Advance Auto Parts/Cruz Pedregon Memphis Pre-Race
Advance Auto Parts Racing Nitro Funny Car Pedregon Racing NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park Pre-Race Notes & Quotes Cruz Pedregon Looks to Adapt to Memphis Advance Auto Parts Racing Prepares for Unusual Conditions MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 18, 2004) Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo Nitro Funny knows the conditions will change throughout the weekend as the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series heads into itıs second night race of the season at Memphis Motorsports Park. The first night event was held at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., a place where Pedregon qualified fifth and made his first semifinal appearance of the season. Conditions for this weekend could be similar, allowing the Advance Auto Parts racing team to run to its strength. According to Pedregon, he feels the team found something while competing at Brained (Minn.) Raceway last weekend. ³We think the set up we have now is something weıll be able to use for the rest of the season,² Pedregon said. ³Weıre going to take that 4.94-second (elapsed time set in first round of last weekendıs Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway) set up and see what happens this weekend. We do want to regain our top half of the field qualifying success. Prior to last weekendıs affair at Brainerd International Raceway, Pedregon got into the racing groove early in the weekend logging seven-straight, top half of the field qualifying efforts. He knows the opportunity will be there to start another streak this weekend. ³They have improved the Memphis track over the years, to where itıs a good surface,² Pedregon said. ³In the early 1990ıs, it was a very bumpy track. It was kind of a crew chiefıs nightmare. Now, itıs definitely a top-notch track. ³The conditions are the same for everyone anyway, but Iım excited to know this team has made the right calls and weıve made the car go down the track,² Pedregon added. ³That first round run last weekend was big for this team. We could have gone out there and smoked the tires, and we wouldnıt have felt so good heading into this weekend. Weıre ready.² Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is based in Roanoke, Va., and is the second largest auto parts chain in the nation. With over 2,500 stores in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the company serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. Additional information about the company, employment opportunities, services, as well as on-line purchase of parts and accessories can be found on the company's web site at www.advanceautoparts.com. Advance Auto Parts Racing Notebook: SPEAKING OF STREAKS: Cruz Pedregonıs run to the quarterfinals of last weekendıs NHRA national event at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway continued his streak of first round victories. Since this past June, where the Advance Auto Parts Racing Monte Carlo made it to the quarterfinals of the Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway in Kirkersville, Ohio, Pedregon has recorded six-straight first round victories and has won 11 rounds of competition. PedregonRacing.com Contact: David Harris, Cox Marketing Group Media Relations Manager Pedregon Racing (704) 799-2114 office (704) 756-9301 - mobile