Sat, 14 Jun 2008, 01:22 PM Scelzi does it in the Dirt

By Rick Green Photo copyright 2008 Lloyd Collins, www.fasttrackphotos.net

SEDALIA, Mo. --

Gary Scelzi

Gary Scelzi, racing in his tenth Celebrity Modified Race, benefitting the Michael Ross Memorial Foundation, started on the pole. Kenny Sargent, of the SpeedFreaks, jumped the gun on the start and slid underneath Scelzi to take the lead into turn one. Scelzi got the lead back coming out of turn two. On lap two Scelzi was in the lead when he spun in the middle of turns one and two, so he had to go to the back of the pack for the restart.

On the restart, Scelzi moved up two spots to number six, with Brady Bacon leading the race. Scelzi then moved up another spot to fifth place on lap three and was on the move in lap four. On lap five coming out of turn two, Scelzi went low just as Tim Shaffer's car blew a right rear tire, sending him in front of Scelz. Scelzi could not avoid Shaffer and hit him hard, climbing up on the back of Shaffer's car. That was the end of Scelzi and Shaffer's nights.

After the race, Scelzi said he was "really disappointed" as he thought he had a car that could win the race. He said, "The car felt real good during hot laps, but then was real tight when they came back for the race, that was why I spun on lap two." Scelzi said he had made some adjustments and was able to throw the car into the turns and was making progress before Shaffer had problems.

The final finishing order was Donnie Shatz, Clint Boyer, Brady Bacon, Randy LaJoie, Scott Trailer, Johnny Gibson, Kenny Sargent, Tim Shaffer and Gary Scelzi.