Former NHRA Funny Car World Champion, Cruz Pedregon and his Advance Auto Parts Funny Car team head to the “The Grove” in Reading, Penn. for the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals, August 16-19, the 17th of 23 powerhouse events of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Reading marks the end of NHRA’s “Regular Season. ” The top eight drivers in the championship points standings move on to the next segment- the Countdown to Four.
Pedregon is currently 13th in points and looking for a strong showing at Reading. His Advance Auto Parts team burned the midnight oil prior to Brainerd in an effort to convert his Funny Car set-up to match that of his teammate and brother’s Q Horsepower machine. With the heavy lifting now behind them, he will focus on a return to consistent performance that leads to the Winner’s Circle.
“I wouldn’t have changed a thing going into Brainerd, ” Pedregon said. “There is never a good time to make big changes, but I’m convinced this is 100 percent the way to go. My team is convinced and my teammate and brother, Tony is convinced. We’ll look back later in the year and beyond and say, ‘it’s a good thing we made our cars the same. The advantage of learning together and working together are endless. ’”
Pedregon is excited about racing at Maple Grove Raceway. He was runner-up to Tim Wilkerson in 2003 and to John Force in 1994. He visited the Winner’s Circle at “The Grove” in 1992, the year of his NHRA Nitro Funny Car World Championship.
“There are some good cars outside the top eight and many good races remaining this year, ” said Pedregon. There is no race bigger than the other, with the exception of the U. S. Nationals. Brainerd was important to us and Reading is equally important. We are not taking any races off. It would be a feather in our cap to work ourselves back up into the top ten in points by finishing strong and winning some races down the stretch. ”
Pedregon racing recently announced the appointment of veteran fuel tuner, Rahn Tobler as crew chief for the Advance Auto Parts Funny Car team. He will join the team on August 27, just in time for the prestigious U. S. Nationals.
During his Funny Car rookie season in 1992, Pedregon won the NHRA World Championship. With this accomplishment he became the only racer other than John Force to win the Championship in the 90s. In 1997, Pedregon was also the first motorsports athlete to receive the “Premio De Oro, ” the only national award for Hispanic athletes. Born into a racing family, Pedregon’s father, Frank, raced Top Fuel dragsters in the 1960s. His brothers Tony and Frank also compete in the Nitro Funny Car ranks. In 1980, Cruz won his first official drag race at the age of 15, driving a 1953 Kenworth truck.
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