Garnder Wields Pedregon Midget Entry To First Victory
Advance Auto Parts Racing Nitro Funny Car Pedregon Racing NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series USAC Western Midget Car Series News Notes & Quotes Gardner Wields Pedregon Entry To First Victory Sprint Star Dominates Bakersfield USAC Western Midget Field BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (July 11, 2005) Damion Gardner and the Cruz Pedregon-owned No. 71 Advance Auto Parts midget led wire-to-wire to win this past weekendıs USAC Western Midget Series event at Bakersfield Speedway. Gardner, who normally drives for owner Ron Chaffin in the CRA/USAC Sprint Car Series, led all 30 laps for his first-career USAC midget victory. It was also Pedregonıs first midget series triumph as a car owner since starting the team at the beginning of the 2005 season. ³Damion drove an awesome race,² said Pedregon, who drives the Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. ³He put in a dominating performance. It was great to see Damion drive that car to victory lane in only our second USAC start together. ³He knows what it takes to win races,² Pedregon continued. ³I saw that first hand after his fifth-place performance in our first USAC midget race at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway earlier this season.² Gardner, of Concord, Calif., qualified 10th, but started on pole following heat race activity. Despite suffering from overheating problems and navigating through a lap-13 caution period that tightened competition, Gardner pulled away from the field and distanced runner-up Jerome Rodela and current Western Midget Series pointıs leader Robby Flock at the stripe. ³It was so thrilling to see,² Pedregon said. ³Even though I have a different role as car owner, I was still nervous when Damion started getting into lap traffic. I have many of the same feelings - supporting Damion and the Advance Auto Parts midget - I do when I strap into my Nitro Funny Car. It was an intense and exciting evening.² Gardner and the Pedregon-owned Advance Auto Parts No. 71 midget will be back in action during the USAC Western Midget Series event at Ventura (Calif.) Speedway on Oct. 15. PedregonRacing.com Contact: David Harris, Cox Marketing Group Account Manager Pedregon Racing (704) 799-2114 office (704) 756-9301 - mobile