Cruz Pedregon Reading Pre-Race

Advance Auto Parts Racing Nitro Funny Car

Pedregon Racing
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Maple Grove Raceway  Mohnton, Pa.
Pre-Race Notes & Quotes

Maple Grove Raceway Always Unpredictable
Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo Still One of NHRA¹s Hottest Races Teams

MOHNTON, Pa. (Oct. 6, 2004)  Maple Grove Raceway always offers a bag of
tricks when it comes to weather. This weekend¹s NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series event should be no different, as rain washed away the first attempt
to run this race last month and fall¹s changing conditions become more
apparent.

For Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo Nitro Funny Car,
adapting to divergent weather and track conditions has been a key to the
team¹s recent success. In the last three races alone, Pedregon has made two
final round appearances and won eight rounds of competition. The California
resident talked about his team¹s strategy for the weekend.

³We¹ll see what the conditions offer, but if it¹s cooler, we¹ll look to the
same set up we had in Chicago,² said Pedregon, who drove to the semifinals
during the most recent event at Route 66 Raceway. ³I think, as always, the
track will be really good there. No matter what conditions we have though,
this team has the ability to adapt to them. These past few races, out
elapsed times have been right there at the top of the charts.

With only Las Vegas and Pomona (Calif.) looming beyond Maple Grove Raceway
this weekend, Pedregon¹s anticipation for a successful close to the 2004
season is high.

³I¹m really looking forward to these last three races,² Pedregon noted.
³This gives us some confidence and every round we win just builds upon that.
That confidence goes a long way in how we have performed here recently.

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www.advanceautoparts.com.

Advance Auto Parts Notebook:

POINTS HOG: Cruz Pedregon semifinal round appearance at the most recent NHRA
National Event at Route 66 Raceway has vaulted him into seventh in points.
Pedregon, who was as low as 11th at the halfway point of the season, now
sits one point ahead of Tim Wilkerson with three races remaining.

³The big picture is to continue to climb in the points and we¹ve separated
out selves a little bit from the ninth and tenth place,² Pedregon said.
³Unfortunately, one of those guys is my brother Tony. We would like to move
up a couple more notches in the points before the year closes out.²