Cruz Pedregon Topeka Friday

17th annual NHRA Summer Nationals
Heartland Park Topeka­ Topeka, Kan.
Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car - Pedregon Racing
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series

Cruz Pedregon in the Qualifying Field at Topeka
The Advance Auto Parts Driver working into 15th Spot

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 27, 2005) ­Cruz Pedregon, driver of the Advance Auto Parts
Nitro Funny Car, opened this weekendıs NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland
Park Topeka in 15th place.

During the first pass of the day, Pedregon clicked off a 6.346-second
elapsed time at 140.81 mph. Thunderstorms in the area delayed the second
pass to 10:30 pm (central time), and the nightıs cool temperatures made for
some fast runs and plenty of tire-smoking.

³We smoked the tires early in the run,² said Pedregon. ³The car lost
traction as soon as I hit the throttle. The temperatures had dropped quite a
bit and we overpowered the track. We expect different conditions for
tomorrow and Sunday.²

During the last pass of the day, Robert Hight captured the track elapsed
time record from previous holder Eric Medlen. Heartland Park Topekaıs new
record is set at 4.729 seconds at 322.5 mph.

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