Morrison – Top fuel driver J.R. Todd and Gary Scelzi of funny car eliminated more seasoned and successful racers at Bandimere Speedway on Sunday to share top honors in the 27th Mopar Mile-High Nationals.
Todd, competing in just his ninth career national event, backed up his shocking No. 2 qualifying position by advancing to his first final. He further wowed the sellout crowd of more than 25,000 by beating defending event and world champion Tony Schumacher with a 4.906-second pass, becoming what the National Hot Rod Association said is its first African-American winner in top fuel or funny car.
Todd, 24, has mixed feelings about being tagged as the first black top fuel winner.
“I am African-American, so I have to kind of play that a little bit, (and) we need more minorities in motorsports out here, but once you get out here on the track and put your helmet on people don’t know if you’re purple, pink, or whatever color you are,” Todd said. “It’s all equal out here, and I’m just happy to get a win, no matter what color I am.”
Scelzi, a three-time top fuel champion who won last year’s funny car world crown, won at Bandimere for the first time in 10 tries. In his first final at this track, the resident of Fresno, Calif., got past No. 16 seed Cruz Pedregon with a 5.132-second run in the final.
Other event winners were Dave Connolly of Elyria, Ohio, in pro stock and former Trinidad resident Andrew Hines of Brownsburg, Ind., in pro stock motorcycle.
Todd’s improbable title wouldn’t have unfolded without bad luck from Hillary Will. In a second-round race against Todd, Will’s parachutes prematurely opened before the finish line. Otherwise, whe would have eliminated Todd, who ousted Cory McClenathan and Larry Dixon the first and third rounds.
“You got to have some lucky days out here in racing, and we had some today,” Todd, from Lawrenceburg, Ind., said.
Scelzi, who qualified No. 2, got past Scott Kalitta, John Force and Tommy Johnson Jr. to reach the final. Pedregon, who won this race in 1993, upset polesitter Gary Densham, brother Tony Pedregon and Bob Gilbertson.
“When I went into that final against Cruz, I said, ‘You are not taking this away from me. There is no way. I’ve come this far (and) I’m going to win Denver,”‘ Scelzi said.
The point leaders in top fuel and funny car absorbed first-round defeats, including Colorado native Melanie Troxel. She no longer sits atop the top fuel points after her second consecutive first-round exit at Bandimere, this time to David Grubnic.
No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta, who entered the event 24 points behind Troxel, bowed in the semifinals to Schumacher. Kalitta now leads Troxel by 22 points (978-956).
“We struggled all weekend,” said Troxel, who qualified 12th in the 16-car field. “Still a lot of races left. We’ve got plenty of time to make this up.”
Funny car points leader Ron Capps bowed to Gilbertson in first round, allowing Force to cut Capps’ lead in the points from 44 to 26.
Force, a three-car team owner, went 1-1 on the day, and his other entries, driven by 2005 event winner Robert Hight and Eric Medlen, also lost in the second round.
Staff writer Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
