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LEGENDS: THE SERIES - THE LEGEND OF GARY SCELZI
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- čas přidán 6. 12. 2018
- Few drag racing flames ever burned brighter than Gary Scelzi’s. In a pro career spanning just 10 full seasons, five in Top Fuel and five in Funny Car, the native Californian won 37 NHRA tour events, three Bud Shootouts and four championships while endearing himself to friends, fans and rivals away from the track with an offbeat sense of humor.
When he won the 2005 NHRA Funny Car title, he became just the second driver in history to hoist the championship hardware in both fuel categories.
Still, there was a time when he had resigned himself to the fact that he would never get a chance to compete at the sport’s top levels.
Then came the call from Alan Johnson that would change everything. Still mourning the loss of his brother Blaine in a 1996 crash, Johnson was contemplating an eventual return to racing and asked Scelzi if he ever had thought about driving a Top Fuel dragster. The rest is racing history.
They won their first two races together in 1997 and Scelzi went on to win both the Winston Championship and NHRA Rookie of the Year honors. Nevertheless, after two more titles, the wild one’s career hit another speed bump in 2002 when he and Johnson tried to replicate their success in a move to Funny Car.
It would take a move to Don Schumacher Racing to rebuild his confidence, put him back on track and back in the winners’ circle.
In this debut episode of Legends, The Series, season five, Scelzi talks about his early days in sand drag racing, his initial feeling of intimidation in Top Fuel, his awkward departure and how he hopes to be remembered. You’ll want to tune in. This is vintage “Scelzi Says.”
Gary was definitely an asset to NHRA racing. Always seems like a great guy.
Gary is the top of the Heap ! One of the very Best and a good friend.
Total respect for Gary Scalzi and enjoyed watching him race through his career. He was one of my favorite top fuel drivers in the NHRA!!
One of my all time favorite fuel Driver's and just a good person in a not so good world. Thanks for the memories Mr Gary.
Every one of these interviews leaves you feeling like you got to know each of these guys a bit as a person.. Good job as always Bobby
randalljames - that was my goal from Day One
Gray is a good dude and was great for NHRA.
One of all time favorite racers! You can’t not not like Gary Scelzi! We miss you buddy.
Kind of facial like Larry Czonka
Scalzi is AWESOME and wish he was still racing
His family is priority and he's a great family man
Loved the bit about the first time running up the fueller in the pits. Top bloke
truly miss Gary at the track and im so glad he has the balls to call out people for paying to drive! That goes against everything the sport should stand for. Im an inspiring driver and i once asked Jack Beckman for some tips to get to top fuel and he said to win the lottery! At the time i was kind of pissed off until i found out how many rich kids pay to have the seat they occupy.
Gary, your a good human and a great driver.Many years ago after you won your third championship I ran into you at John Forces shop in YL. You did me the honor of signing my car and was gracious as hell doing it ....Thank you .
In my mind, one of the best drivers, TF and FC, to ever make a lap. Thank you, Gary, for the years of great driving and devotion to your fans!
I need more of that!!! Awesome!!!!
My favorite episode ! Scelzi is a badass and good guy
I met Gary at Scelzi Bros in the late 80s. I'd always kinda followed his career after that, and I used to laugh when people would say he was an "overnight success". The pictures covering his office walls (before he ever went pro) said otherwise.
Being born and raised in Seattle I remember the rainout when Gary won on Monday as well as many other wonderful life memories at SIR !!!
Love the series. Gary will always be known as 1 hell of a stand up driver.
Great job as always ! Gary Scelzi... Great Racer... Even a better man.
I’m so glad I watched this. Gary seems like a genuine, good person, a hell of a driver and a fantastic story teller.
One of the best guys out there, great stories Gary !!!
Scelzi... You wouldn’t remember me but You Should Be Happy Gary!
You are and will be remembered as all 3 of those answers!
From those of us fortunate enough to have known you and get to witness your awesome career in the seat, THANK YOU!
Very good GS! Today I watch your two sons carry on the Selzi tradition of being very competitive and winning often in winged sprints. You have my respect GS! You earned it!
Gary was always a class act. Always had time to talk to my kids (who were just little at the time) and show them around his trailer. Always a joke and a smile...
