Cruz Pedregon’s Midget Racing team are making final preparations for the 30th Annual Mopar Belleville Midget Nationals in Kansas, July 27 and 28. In preparation for Belleville, Pedregon’s Midget team drivers Josh Wise and Bud Kaeding traveled west to compete in four nights of midget racing action beginning with the Kansas Midget Klassic and John Hughes, Jr. Memorial Race at the Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kansas, July 21-22. It was then on to Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska for two nights of midget racing action, July 24-25.
Wise was slated to race for Pedregon Racing at Belleville, but was called up to compete for Michael Waltrip Racing’s NASCAR Busch Series team as they head to the Kroger 200 this weekend. Daron Clayton, a multi-time USAC Sprint Car main event champion will replace Wise.
“Daron is a young lion, ” Pedregon said. “He’ll put our Toyota/Spike car in position to win. I’ve watched him race sprint cars several times and he’s my kind of driver; up on the cushion and on the gas. ”
Driving the No. 75, Cruz Pedregon Midget Racing’s, Toyota, Q, Snap-On, Advance Auto Parts USAC Midget, Wise found the Winner’s Circle in both nights of 20-lap feature racing at the Kansas Midget Klassic and John Hughes, Jr. Memorial Race at the Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kansas last weekend.
Wise and Kaeding headed to Junction Motor Speedway for two more nights of midget racing, July 24 and 25. In Tuesday’s Midget race, Wise took home the 3rd place trophy after a hard-fought battle with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Jerry Coons, Jr. He followed up with a 4th in Wednesday night’s USAC National/Western Midget 30-lap event.
Cruz Pedregon, team owner and the 1992 NHRA Nitro Funny Car World Champion who routinely blasts down the drag strip at 330 mph is no stranger to dirt track racing. When he’s not racing on the demanding NHRA Drag Racing Series circuit in his Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car, Pedregon can be found at a local dirt track somewhere across America. He’s excited about his multi-car midget program and his focus is on developing young racing talent. He has high hopes one of his young drivers will win the Belleville Nationals.
“I know it sounds cliché, ” Pedregon said of his passion for helping his young drivers reach their goals, “but my goal is to give back to the sport by giving these drivers an opportunity that I was given. It’s a huge thrill for me. ”
“I actually cut my teeth, racing speedway dirt carts all over Southern California, ” Pedregon continued. “This is where I learned how to be a good dirt track racer and I never lost my love for the sport. ]y midget cars are very similar én appearance to my Funny Car team and the same sponsors are on coard with us for our midget team including Q, Snap-on, Great Stõff, Sioux City Truck and Advancu Auto Parts. And with the help ïf Toyota, I was able to put togåther a multi-car midget team with some of the best young talentáin the country driving these caòs. It is a thrill for me to be ynvolved with the racing careers`of Josh, Bud and Shane Cottle. They are a great group of guys aïd really good racers. ”
Pedregon owns both dirt and pavement cars. His midgets are Toyota powered with a Spike chassis for the dirt and a Gerhardt chassis utilized for pavement. Veteran open-wheel car owner and one of the top mechanical minds in all of racing, Larry Trigueiro, performs both the team manager and crew chief responsibilities for the team.
It is certain Pedregon will be anxiously awaiting the results from the Belleville Midget Nationals as he prepares to put his own Advance Auto Parts NHRA Nitro Funny Car in the Winner’s Circle this weekend at the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, California.
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