Scelzi wins Weikert Memorial
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By TODD HEINTZELMAN
Racing correspondent
PORT ROYAL -- Giovanni Scelzi passed Chase Dietz and went on to win
$100,000 in the Bob Weikert Memorial Sunday night at Port Royal
Speedway.
Scelzi, of Fresno, Calif., a regular with the High Limit Sprint Car
Series, joined forces with Spire Motorsports creating a new team for
this season. It was the team’s first win.
“I didn’t think that win would come here,” Scelzi said. “I was just
getting good before the red. I didn’t want to change anything. Usually
putting fuel in the car changes your balance for the worse, but it
made us really fast. Dietz has been unbeatable. I rolled through the
middle of one and two and it stuck and the same thing in three and
four. I couldn’t believe I drove by him and cleared him.”
“It’s very cool to get Spire’s first winged sprint car win,” Scelzi
said. I feel like I’ve given a few away this year. We got better and
better as the night went on. We had to change a motor after hot laps.
My crew did a great job. It’s been really fun racing.”
Saturday night Greg Hodnett Classic winner Brent Marks started on the
pole, but it was second starter Tyler Courtney taking the lead. Dietz
passed Marks for second on the opening lap.
DIetz passed Courtney in turn two taking the lead with four laps completed.
Dietz began lapping slower cars. This allowed Courtney and Marks to
close. The top three stayed close in traffic.
Dietz and Courtney swapped the lead back and forth in traffic. Dietz
got back around him and secured the lead again on lap 13. Marks got by
Courtney for second on lap 14. Courtney passed him back and then Marks
got by again.
Dietz led by over three seconds as the battle for second raged behind
him. The yellow flag flew with 20 laps completed. The cars were
stopped allowing crews to refuel and make adjustments.
Dietz led Marks, Courtney, Giovanni Scelzi and Danny Dietrich for the
double-file restart.
With Dietz in control, Scelzi passed Courtney and then went after
Marks for second running the middle lane. Scelzi secured the spot off
turn two.
Dietrich and Justin Peck raced hard for fifth spot. Anthony Macri was
up to sixth.
WIth 14 to go, Scelzi and Marks closed on Dietz. About 10 car lengths
separated the top three.
Scelzi used the inside lane in turns one and two to pass Dietz for the
lead with 13 to go.
Dietz continued pounding the cushion as Scelzi worked the middle.
Dietz caught back up as the leaders started lapping slower cars and
the top three were close again.Dietz kept it close for a bit, but
Scelzi eventually pulled away. Dietz had to fend off Marks and
Courtney for second over the final laps.
Scelzi got the win over Dietz, Courtney, Marks and 24th starter Ryan Smith.
“Before that break, I felt really, really good even through traffic,”
Dietz said. “After that restart, I started to lose the car a little
bit. I figured it would come back to me. I couldn’t get across the
middle like I could earlier.”
“We were really good at the end of the race,” Courtney said. “Gio got
away from us when we were racing for second.
Macri, Dietrich, Daison Pursley, Peck and Aaron Reutzel rounded out the top 10.
Five-time track champion Logan Wagner had the fastest lap in
qualifying time trials at 16.475. He earned an extra $500. Danny Sams
III, Sye Lynch, Dietz and Pursley were in the top five.
Matt Campbell, Brock Zearfoss, Aaron Reitzel and Parker Price-Miller
won the heat races.
Drivers earned points during qualifying and heat races. Dietz and
Lynch were the top two in points. The top 10 in points redrew for
feature starting spots.
Mark Smith won the C-main and James McFadden won the B-main.