Tony Pedregon Looks To Extend Qualifying Streak
Quaker State Racing Funny Car Pedregon Racing NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals Route 66 Raceway Friday Qualifying Notes & Quotes Tony Pedregon Seeking To Extend Qualifying Streak Quaker State Racing Monte Carlo Starts Weekend Within Top Eight JOLIET, Ill. (Oct. 1, 2004) Tony Pedregon got his weekend off to a good start, capturing the provisional sixth-qualifying slot for Sundayıs running of the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. The second round of qualifying was canceled due to rain. Pedregon, the defending POWERade Funny Car World Champion, would like to extend his streak of five-straight races qualifying in the top half of the field. The California resident has accomplished the feat in 13 of the 19 NHRA National Events so far this season. ³We have been great qualifying all year,² said Pedregon, who grabbed on of his three No. 1 qualifiers of the season at this track earlier in the year. ³We have struggled when we get an increase in track temperatures, but it doesnıt look like weıll encounter those conditions this weekend. ³It looks like weıre going to have a favorable forecast and it should play right into our hands,² Pedregon added. ³The forecast shows that weıll have cooler conditions tomorrow. We had a Hail Maryı loaded up in the thing for tonight. Weıre going to take that set up and see what happens tomorrow.² Pedregon felt like the car responded. ³It pretty much ran what we thought it would,² Pedregon said. ³We didnıt end up exactly where we wanted in sixth, but one of the keys for this team is to get down the track and we did that. Iıve always felt that this car performs as well as any other out here under these conditions. ³Weıre going to go out and show everyone what this Quaker State team can do tomorrow,² Pedregon added. ³It should be a good day.² PedregonRacing.com