Team owner Don Schumacher has confirmed with Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com that he has reached a tentative agreement for Gary Scelzi to remain with his team through the 2008 season.

“We have come to terms and Gary will be driving the Mopar/Oakley Funny Car next year,” Schumacher said. “He has agreed to drive the car but I know that things come up. If you give someone a definite answer like the news media and something comes up in the personal life and the business then you look like a fool.

“Gary will drive the Mopar/Oakley Funny Car in 2008. Ken Black has been kind enough to assist Gary at some of the races (reportedly 10) to get him in and out of the races so he can take care of his business responsibilities back at home. That will make it comfortable for Gary to continue on.”

The Black arrangement provides Scelzi an extra 20 days at home with his business.

Scelzi’s simply said, “Yee, Haw – I’m driving a Funny Car.”

He continued, “I am excited about coming back to work with Todd Okuhara, Phil Shuler and my boys that have been with me for a long time.”

Having Ken Black (rumored to be Scelzi’s target for 2009) in the mix is something that Schumacher says doesn’t bother him. In fact, Schumacher says he’s grateful for Black’s involvement this year.

“It doesn’t bother me at all with Ken Black in the picture,” Schumacher said. “Ken is a wonderful man who is doing this out of the goodness of his heart. We’ll deal with 2009 as it comes up and Gary’s desire to drive if it even comes up.

“Gary wasn’t leaving drag racing because he wanted to leave the sport to get away from Don Schumacher Racing or myself, he was leaving because of his family and his business. He’s got a way to get back and forth and we’ll see how that works out for him after 2008 and whether or not he wants to continue in 2009.

“There’s a possibility of Ken Black or who knows who coming into the sport to put a team together.”

But, and this is a big but – Schumacher has indicated in the past that he will keep previously departed drivers on but later dismissed them prior to the departure date. Schumacher said comparing this situation to others is not applicable.

“I let Whit go because we weren’t going to have the Matco Tools deal for 2007,” Schumacher said. “I didn’t have a ride for him. I did for Jack Beckman with a sponsor and that is why I made the change when I made the change which was the race after Indy. That’s when the points for the Skoal Showdown began.

“Boy, somebody was looking down on me because that team went out and won the Skoal Showdown. It wasn’t Whit was going to leave me; it’s that I didn’t have the Matco Tools deal for 2007.

“As far as Mike Neff goes, he made a decision to go over and join John Force Racing. In everybody’s best interests, we decided to go ahead and part ways before the end of the season.”