Advance Auto Parts/Cruz Pedregon Reading Pre-Race
Advance Auto Parts Racing Nitro Funny Car Pedregon Racing NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Maple Grove Raceway Pre-Race Notes & Quotes Cruz Pedregon Hopes To Weather Maple Grove Storm Advance Auto Parts Racing Moves Into Pennsylvania MOHNTON, Pa. (Sept. 15, 2004) Hurricane Ivan has weighed on the minds of everyone in the Southeastern United States. But as this large, very powerful storm churns closer to the Gulf Coast region throughout the week, its remnants could also play a role in this weekendıs NHRA national event at Maple Grove Raceway, just outside Reading. Itıs definitely on the mind of Cruz Pedregon, driver of the Advance Auto Part Nitro Funny Car, who is coming off a third final-round appearance of the season during the most recent U.S. Nationals. He would like to continue the momentum the team has been building since the West Coast swing and slightly improve on his final-round appearance here in last yearıs race. ³I donıt really know what to expect this weekend, but we know itıs always a quick and fast race track,² said Pedregon, who barely fell short of Tim Wilkerson in last yearıs Maple Grove Funny Car final after qualifying seventh. ³Hopefully, we arenıt dodging a lot of rain showers because thatıs always a possibility during this race. We always prefer knowing what the conditions will be like hot or cool but this race is sometimes a weather toss up. ³One of the many things Iım excited about is we have a car, no matter what conditions are present, we feel will perform,² Pedregon continued. ³But we definitely want a dry weekend. I believe the Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo will be ready for whatever conditions are present. If the track warrants fast times with cool, cloudy conditions, weıll be ready. The final few races of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season are always run during the fall sports season. Pedregon wanted to relate his race teamıs winning strategy to his other favorite sport, a fall favorite, NFL football. ³To put our plans in football terms, since the NFL opened this past weekend, we have a good ground game and a good aerial attack with this team,² Pedregon noted. ³Weıll put our aerial attack in place when we have a fast track to deal with and cooler conditions. That could be where we look this weekend. Our ground game comes into play when the conditions are hotter and you need to be more conservative to get the job done. Either way, this team will respond.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 Notebook: THE FALL SEASON APPROACHES: Donıt look now, but fall is just around the corner. Leaves will change; the night air will greet us with that signature chill and the sounds of the football season kick into high gear. It also means the stretch run of the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series is upon us as well. This past weekend signified Kickoff Weekendı for the National Football League, a bittersweet moment for Cruz Pedregon and the entire Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo Funny Car team. ³I always look forward to this time of the year because I love football,² Pedregon said. ³Unfortunately, it means our season is winding down, but it does mean NFL football is in full force. The (Oakland) Raiders are my favorite team and they had a tough opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers but theyıll bounce back in week two. ³It was also good to see my former owner Joe Gibbs get back into the swing of coaching,² said Pedregon, who drove for Joe Gibbs Racing during the middle 1990ıs. ³He got a win with the (Washington) Redskins and that was cool to see as well. There are definitely a lot of NFL fans in drag racing and visa-versa. I have a couple of friends who used to play in the NFL. Weıre watching them and they are watching us.² Pedregon also intimated the Advance Auto Part Nitro Funny Car could be making a definite late-season push. ³Thereıs definitely a lot of good things in sight as we look towards the end of this season,² Pedregon said. ³As a team weıre very optimistic coming off our final-round appearance during the U.S. Nationals. We had a lot of good things happen that weekend and I found (crew chief) Wes Cerny had become more confident than Iıd seen him all year. Iım definitely looking forward to the weekend.² PedregonRacing.com Contact: David Harris, Cox Marketing Group Media Relations Manager Pedregon Racing (704) 799-2114 office (704) 756-9301 - mobile