Definitely my favorite racer of all time. I got to meet/talk to him in the pits a few times and I still cherish those memories because he was just SOOO damn cool, respectful, hilarious and just driven/full of life.. There aren't enough Gary Scelzi's in the world! Hell, he was part of what inspired me to work on alcohol dragsters/funny cars and eventually work for JFR for a year!
You are right Gary is truly a cool guy based on what I saw in the video. Hard worker and didn't care about championship just wanted to drive the car. It's awesome he won 1 funny car title and 3 top fuel titles. The most amazing part is when did he win the FC title because John Force has been the dominant driver in funny car for many years. Not so much anymore as I think he has changed focus a little in his personal life and that is definitely showing on the track. Not to mention losing some of his crew plus Austin Coil leaving as well. That is not to say that his current crew chief isn't good because you don't become a crew chief just out of the blue. But in order to win championships you have to do what Scelzi's team did. 5 years and not one crew guy left. That is unheard of in the world of drag racing where money makes people leave. Just look at Jimmy Prock and how many times he jumped from JFR to DSR and back. I always wondered where Gary went but never found out until this video. He was there one moment and then disappeared. It is not the same without him on the track.
Me too, hes a solid dude!
Awesome interview 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 I didn't want this interview to end.
Wild Thang! miss those days of drag racing so much fun to watch!
Great job Bobby, Scelzi was a great guy and a great racer. The behind the scenes stories are amazing. Any plans to do one on Pat Austin? Never knew what happen to him.
I was most certainly a fan of Gary's because you could see the drive and desire he had. One time I had the distinct pleasure of saying something to him that seemed to help the way he was feeling. At Maple Grove Raceway (I can't remember the year) Gary was running on a hot streak for the championship but he didn't have a monster points lead. He went out in the semis and was a bit worried about not winning the race. However, the points he did amass kept him still in the lead and not in a perilous position. I got to talk to him momentarily at the flag line of his pit and told him "Gary, don't get too upset. Points is points!" He lost the gloomy expression, repeated softly "Points is points", grinned and looked me in the eye and once again said "Points is points!", shook my hand and turned back to the pit with a widening grin!
One of the best times of my life was helping out on the Winston funny car of Whit Bazemore , we were right across the driveway from the Winston dragster , it was always awesome to hear Alan Johnson engine run, it always sounded like a bomb ! When Gary drove the Okley. funny car I was in the pit with my buddy " shafty" Gary walked out of the trailer and looked at the crew and said "THAT'S IT THE NEXT TIME I'M GONNA FLOOR IT "!!!!😄😄😄😎😎😎good times !! R.I.P.. Blaine and Smiley! !😄
That story with KB, Gary and Ace is priceless.
Thank you for this!!
I got an Ace story. I was at the Fall Nationals at Firebird around '87-'88. McCulloch had the Miller High Life Olds. Still one of my favorite funny cars with that beautiful gold and white paint scheme. That year the funny car pits was right near the starting line opposite the tower. The first round they were not in the lanes when it was their turn to run. The other car does the burnout and is backing up still no McCulloch. The other car is almost ready to stage. At the last second he shows up driving the car out of the pits through the water box, does a half ass short burnout, backs up. We're thinking he's toast and will smoke the tires. He ends up winning the round! He said in the pits they was a disagreement because still had a tire to put on and he said, 'Start the engine.' 'No we have to put the tire on.' "Start the engine.'' .' 'No we have to put the tire on.' "Start the engine.''
@@bbigjohnson069 Thank YOU for that story!! Can't believe they wouldn't give them 5min to put a tire on or run the other cars ahead of them.
Thanks again!
I still think we need to see all the Scelzi Sez.
Thank you Gary
and a big thanks to
Winston and the Johnsons.
Bobby, Thanks for your service . Enjoy your work..
Gary scelzi he was a trip but you always did what I asked him to do when he was in the staging Lanes and he was a true competitor and you just tell him that Alabama said hello hello the race Master with the red cowboy hat
Best looking FC he had
One of the best drivers,and personality
that was a great interview!...thanks
Haha always loved Scelzi and his lighthearted demeanour. He was a badass and loved his honesty in this episode. Thanks again Bobby!
