Dominic Scelzi Caps World Series Sprintcars Speedweek (Australia) With Top-10 Finish

Story By: SHAWN MILLER / GARY SCELZI MOTORSPORTS – WARRNAMBOOL, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA – Dominic Scelzi improved his results throughout each of the five World Series Sprintcars Speedweek races to kick off his second trip to compete in Australia.

The busy week began on Dec. 26, when Scelzi and the Wormall Motorsport team ran into tough luck to open the action at Murray Bridge Speedway in Murray Bridge, South Australia. After qualifying 18th quickest, Scelzi was in contention to win his first heat race. Unfortunately, contact with the wall damaged the rear end and he was unable to race the remainder of the night.

Scelzi timed in 18th quickest again the following night at Murray Bridge Speedway. He then placed second in the first heat race before winning the second heat. Scelzi rallied from eighth to fifth place in the B Main to transfer into the back of the main event.

“We started 19th and got up to 11th in about nine laps,” he said. “I was about to break into the top 10 when someone drove through me. It broke the steering box so we had another DNF.”

Scelzi was credited with an 18th-place finish.

He and the Wormall Motorsport team ventured to Borderline Speedway in Mount Gambier, South Australia, last Thursday. Scelzi qualified 10th quickest in his group. Contact in the first corner of the first heat race resulted in a DNF before Scelzi rebounded to place third in the second heat. He recorded a third-place finish in the B Main to transfer into the main event.

“I started 17th and got to ninth really quickly,” he said. “Unfortunately, someone spun out right in front of me and I had nowhere to go. We ended up flipping.”

Scelzi finished 17th after the early exit to the event.

Following a day off, the team tackled Avalon Raceway in Lara, Victoria, on Saturday. Scelzi timed in eighth quickest in his group before results of eighth and second, respectively, in his heat races locked him into the ninth starting position in the A Main.

“The track was rubber down from Lap 1 so passing was at a premium,” he said. “We ran inside the top 10 almost the entire race. I was in ninth and tried to gain some positions on a late-race restart, but it didn’t work out and we ended up 11th.”

Speedweek wrapped up on Monday at Premier Speedway, where Scelzi improved his qualifying effort again to time in fifth quickest in his group. He charged from eighth to third place in the first heat race and from seventh to fourth in the second heat. Scelzi placed eighth in the bronze dash to garner another starting position inside the top 10.

“In the main event I got up to fourth, but just burned my tires off,” he said. “We had a late restart and I was able to hang onto seventh. It was a bummer to back up so late in the race because we had great speed all night long, but it was a great learning moment and gave our team momentum following the tough start to Speedweek.”

Scelzi’s seventh-place result boosted him to a 17th-place finish out of 74 drivers in the final World Series Sprintcars Speedweek standings.

He is slated to return to action Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at Archerfield Speedway in Acacia Ridge, Queensland, Australia, with the World Series Sprintcars.

“I want to thank everyone at Wormall Motorsport for the opportunity,” Scelzi said. “We’ve improved every time out so now we’re aiming to earn our first top five and to move closer to our first win.”