Tony Pedregon Reading Preview
21st Annual NHRA Nationals Maple Grove Raceway Mohnton, Pa. Q Racing Nitro Funny Car - Pedregon Racing NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Tony Pedregon NHRA Nationals Notebook Mohnton, Pa. (September 15, 2005) * Tony Pedregon, driver of the Q Racing team, heads to Reading, Pa. to compete this weekend in the 21stAnnual NHRA Nationals. The 2003 Funny Car champion and his Q Racing Nitro Funny Car are ready for the 19th race of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule at Maple Grove Raceway. * Tony Pedregon, el piloto de Q Racing, participará este fin de semana en el 21avo campeonato anual de los NHRA Nationals. El campeón de Funny Car del 2003 y su auto Q Racing Nitro Funny Car se dirigen al Maple Grove Raceway para competir en la 19ava carrera de la NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. * In 2002, Pedregon won on this extra-quick drag strip. He also obtained a No. 1 qualifier in 1999, and was the runner-up in 1996. With fall¹s cooler temperatures almost upon us, this race initiates the final three-race swing of the 2005 season. > ³Maple Grove Raceway represents good challenges for the Q Racing team,² > Pedregon explained. ³This time of the year, the evenings get cooler and, any > given track we encounter, with good (climatic) conditions, gives us a good > stage to work with. Traditionally, going back 10 to 12 years, Maple Grove has > been a quick and fast raceway when the conditions are right, and we¹ll be > ready to take advantage of it.² * Because of Q Racing¹s improvement on consistency, Pedregon¹s high-performance car may hold an advantage when it¹s time to turn the horsepower loose. Pedregon is optimistic about the progress they have made, not only on their execution but on their consistency as well. > ³We¹ve implemented some internal changes and improvements to the race car that > will at some point show results,² Pedregon said. ³But I still don¹t think the > Q Racing team has accomplished what we¹re capable of. The record speaks for > itself, but this season, it has not been there. > ³We are still scrutinizing everything we¹ve been doing and how we¹re doing it. > My expectations for Reading are to be an even stronger team than we¹ve been, > up to this point. It could be during this race, with conditions working on our > favor, plus the work and effort we¹ve put into this program, that we¹re going > to see some results.² * So far this year, Pedregon has qualified inthe number one position in Pomona, Calif. and Chandler, Ariz. He also broke the elapsed-time record at Pomona Raceway with a 4.681-second pass at 323.35mph. In Chandler, Ariz., Pedregon broke Firebird International Raceway¹s elapsed time record at 4.703 seconds. > At Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., Pedregon wrapped up a third No. 1 > qualifier, and set a new elapsed-time track record with 4.759 seconds. > Pedregon heads to Maple Grove Raceway 10th in POWERade Funny Car points with > 843.