Giovanni Scelzi Pushes Through Adversity During Tough Chili Bowl Nationals

Inside Line Promotions – TULSA, Okla. (Jan. 21, 2020) – Giovanni Scelzi overcame numerous obstacles throughout a challenging 34th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Presented by General Tire last week.

Scelzi, who was driving for Tucker-Boat Motorsports, was caught up in several wrecks while competing on the dirt bullring inside the River Spirit Expo Center.

“We were unlucky I guess,” he said. “Things happen in a hurry and you can be involved in other people’s crashes very easily so luck plays a big part in how your Chili Bowl goes.”

Scelzi’s preliminary night at the event, which featured nearly 350 total drivers, was last Wednesday. He maneuvered from eighth to third place in a heat race before picking up a position to finish fifth in a qualifier. That ranked him 12th out of the 66 drivers competing that night and garnered the 12th starting position in the main event.

“We did a decent job on our prelim to get into the show,” he said. “Unfortunately, we got in a crash three or four laps into the race. We went to the back and worked our way into the top 10 before we were involved in a crash again. That bent the front radius rods and axle. It was hard to drive. We had to go to the back and we got back to 10th before the race ended.”

Scelzi was running inside the top 10 when he was caught up in a crash two different times. He made a late-race charge to finish the race 10 th. That relegated him to the fifth starting spot in a C Main during Saturday’s finale.

“We got better as the race went on,” he said. “I was battling for the last transfer position early. Once the track changed to be top dominant I got better.”

Scelzi hustled to a runner-up result, which earned a transfer into the back of a B Main.

“We started 16th and had to finish in the top seven to make the main event,” he said. “It was a doable task, but someone spun in front of us and we had nowhere to go early in the race. The impact crushed the front of the frame. We were lucky there was a caution that allowed us to get back out.”

The Tucker-Boat Motorsports team repaired the damage enough that Scelzi was able to return to the track after a quick caution on the restart. He rallied from the back to place ninth, which was only two positions shy of making the main event.

“I want to thank Chad Boat and everyone with Tucker-Boat Motorsports as well as Toyota Racing,” he said. “We had great speed throughout the event and with just a little luck I think we would have not only made the main event on Saturday, but we could have moved forward.”

Scelzi is scheduled to return to action Feb. 6-8 at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Fla., where he will compete in a late model event.