Gio Scelzi earns richest win of his career in High Limit season opener

admin | April 12, 2023

Kansas City, KS (April 11, 2023) – Gio Scelzi was in second place thinking about what he would do at the restart wth six laps to go during Tuesday’s Heartland of America Showdown at Lakeside Speedway.

The World of Outlaws full-timer was waiting to follow behind the tail tank of Rico Abreu’s No. 24 car, when he noticed something.

“When you’re in second, I didn’t know if he would block, but I was trying to think of what he’d do and then I saw he had flat (tire) with (Chase) Randall or whatever happened there,” Scelzi said on FloRacing.

Scelzi assumed the lead after Abreu suffered the flat tire, and had to fight to hold off the No. 88 Country Builders car of Austin McCarl.

“I knew a bomb was coming in (turns) one and two, and you know Austin races me really clean, he could have closed the door both times off of (turn) two or off of four and he left me room and that says a lot about me and him,” Scelzi said on the broadcast. “You can race hard and not touch anybody.”

Scelzi captured the win, eventually, even after a late caution came out just before he crossed the line.

The No. 18 KCP Racing team took home a check of $50,000, the largest sum of money Scelzi has won in his career.

“Oh my god that’s the most money I’ve ever won in my life, I need to find a casino quick where I can spend this as soon as possible,” Scelzi said on Flo. “Oh my god, this is so cool, man. My car was unbelievable. I thought I would have won the race out there when the cone flew out.”

McCarl dropped off the pace in the two-lap shootout that ended the race and ended the race P20.

Carson Macedo made it a World of Outlaws 1-2 finish by racing his way to the front after starting P22, earning the hard charger award for the race.

Kyle Larson rounded out the top 5 by coming from P18, while Tyler Courtney took home $10,000 for finishing P3 along with David Gravel in fourth.

“You can’t ask for a better race track than this,” Scelzi said. “I was worried after hot laps when it was blowing dust, but they till it up… I can’t say enough about this place.”

The series returns to the track at Burlington, Iowa’s 34 Raceway in two weeks as the ‘High Roller’s come through the state on Tuesday, April 25. Each and every High Limit race will be broadcasted live on FloRacing.

High Limit Sprint Car Series results
Shane Stewart’s Heartland of America Showdown pres. by TrackHouse
Lakeside Speedway
Tues. April 11, 2023
1. Gio Scelzi
2. Carson Macedo
3. Tyler Courtney
4. David Gravel
5. Kyle Larson
6. Logan Schuchart
7. Spencer Bayston
8. Donny Schatz
9. Brian Brown
10. Anthony Macri
11. Cory Eliason
12. Brad Sweet
13. Justin Peck
14. Hunter Schuerenberg
15. Buddy Kofoid
16. Alex Bowman
17. Justin Sanders
18. Parker Price-Miller
19. Conner Morrell
20. Austin McCarl
21. Tim Estenson
22. Rico Abreu
23. Chase Randall
24. Brent Marks
25. Brady Bacon
26. Scott Bogucki
27. Ian Madsen