CRUZ PEDREGON / ADVANCE AUTO PARTS NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM
ENGLISHTOWN ADVANCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2006
Media Contacts:
Allison Holt, JRL Group, (847) 291-7080 x201, allison@jrlgroup.com
Janie Vogel, JRL Group, (440) 915-7627, janievogel@yahoo.com
CRUZ PEDREGON
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM
ENGLISHTOWN ADVANCE
EVENT:
NHRA SuperNationals
TRACK NAME / LOCATION:
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
www.RacewayPark.com <http://www.racewaypark.com/>
DATE:
June 9-11, 2006
SERIES:
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Nitro Funny Car Division
TEAM MEMBERS
Driver/Owner: Cruz Pedregon
Crew Chief: Ron Douglas
Co-Crew Chief: Sam Shockley
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 15, 2006) – Cruz Pedregon, the 1992 NHRA Nitro
Funny Car world champion, and his Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car Team
are headed to Englishtown, New Jersey, this weekend for the NHRA Nationals
at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park for the 11th of 23 NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series events in 2006. Pedregon was the #1 qualifier at this event
last year.
“The Englishtown event was actually my first win as a team owner, so the
facility will always be special to me,” Pedregon said of the upcoming stop
on the NHRA tour. “I really like that track because it has great people, a
great crowd, and it’s always a big show. It’s like our east coast Pomona.
They have so many fans in New Jersey who love racing. I’ve won there
before (1995, 2000), and I’d love to win again. It’s not far from the
water, it’s got good air, good trees and our Advance Auto Parts car runs
really well there.”
The racing season is non-stop, and occasionally events are held on holidays.
This week, the NHRA drag racers will be running their final eliminations on
Father’s Day: “To race on Father’s Day makes it extra special for us,
although I don’t need a special day to remember my dad (Frank Sr.).”
During his rookie season in Funny Car in 1992, Pedregon won the NHRA world
championship. With this accomplishment he became the only racer other than
John Force to win the championship in the 90s. In 1997, Pedregon was also
the first motorsports athlete to receive the “Premio De Oro,” the only
national award for Hispanic athletes. Born into a racing family, Pedregon’s
father, Frank, raced Top Fuel dragsters in the 1960s. His brothers Tony and
Frank also compete in the Nitro Funny Car ranks. In 1980, Cruz won his first
official drag race at the age of 15, driving a 1953 Kenworth truck.
One of NHRA’s original seven national events, this race is steeped in
legend. In many ways, it’s the East Coast’s Pomona: a legendary facility,
some of the sport’s most knowledgeable (and definitely most boisterous)
fans, and more dramatic moments than a weeklong History Channel marathon.
The event, once known as the Summernationals, has shifted on the NHRA
schedule from its original scorchingly hot and humid July slot to May and
now to Father’s Day, and upsets have become the norm. Its proximity to New
York has assured a parade of celebrity fans, including local legend Bruce
Springsteen.
Englishtown is about 20 miles south of Newark Int’l Airport, 35 miles south
of New York City, and 55 miles north of Philadelphia. The track is on
Pension Road, two miles north of Englishtown. From the New Jersey Turnpike,
use Exit 8 (Route 33) or Exit 9 (Route 18). From Route 33, travel east to
Route 527 (Englishtown exit), then north to the track. From Route 18, travel
east to Route 527 (Englishtown exit), then south to the track. The main
entrance is on Pension Road, which runs off Route 527 west of the track.
After conquering the quarter-mile Old Bridge Township Raceway Park this
weekend, the NHRA warriors head to St. Louis and the NHRA Midwest Nationals
at Gateway Int’l Raceway on June 23-25. Check your local ESPN2 listings for
broadcast times and event coverage.
For more information on Cruz, please go to
<http://www.pedregonracing.com./> www.PedregonRacing.com.
CRUZ PEDREGON HISTORY AT OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP RACEWAY PARK:
Won in 1995 and 2000; #1 qualifier in 1992, 1998 and 2005.
2006 RESULTS:
Feb. 9-12 – Pomona:
Qualified: 16th, 4.807; 1st Round: Pedregon 6.432 vs Force 4.774
Feb. 24-26 – Phoenix
Qualified: 2nd, 4.717; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.741 vs Wilkerson 10.109;
2nd Round: Pedregon 4.837 vs Force 4.792
March 16-19 – Gainesville
Qualified: 15th, 4.896; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.526 vs Bazemore 5.706;
2nd Round: Pedregon 4.835 vs Medlen 4.829
March 31-April 2 – Houston
Qualified: 10th – 4.821; 1st Round: Pedregon 12.741 vs. Burkhart 4.824
April 6-9 – Las Vegas – WON THIS EVENT
Qualified: 8th - 4.780; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.871 vs Head 8.396; 2nd Round:
Pedregon 4.864 vs Bartone 7.530; 3rd Round: Pedregon 5.314 vs Johnson
6.583; Final Round: Pedregon 5.417 vs. Capps 6.474
April 28-30 – Bristol
Qualified; 14th, 4.861; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.531 vs Force 4.808
May 5-7 - Atlanta
Qualified: 7th, 4.747 / 318.24; 1st Round: Pedregon - 4.753 vs Capps -
4.792;
(Pedregon won this contest by .0029 of a second, about 16 inches); 2nd
Round: Pedregon 4.809 vs Hight 4.680 (Pedregon with a near-perfect light at
.001 with a nose-to-nose finish)
May 19-21 – Columbus
Qualified: 5th, 4.744 / 326.56; 1st Round: Pedregon - 4.972 vs. Worsham –
4.873
May 26-28 – Topeka
Qualified: 13th – 4.953 / 270.75; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.104 vs. Capps
4.993
June 9-11 – Chicago:
Qualified: 5th – 4.689 / 329.02; 1st Round: Capps 4.935 vs. Pedregon 5.311
FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ron Capps, 833
2. John Force, 785
3. Robert Hight, 647
4. Eric Medlen, 604
5. Tony Pedregon, 562
6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 536
7. Whit Bazemore, 503
8. Gary Scelzi, 473
9. Del Worsham, 469
10. Cruz Pedregon, 467
2005 SEASON RECAP:
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.
