GIO SCELZI JOINS CLAUSON-MARSHALL RACING STABLE FOR JUNIOR KNEPPER 55

By: Shawn Miller – Inside Line Promotions

Gio Scelzi is teaming up with Clauson-Marshall Racing to tackle the Junior Knepper 55 this Saturday, December 16.

The USAC National Midget Series event at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill., will mark his debut with the team and will be his second career midget event.

Scelzi charged from seventh to second place in a heat race before being caught up in a race-ending wreck during the main event on May 21, 2016, at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, Calif., during his lone midget start while driving for veteran Cory Kruseman.

"It feels like a faster non-wing micro," he said in reference to racing a midget. "It's slower than what I'm used to in a sprint car so hopefully it will be a quick transition. There will be 50 or 60 cars there this weekend so if I can put it in the show that'd be huge."

The opportunity to drive for one of the premier midget organizations is also a big deal, Scelzi added.

"Their cars win all of the time," he said. "I know they are good pieces. Hopefully I can learn from Tim (Clauson) and all of the good drivers on that team."

Scelzi is coming off a stellar season during only his second year racing a winged sprint car. He won five races and finished second in the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series championship standings - only one point out of the title - in 2017.