Giovanni Scelzi Records Top Five During National Open Opener

Inside Line Promotions – MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (Oct. 7, 2019) – Giovanni Scelzi produced a top-five finish during the opening night of the Champion Racing Oil National Open hosted by Williams Grove Speedway last Friday.

Scelzi and car owner Bernie Stuebgen qualified third quickest in group action during both nights of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader, an impressive feat given that approximately 50 of the top drivers in the country were at the event.

“We qualified good, which is what you have to do,” Scelzi said. “We had a good heat and dash as well.”

Scelzi won his heat race before advancing from third to second in a dash. That lined him up on the outside of the second row for the main event.

“I stuck to the top and kept working it most of the race,” he said. “We didn’t have good restarts. That was the biggest struggle. I fell to sixth on one and got back to fourth. We were pretty happy with fourth. We had a great Friday night.”

The fourth-place outing was Scelzi’s 21st top five of the season and his fifth with the World of Outlaws.

Saturday started similar as Scelzi timed in third quickest out of the 24 drivers in his group. A third-place result in a heat race lined Scelzi up 18th for the main event.

“I had a solid original start in the heat and was running second, but a caution came out,” he said. “I didn’t get a good second start. Brad Sweet got the lead and went to the top in turns one and two. I wanted to keep clean air on my car and thought the bottom would be good, but it wasn’t and Brent Marks got around me. That went from us getting in a dash to starting 18th in the feature. It’s tough back there. I couldn’t make up much ground in the feature.”

Scelzi gained a trio of positions to finish 15th.

“It’s not what we wanted, but to make the show and have speed was positive,” he said. “The National Open is one of the highest ranking races. To have success and feel like we have a shot is a good feeling, especially doing that for the second year in a row.”

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 4 – Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 1 (1); Dash: 2 (3); Feature: 4 (4).

Oct. 5 – Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 3 (1); Feature: 15 (18).

SEASON STATS –

60 races, 8 wins, 21 top fives, 34 top 10s, 43 top 15s, 48 top 20s