Tony Pedregon, the 2003 NHRA Nitro Funny Car Champion and his Q Horsepower team will travel to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. for the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 27-29, 2007, the 15th of 23 powerhouse events of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. This event marks the sixth race in the string of six consecutive race weekends for the professional teams and the final race on the traditional Western Swing which includes races at Denver, Colo., Seattle, Wash., and Sonoma, Calif.
For Pedregon and his Q Horsepower team, a performance ending with a trip to the Winner’s Circle will match perfectly with their goals- an event win and securing a solid position in the top eight in the Countdown to the Championship.
Pedregon returns to Infineon Raceway with a new, stylish Prestone paint scheme. “We are excited to have Tony and the entire team representing Prestone and Bendix at this event, ” said Jeff Bye, Vice President of Prestone. “Tony has also signed on as our spokesperson for our Hispanic marketing effort for the Fram, Prestone and Autolite brands, so this tie-in lines up with our new alliance. ”
“It is exciting to partner with Prestone and Bendix, ” said Pedregon. “I have 12 years of history with this company and this is a great opportunity for me to promote Prestone, the number one antifreeze/coolant on the market. A new paint scheme will certainly create a lot of excitement for the race fans and there is no better place to showcase the new car than at this event. This was a joint effort that became a reality with our primary sponsor Q Horsepower as they understand the value of good partners and great products. ”
The secret of success in NHRA drag racing is a cool engine and plenty of horsepower. Pedregon, currently fourth in Championship points, has benefited from both this year.
“We live in a world of performance, ” explained Pedregon. “Q has created a product that we see benefits from in terms of increased horsepower and protection and Prestone is the number one antifreeze/coolant. Both are leaders in their fields. ”
Pedregon likes racing in California and at Infineon Raceway in particular. After all, he has had a fair amount of success at this track especially when you consider he’s advanced to either the final round or semifinal round in six of the last ten races.
“Looking back on Seattle last weekend, our car ran great in the first round, ” said Pedregon. “We just had the misfortune of breaking a lifter that probably cost us the race in the second round. With regard to Sonoma, we were runner-up last year and we have good data from that performance. So, with a strong finish here, we can solidify our position in the top eight in Championship points, but we know the next three races starting with Sonoma are crucial to making the top eight in points. We are going to continue to work hard and race smart while looking for opportunities to improve upon our fourth place points position. ”
While in Sonoma, tune into 87.9 FM and listen live to legendary NHRA track announcer, Bob Frey. How to Get to Infineon Raceway: The track is 35 minutes north of San Francisco at the junction of Highways 37 and 121. From Sacramento, take Interstate 80 to Highway 12 to Highway 29. Travel north on Highway 29 to Highway 121, then west to the track. For quick access, avoid using Highway 37 westbound from Vallejo to Highway 121. From East Bay cities, take I-580 west across the San Rafael Bridge to Highway 101, then travel north to Highway 37 and east to Highway 121 or Lakeville Highway (both have track entrances).
After conquering the Nationals in Sonoma, Tony Pedregon and his Q Horsepower Funny Car team will head to Brainerd, Minn. for the NHRA Nationals, August 9-12, 2007.
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