Tony Pedregon Gainesville Pre-Race

NHRA 2005 NOTES & QUOTES

36th Annual Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway ­ Gainesville, Florida
ŒQ¹ Racing Nitro Funny Car - Pedregon Racing
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
 
Tony Pedregon Looking Towards Gainesville
Past Victories are Good, But the Goal is to Win ŒToday¹

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 17, 2005) ­ Tony Pedregon knows he is leaving
behind an impressive legacy of wins and accomplishments, but he is keeping
his sights on the present - the Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals.

Pedregon, Gainesville Raceway winner in 2002, knows that his ŒQ¹ Racing
Monte Carlo Nitro Funny Car is ready to make it all the way to victory lane.

³To win in Gainesville is a big accomplishment because this is one of the
big races, it is known as a fast track and it comes on early in the season,²
said Pedregon. ³At this track, the teams that are better prepared are going
to have the best chance to win. And our goal is to win Œtoday.¹

³It¹s key to qualify as close to the top as possible and this year, so far,
we have qualified first twice. We also have two, new elapsed-time records
(Pomona and Phoenix) as well as Gainesville (March 1999); but what my team,
crew chief (Dick Venables) and I want is to get to the late rounds. And I
feel we¹re very capable of doing that,² added Pedregon.

This is the second year Pedregon comes to Gainesville as an owner (with
brother Cruz) of his own team. Last year Pedregon proved his car could
perform, but this year he wants to prove they can be consistent no matter
what the track or climatic conditions may be.

³The car is good, we¹ve proven it can perform well and now we¹re working on
consistency; the burden to attain it is on us,² said Pedregon. ³The weather
in Florida is going to dictate how the cars perform, the temperature may be
a little bit warmer (than in previous races) but we are ready for it.

³Also, Gainesville is at sea level, which paired with a good track surface,
has made this raceway known as a Œfast track,¹² explained Pedregon. ³But it
is a track I am familiar with and I have won on it before, I feel that gives
us a little of an edge.²

Tony Pedregon no se duerme en los laureles, does not fall sleep in past
glories; he looks forward and sets expectations high.

³Anytime you can join the caliber of drivers that have won on this raceway,
you are in elite company. Now, I¹d like to join the multiple time winners.²