Scelzi Improves Speed During Return to Ocean Speedway
Inside Line Promotions – WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2016) – Giovanni Scelzi developed more speed throughout the night last Friday at Ocean Speedway.
Scelzi, who was piloting his family owned entry, qualified ninth quickest to open the action at the quarter-mile oval.
“We were a little off on gearing, but I felt like we made better laps than the last time I was there so that was a real positive,” he said.
That lined Scelzi up on the outside of the front row for a heat race.
“We started next to Bud Kaeding,” he said. “He got the jump on me, but we were side by side at the flag stand. Bud broke a rear end so he pulled off and they threw the yellow. They sent me back a row for jumping the start, which we didn’t agree with. If we had won the heat we would have made the dash.”
Scelzi was forced to restart fourth. He advanced into the runner-up position, which was one spot shy of making the dash. That lined him up on the outside of the fifth row for the main event.
“On the initial corner I got up to sixth, but another driver hung a right and pushed me almost off the track,” he said. “We ran back up to about eighth and a guy half spun in front of me so we lost a few spots. Then we got back into the top 10 and that happened again. There was a restart and we were four wide and I got pushed into the fence so I pulled off. It was one of those races where no matter what something kept happening so I decided to play it smart and pull into the pits.”