Sat, 8 Mar 2003, 10:35 PM Don Schumacher Racing to Introduce New Dodge Paint Scheme on Scelzi's Oakley Funny Car in Gainesville

Courtesy of Judy Stropus

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With the full cooperation and support of primary sponsor Oakley, Gary Scelzi's Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car will sport a new Dodge paint scheme featuring the manufacturer's popular catch-phrase and logo, "Grab Life By The Horns," at the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway on March 14-16, 2003, the third round of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The familiar Oakley "O" will be prominently displayed on the rear wing.

This is the first time DaimlerChrysler is placing a major focus on the Dodge brand in NHRA's Funny Car class. "It's an opportunity to introduce our nearly 3000 Dodge dealers to the NHRA and show them what kind of power a championship-caliber driver has driving for a championship-caliber team with a championship-caliber body," said Brett Fischer, DaimlerChrysler drag-racing program manager. "Our relationship with the NHRA has been primarily through the Mopar Parts division. The Dodge dealers and the Dodge brand had not been exposed to the NHRA and this is a great opportunity to do it, and we're doing it in absolutely the right way. Our new partnership this year with Don Schumacher Racing has brought an entirely different outlook on the NHRA internally with our fans, our employees and our engineers."

Don Schumacher, owner of the largest team in pro NHRA racing this season, with three Funny Cars and one Top Fuel Dragster, is excited to participate in this program with Oakley and Dodge. "This type of promotion can only strengthen our relationship with DaimlerChrysler and the Dodge brand's relationship with NHRA. It's a joint effort between our team and DaimlerChrysler to help promote Dodge's presence in NHRA."

"I can't think of a more fitting phrase than 'Grab Life By The Horns' on my Oakley Dodge Stratus Funny Car," said three-time Top Fuel champion Scelzi, "because that's exactly what (crew chief) Mike Neff, Gary Scelzi and the team are trying to do, is grab life by the horns and show everybody that we're for real. And this paint scheme makes it a really sexy-looking car."

"Gary couldn't be a better representative of what Dodge is about," added Fischer. "Grabbing life by the horns and driving a 325-mph-plus Funny Car down the track is kind of the essence of what Dodge is all about. It's a perfect match in our eyes."

Models of this new Dodge body will be available soon in 1/16th and 1/24th scale.

Pro qualifying for the Gatornationals begins on Friday, March 14, at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Pro qualifying on Saturday, March 15, will repeat Friday's 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. schedule. Final eliminations on Sunday, March 16 will start at 11 a.m. Qualifying will air on ESPN on March 16 at 3:00-4:30 a.m. ET. Eliminations will also air on March 16, from 9:00-11:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

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