Quaker State Racing/Tony Pedregon Brainerd Pre-Race
> Pedregon Racing > NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series > Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway > Pre-Race Notes & Quotes > > Tony Pedregon Ready for Benchmarkı Race > Important Weekend for the Quaker State Racing Team > > BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 11, 2004) A team always wants to be playing its best > ball heading into the playoffs. The same can be said for teams competing in > the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, as Tony Pedregon and the Quaker State > Racing Monte Carlo Nitro Funny Car prepare for this weekendıs tilt at Brainerd > International Raceway. > > With only two races to go before the 50th annual U.S. Nationals at > Indianapolis Raceway Park professional drag racingıs biggest spectacle > teams strive to be in top form. This weekendıs race in Brainerd is the first > challenge. Next weekend, for the first time, teams will also compete at > Memphis Motorsports Park, just ahead of Indianapolis. > > ³Brainerd was always the benchmark race right before Indy,² Pedregon said, ³so > it would always set the stage for these teams. You want to hit your stride for > the Big Goı coming up at Indy. NHRA has Memphis in there this year, but for > these next two races, weıre really looking to polish up, accumulate more > points and race strong. > > ²Quaker Stateıs race oils are adding a performance edge like never before, and > (crew chief) Dickie (Venables) is dialing in the set up better and better for > each trackıs weather and temperature conditions,² he continued. > > Pedregon has never won at Brainerd, but has seen some success -- as runner-up > in 1996 and reaching the semifinals last year. He talked about the track. > > ³Itıs always a challenge, but they made some improvements to the surface a few > years ago,² said Pedregon, who knows there is potential for cool conditions > this weekend. ³Like always, weıll have to take what the climate gives and > adjust. Itıs a good facility and big as it also has a road course for us, > we have plenty of room. Thereıs a lot of history to this race.² > > Quaker State Racing Notebook: > > NEW PARTNER: Pro Motorsports, one of the nationıs leading die cast collectible > internet and storefront retailers, has joined driver Tony Pedregon and the > Quaker State Racing Monte Carlo Nitro Funny Car team as an associate sponsor. > > The Minnesota-based company will support Pedregon during the upcoming NHRA > POWERade Drag Racing Series national events at Brainerd (Minn.) International > Raceway, Indianapolis Raceway Park and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. > > ³I have always admired the work Pro Motorsports has done within the > motorsports industry,² Pedregon said. ³They are dedicated to the sport, and > really do a great job in getting its retailerıs products to market. Weıre glad > they chose to support the entire Quaker State Racing team.² > > PUTTING IT TOGETHER: Tony Pedregon, driver of the Quaker State Racing Monte > Carlo Nitro Funny Car, was optimistic about his teamıs semifinal run during > the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., two > weekends ago. > > ³Sonoma was a good race for us,² said Pedregon, who grabbed the number two > qualifying slot for the event. ³You would always like to do better, but we > feel like weıre really still trying to adapt to the new tire. It was probably > the number one reason why we werenıt able to pull enough power out of it. I > know we have the performance. With Quaker State's help and input weıve made a > lot of progress in that area over the last several races. We seem to be a more > efficient, well-rounded team than what we were at the beginning of the season. > For that reason, weıre hoping to hit our stride. The only thing left for us to > do is win a race.² > > > PedregonRacing.com > > > > >