FRESNO, Calif. – Next year, while Dominic Scelzi races select events in Central Pennsylvania at the wheel of the Premier Racing Team No. 21 sprint car, he intends to put his flamboyant personality on a lamp stand and ignite either good humor or, for the stiffer kind, agitation.
“You can best believe I’m going to try my best to create some sort of banter and, for lack of better words, a little bit of bullshit between the California guys and the Pennsylvania guys,” Scelzi said in a phone interview Tuesday with Sprint Car & Midget. “I think it’s what the sport needs.”
Earlier this week, Scelzi confirmed his limited deal with the championship-winning team and it’s quickly become a hot topic on the threads of social media.
Oftentimes the sprint car communities of Central Pennsylvania and Northern California write to each other in the manner of a notorious sports rivalry.
Passion runs deep and rivalry essentials – plenty of talent to go around and many individual accomplishments from either side to debate over – are in place too.
Scelzi is ready to poke fun in whatever races he decides to run next season and simply add to the show.
“I think the banter, in reality, is a good thing for the sport than something real,” Scelzi said. “Danny Dietrich is a friend of mine and Anthony Macri, and I’ve gotten to know Lance Dewease a bit throughout the years.
“That’s something I like doing. I know Dietrich likes doing that. I think it’s going to be a really good thing for everybody involved.”
Dietrich and Scelzi have teased the idea of starting a podcast together in exchanges on Twitter.
Staying in the Twittersphere, when Macri tweeted a concept of his Chili Bowl Nationals shirts, Scelzi commented that Macri would win the upcoming USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year award.
Macri has maybe raced a midget twice in his life.
A fan then proposed the idea of scrapple tacos, playing along with Scelzi’s affinity for the traditional Mexican dish.
Four-time reigning Port Royal Speedway track champion Logan Wagner even tweeted at Scelzi.
“Welcome,” Wagner started, “we the people of PA would like to claim you Posse ONLY when you win, and similar to [Philadelphia] Eagles fans, we can own and disown in a matter of half a lap, [in] seven seconds.
“The boos and cheers are equally as loud.”
“It’s exciting. A matter of fact, it’s good for everybody,” Scelzi said before flipping to a more competitive tone. “I’m going to PA, I want to win races, I want to be competitive. But just like when the PA guys come to California, a lot of times they tend to struggle.
“In the grand scheme of things, I’m going there with every intention of being very successful. That’s what I want to do, but at the same time you have to make it about the fans. You have to create a hype about it.”
While California and Pennsylvania are proprietors to both the top young and established talent in dirt racing, Scelzi implies to not get invested in the compare and contrast game.
“I think it’s very hard to compare the two, and I’ll tell you why,” Scelzi started, “California guys are nine times out of 10 younger guys getting their footing in the sprint car world. Once they get pretty good, they leave for the Midwest, for the All Stars, the Outlaws, some even end up in PA.
“The PA guys, to me, they’re a lot more established and a lot farther along in their careers.”
Scelzi’s two starts in Pennsylvania Posse territory aren’t great. During the 2018 Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway, Scelzi fell out of the top five when he ran out of fuel aboard Bernie Stuebgen’s No. 71.
In 2020, Scelzi made an appearance at Lincoln Speedway and finished third in the C main.
“I ran terribly,” Scelzi said. “I have basically zero experience in Pennsylvania. Looking forward to seeing some unique race tracks and being able to spend a little bit of time, not a whole lot of time, but a handful of races back there, and really just kind of learning.”
As previously announced, Scelzi has no set scheduled with Premier Racing Team, the ride his favorite Posse member, Brian Montieth, made known.
The deal will basically work in the following fashion: if there’s a date that fits Scelzi’s tight schedule and a plane ticket to make it happen, entertainment is in motion.
“It’s cool in our day in the age of sprint car racing there’s still rides out there,” Scelzi said. “I’m from California, never even seen Pennsylvania, and I have an opportunity to race in one of the best cars in Pennsylvania.
“That’s exciting to me. It’s very cool and I’m just thankful for the opportunity, thankful the world of sprint car racing has been so generous to me, especially over the last couple of years.”