Cruz Pedregon / Advance Auto Parts Race Team - Gainesville Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 21, 2006

Contact:  

Allison Holt, JRL Group, (847) 291-7080 x201, allison@jrlgroup.com

Janie Vogel, JRL Group, (440) 915-7627, janievogel@yahoo.com

Hi- and low-resolution photos available upon request

 

CRUZ PEDREGON AND THE ADVANCE AUTO PARTS RACE TEAM 

REACH FUNNY CAR QUARTERFINALS IN GAINESVILLE

 

2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 

Round 3 of 23 

ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway 

Race Date:  March 17-19, 2006

 

(GAINESVILLE, Fla.):  Cruz Pedregon and his Advance Auto Parts Race Team
came away from the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway having
advanced to the quarterfinals in the Nitro Funny Car division after strong
runs throughout the weekend.

 

After four rounds of qualifying, the former event winner (1998) found
himself in the #15 spot, with teammate and brother Tony occupying the last
qualifying spot.  

 

Pedregon's win in the opening round of eliminations came against the #2
qualifier Whit Bazemore, with both competitors experiencing traction
problems having to peddle their cars most of the way down the quarter-mile,
and Pedregon having the advantage at the finish line. In the quarterfinals,
with Pedregon's Advance Auto Parts machine up against Eric Medlen, the race
was tight all the way to the stripe, with Medlen winning the battle by about
19 feet.     

 

"The conditions were warmer than what we tested on, but we still answered
the call," Pedregon said.  "We still qualified and went a few rounds, but
came up a bit short.  It was a solid performance, and I'm really proud of my
team for that.  We managed to work through the issues we had with the tires,
clutch and engine.  So we'll take everything to San Antonio (IHRA race this
weekend) and do better.  We stayed in Gainesville on Monday to test and ran
a 4.76, which was one of the quickest runs at the track this past weekend,
so we definitely got a better idea of how to increase our performance in the
coming races."  

 

In 2005, Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Race Team finished for the
second consecutive year in the top 10 in points, was #1 qualifier twice and
recorded a career best ET speed of 4.680 seconds at 330.80 mph. 

 

NEXT RACE:   IHRA Amalie Oil Texas Nationals, San Antonio (Tex.) Raceway,
March 24-26, 2006 

 

NEXT NHRA EVENT:  NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston (Tex.) Raceway Park,
March 31-April 2, 2006

 

GAINESVILLE RESULTS:

 

SUNDAY ELIMINATION ROUND 1

(W) Cruz Pedregon - 5.526 / 273.05

(L) Whit Bazemore - 5.706 / 262.00

 


SUNDAY ELIMINATION ROUND 2


(W) Eric Medlen - 4.829 / 321.54

(L) Cruz Pedregon - 4.835 / 312.93

 

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS: 

1.      Ron Capps, 280 

2.      John Force, 249 

3.      Robert Hight, 221 

4.      Phil Burkart Jr., 196 

5.      Tommy Johnson Jr., 180 

6.      Del Worsham, 159 

7.      Eric Medlen, 145 

8.      Cruz Pedregon, 139 

9.      Gary Scelzi, 122 

10.  Tony Pedregon, 121 

 

 


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