth in points and he lined up on the inside of the fifth row for the main event.

“It took me a while to get going,” he said. “I had to start hitting my marks and running the bottom better. The last eight laps I probably passed seven or eight cars on the bottom.”

Scelzi charged to a fifth-place finish.

He continued to improve on Saturday when he raced in the 410 sprint car division at the half-mile oval. Scelzi timed in sixth quickest and he maneuvered from fifth to second place in a heat race. That ranked him third in overall points. The feature was inverted by eight, lining him up on the outside of the third row.

“I feel like that’s one of the best nights I’ve had at Knoxville,” he said. “I was able to run the bottom better and more efficiently. A race that short you’re not worried about tire wear or anything else. You can push as hard as you can. The race goes by so quick. It’s hard to gain ground and so easy to lose it so you have to be good from the start.”

Scelzi hustled to a career-best third-place result, which was his 10 th top five of the season.

He is scheduled to compete in his family owned No. 41s this Friday at Hartford Speedway in Hartford, Mich., during the Battle of Michigan and Saturday at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wis., during the Badger 40 with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.