Tony Pedregon Makes Quarterfinals in Brainerd

24th Annual NHRA Nationals
Brainerd International Raceway - Brainerd, Minn.
Q Racing Nitro Funny Car - Pedregon Racing
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series

Tony Pedregon Drives to Second Round
Q Racing Machine Hurt by Lane Choice

Brainerd, Minn. (August 14, 2005) - Tony Pedregon drove his Q Racing Nitro
Funny Car to the second round of eliminations during todayıs NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series national event at Brainerd International Raceway.

Pedregon, who qualified in the eighth spot, fell to No.1 qualifier Eric
Medlen in a very close second round. Pedregon, who had a quicker reaction
time, but his 4.888-second elapsed time at 291.82 wasnıt enough to hold off
Medlenıs 4.817 seconds pass.

Dickie Venables, Pedregonıs crew chief, talks about today eliminations’
rounds and the problem with the right lane after Luigi Novelliıs Top Fuel
oil down.

³The Q car really run well the whole weekend,² Venables said. ³We completed
several solid passes - two in the 4.70ıs - and the machine responded to all
our input.

³Not having lane choice hurt us during the second round,² Pedregon
continued. ³We could
not go any quicker in the right lane and still we came very close to
Medlenıs time. We 
are taking a good car to Memphis and plan on keeping the performance and
consistent runs going.²

The California resident moved into the second rounds of eliminations when he
defeated Whit Bazemore in round one. Pedregon clocked a 5.258-second elapsed
time at 280.84 mph.