Oh Gary how we miss you.
Another great video. Thanks for this series. Scelzi = great.
This man was and is a badass loved your time thanks folks.
Has to be my favorite "Legends" so far. Great job as usual.
Always liked him.
Well done Gary.I have followed your racing since I was about 20 something.
You are all of the above my man enjoyed watching this interview
Gary, visit Pomona in 2021. Look at the Top Eliminator Double "A" Grandstand at the starting line... Raise up your arms brother and take a bow and listen for the roar of applause !!! You have earned it.
One of the best interviews! Wish you showed more of his crazy cars.
This is awesome thank you
Sleazy is the man😎🤣
thank you gray we all miss you around this was are very great series episode i really enjoyed this i know my dad love talk to you every time he saw you in Seattle Vegas an Pomona
Another great story...
Scelzi had a magnetic personality on top of his driving skills! He brought a lot to drag racing and was way more likable than Force and all the other big shots. NHRA popularity fell off when he left and I think there is a slight correlation. Thanks for all the good times and you are probably better off at home with your wife and kids, than living on the road (I’m sure Lorie Force would agree and she probably respects you a lot!).
I don't agree that he is more likeable than Force. And that's not saying that Force is more likeable. They are two completely different personalities.
WOW,,Was at that Seattle race he had against Pat. Just spotted myself in the stands. Money!. lol. Always liked Gary and still do. Would like to see The Champ at the Seattle track again.
I had a blast with Gary in the zoo camp ground @ Brainerd International raceway
Good piece Scalize ! Carter
One of the GREATS! Hated to see Gary leave drag racing and hoped he would return but never did. Its good to see him and that he is doing well, didnt he get into racing sprint cars after drag racing? It seems that I thought that was something he was also doing but its been awhile and I could be thinking of someone else.
You are a Bad Ass My Friend Best of Everything to You Mama and the Boys Your Funny as Fuck , a Great Person and You Light up the Room where ever you Go Best of Everything
Jocko's is the bomb! Get the Spencer steak!
Funniest thing when he said he switched to Funny Car and couldn't figure it out. Austin Coil said I know whats wrong and I am not fixing it because I gotta race you. I think I know what Austin was talking about. The car was setup and tuned like a Top Fuel dragster. Funny Car and Top Fuel dragsters both run on nitro, have superchargers, dual magnetos and that's about where the similarities end. The dragster is a little bit lighter and because it is longer the aerodynamics are a lot different. That is why they have the front wing, it's purely for down force. They can't be setup or tuned the same, they are different in the way they run down the track. Even the rarity when John Force in his funny car raced against Brittany Force in her dragster just to say hey I raced my other daughter, Of course he won but the point is that in that run the dragster got down the track a lot different.
Strait up great dude.
Scelzi would pretend to be someone else to mingle or just to see if fans recognized him. I often went to Pomona on Thursday as well as Sunday. So one year I get there, go through the gate and hand my ticket to . . .Gary Scelzi! He was wearing the vest and hat just like the Fairgrounds workers do. All I said was, "Hey, I know that guy." Most people didn't even notice that it was him. About mid-season one year he deep staged and beat Force in the final, with a slower et. "Scelzi said, "Holeshot smoleshot. I staged that thing with my front feet, took a chunk of the starting line..." Then a race or two later Force beat him on a holeshot.
great
His company makes nice truck bodies too
saw scelzi run at woodburn with that alky boss! funny guy!! so when is that diamond p episode????
this Oscar goes to my wife
Always thought he was awesome.........
Gary needs to get back in a AA/fuel car already.
Not bad for a strawberry farmer & a body man
I have a piece of the car you crashed in Topeka.
Charley morales
Yeah he's a legend in his own mind 😂 he wouldont make a pimple on a drivers ass he was a joke
Dude's a 4x champion. Keep thinking that.
Well we will wait for your interview on LEGENDS !!!! BUT I WON'T HOLD MY HAND ON MY ASS TILL IT HAPPENS!! IT MIGHT GROW THERE !!😀😀😀😀😀🏁🏁🏁🍺🍺🍺
Good man and a Blessed man...family, racing, business, ...friends and fans !