3/3/2026
High Limit Racing
THE TRIPLE DIPPER: Giovanni Scelzi, Spire Motorsports, and Chili’s Hungry for High Limit Success Together
MOORESVILLE, NC. (March 3, 2026) – When Giovanni Scelzi suddenly departed KCP Racing in the middle of Kings Royal week last summer, he had no idea what was next. Turns out, around the corner was the opportunity of a lifetime to work with an iconic crew chief, bring a new team to the sport, and represent a corporate sponsor on the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing tour.
“To work with organizations like Spire Motorsports and Chili’s Grill & Bar is a dream come true,” Scelzi told FloRacing. “I remember driving home from Eldora there was a lot of emotion and more unknowns than anything. I was getting a ton of phone calls and I declined them all, because I just wanted to get home. It’s weird how things work out. I guess you really never know what’s available until you put yourself out there.”
Substituting for the injured Tyler Courtney in the Clauson-Marshall Racing No. 7BC from August-November helped kickstart Scelzi’s relationship with Spire Motorsports, which has sponsored CMR in recent years. For Spire’s leader, Jeff Dickerson, he’s adamant that when a good thing falls in your lap, you take full and immediate advantage of it. Between Prutzman’s availability, Scelzi’s sudden free agency, and the evolution of the High Roller Club, it was a perfect storm to make this team happen.
Unveiling the Chili’s Grill & Bar No. 77 during Indianapolis’ PRI Show in December, Dickerson made it known that they’re coming out of the box with intent on being contenders right away.
“We fully believe that by putting him [Gio] with Eric and immersing himself in our culture at Spire that we’ll be able to extract the most out of him,” Dickerson said on what he sees in Scelzi. “We’re doing this to win. I just think that we give him the right tools and the right support so that his ability and talent shines through.”
A 10-time champion in his own right, Eric Prutzman’s championship pedigree can be traced back to learning under Ricky Warner at Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, where he was a member of four titles with Donny Schatz. From there, the next step in his career led to a crew chief role at Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb, where six consecutive championships followed with Brad Sweet at the wheel.
Having an eventual Hall of Fame crew chief leading him into the next chapter of his career is something Scelzi is relishing in.
“I couldn’t be more excited to work with Eric, I mean this is a guy who has won everything under the sun,” Scelzi said of his new crew chief. “I also feel like it’s almost an advantage starting a team from scratch like we are. We get to put every part and piece into place intentionally the way we all want. There’s nothing from a previous driver or crew leftover and putting us in a spot we don’t want to be in. It’s nice to start fresh with a clean slate. If you can make these cars, setups, and driving as instinctive as possible, it makes everyone’s job a whole lot easier.”
Scelzi and Prutzman will get their first taste of the Chili’s No. 77 this weekend the Spire Motorsports sprint car program debuts during World of Outlaws competition at Talladega (Ala.) Short Track and Magnolia (Miss.) Motor Speedway. From there, it’s straight to Vegas to begin a High Limit championship chase.
The Fresno, California 24-year-old does own one High Limit win to his credit, topping the 2023 Heartland of America Showdown for a $50,000 payday at Lakeside (Kans.) Speedway. That’s one of the five tracks on the 2026 schedule where he has winning experience, also scoring victories at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway, Bridgeport (N.J.) Motorsports Park, Tulare (Calif.) Thunderbowl Raceway, and Placerville (Calif.) Speedway.
Giovanni’s 2026 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing season officially opens with the SugarBee Blackjack Bash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12-14 during NASCAR weekend. The 65-race tour will criss-cross the country for eight months before concluding with the All-In Championship Weekend at Texas Motor Speedway on October 16-17. Fans can buy pre-sale event tickets, which enters you for a chance to be selected for the DURST Dice Roll, by clicking here.
Earning the sixth ranked membership across the 2024-25 seasons, Spire Motorsports holds the ‘9 card’ - which they purchased from Jason Meyers Racing - worth a guaranteed $240,000 payout in the inaugural season of the High Roller Club. Their finish this year will combine with last year to determine the 2027 card rankings when the value of the top-10 cards jump to a total of $2,925,000 - making every single point extra valuable.
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If you cannot join Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing at the track, you can watch every lap of every race live on FloRacing, the exclusive broadcast partner of High Limit Racing and the streaming provider of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, USAC Racing, the CARS Tour, the Chili Bowl Nationals, the Tulsa Shootout, the Gateway Dirt Nationals, and much more.
Article Credit: Brian Walker
