Cruz Pedregon Drives to Third Final of the Season
Advance Auto Parts Racing Nitro Funny Car
Pedregon Racing
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
50th Annual U.S. Nationals
Elimination Notes & Quotes
Cruz Pedregon Makes Third Final of 2004
Advance Auto Parts Funny Car Almost Greets Victory Lane
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 6, 2004) Cruz Pedregon almost wielded his Advance Auto
Parts Monte Carlo Nitro Funny Car to the fourth U.S. Nationals victory of
his career at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Pedregon, who won this event in 1992, 1994 and 1995, was beaten out by Gary
Densham in today¹s final. During that run, Pedregon was on and off the
throttle near the start, and was unable to defeat Densham¹s 4.890-second
elapsed time at 317.64 mph. The effort marked Pedregon¹s third final of the
season.
³It¹s a little frustrating, but satisfying at the same time,² said Pedregon,
the 1992 POWERade Funny Car World Champion. ³We still went to the final
round of the biggest race. After the disappointment wears off, you can look
back and see what a great day we had.
³The final was weird,² Pedregon continued. ³I¹m sure (Crew chief) Wes
(Cerny) felt that a win was well within our grip, but we knew we could have
run with Densham. We put a little extra heat in the clutch in the final.
Unfortunately, the body was inadvertently lowered onto the throttle arm and
it accelerated a bit before the run. The clutches in these cars are very
temperature sensitive and it threw us off a little bit. It threw me a bit
off as well and I didn¹t get as good if a start as I had wanted. I don¹t
know if it would have mattered because the car went into some heavy duty
shake I got in and out of the throttle but Gary was already gone at that
point.²
Pedregon advanced to the final by outrunning Del Worsham in the first round,
Tim Wilkerson in the second round and second-place points sitter Gary
Scelzi. In the semifinal, Pedregon and Scelzi both battled through tire
smoke and loss of traction. Even though Scelzi was ahead at about half
track, Pedregon was able to move by at the stripe.
³We beat some good cars today,² Pedregon said. ³We beat Worsham, an
outstanding car, and Wilkerson, guys who are up there in points. We also
beat Scelzi in a pedaling (on and off the throttle) contest. That was an
exciting race. I wasn¹t too excited at about half track during that race
when I saw him about a car and half ahead of me.²
Pedregon is happy with what his Advance Auto Parts team accomplished this
weekend.
³We¹re getting close, and you would think we would just go ahead and win
it,² Pedregon said. ³Along as we keep going to final rounds with this
Advance Auto Parts car, we should be in good shape. I said this on the West
Coast swing when we went to a couple of finals, if we can keep going rounds,
the wins will come. I¹ve don this for so long, and this is the way you do
things.²
Advance Auto Parts Notebook:
UNDER THE WEATHER: Cruz Pedregon battled more than just the weather this
weekend, as he felt a little under the weather as well. Despite the
challenge, Pedregon drove his Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo Nitro Funny Car
to his third final of the 2004 season.
³The last two days I don¹t know if it¹s been a sinus infection or what I
have been really fatigued and had an upset stomach. Combine that wit h the
extremely hot weather conditions this weekend, it¹s been pretty difficult. I
managed to do my job, despite being about 75 percent . I¹m going to rest for
a couple of days and get ready for Reading (Pa.).²
PedregonRacing.com