ENGLISHTOWN WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, June 16
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 4:30 pm (ET)
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 7:30 pm (ET)
SATURDAY, June 17
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 1:00 pm (ET)
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 3:30 pm (ET)
SUNDAY, June 18
Final Eliminations – 11:00 am (ET)
ENGLISHTOWN ESPN2 TELEVISION COVERAGE:
June 17 – Qualifying: 5:00-7:00 pm (ET)
June 18 – Eliminations: 4:00-7:00 pm (ET)
June 20 – Repeat Eliminations: 2:00-4:00 am (ET)
ENGLISHTOWN LIVE AUDIO BROADCAST:
The public-address commentary from the 37th annual K&N Filters
SuperNationals will be broadcast live over the Internet from
http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race11/broadcast.html. Follow the
wire-to-wire, play-by-play coverage from the eleventh race of the 2006 NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series season. NHRA members get exclusive access to
listen live to Friday's and Saturday's qualifying shows; check in Friday at
9 a.m. Eastern and Saturday at 10:15 a.m. Eastern. Our all-access final
eliminations show – open, as always, to all NHRA.com visitors – begins
Sunday at 10 a.m. Eastern.
D R I V E R
C R U Z P E D R E G O N
The B A S I C S . . .
Nickname
"The Cruzer"
Car
Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo
Birthdate
September 19, 1963
Residence
Santa Rosa Valley, Calif.
Website
<http://www.pedregonracing.com/> www.PedregonRacing.com
Career Wins
TOTAL: 27
FC - 23
TAD - 3
TAFC - 1
Career Final Rounds
TOTAL: 55
FC - 50
TAD - 3
TAFC – 2
Career Best Elapsed Time
4.680 sec.
Career Best Speed
330.80 mph
The B A C K G R O U N D . . .
· 2005: Earned a pair of No. 1 qualifiers (Englishtown and Chicago
2); Set the low E.T. at two events (Englishtown and Chicago 2); Set career
bests for both time and speed; Won at least two rounds at five consecutive
events and six of the first eight events to open the 2005 season; Won
$25,000 bonus for having closest margin of victory in Motel 6 Who Got the
Light award
· 2004: Earned first No. 1 qualifying position (Columbus) since 1998;
Was the runner-up at consecutive events twice (Denver & Seattle;
Indianapolis & Dallas); Established career-best performance numbers;
Qualified No. 11 in the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history (Pomona 2)
· 2003: Highest finish in the Funny Car standings since 1998; was the
runner-up at Denver and Reading; established career-best time and speed
· 2002: After taking a year off from racing, Pedregon assembled a
team that qualified for 18 national events; Advanced to the semifinals at
Indianapolis
· 2001: Served as color analyst for ESPN’s drag racing coverage
· 2000: Raced part-time as an owner/driver, collecting one win
(Englishtown)
· 1999: Raced part-time as an owner/driver in the Funny Car category
· 1998: Earned the No. 1 qualifying spot a career-best 12 times; Won
NHRA all-star race; Set national elapsed-time record three times; Runner-up
in Funny Car bonus race
· 1997: The first motorsports athlete to received the "Premio De
Oro," the only national award for Hispanic athletes
· 1996: Competing in a limited amount of races, Pedregon won one race
en route to a third-place finish in the NHRA championship point standings;
Finished in the top three for the fifth consecutive season
· 1995: Won at Indianapolis for the third time in four years (1992,
’94-95); Recorded first career four-second run, a 4.991 at Dallas; Broke the
300-mph mark for the first time with a 300.90-mph pass at Indianapolis
· 1994: Was the only Funny Car driver to defeat John Force in a final
round the entire season; Qualified in the top half at 15 of the 18 national
events
· 1992: Won the NHRA Funny Car championship — the only Funny Car
driver other than John Force to win a title in the 1990s
· 1990: Won a career-best six races
· 1991: Raced part-time in Top Fuel competition
· 1990: Moved to Alcohol Funny Car competition
· 1987: Started his NHRA career in Alcohol Dragster
The F U N S T U F F . . .
· Wife: Sharon; Sons: Josh (4/16/82) and Gabe (9/20/85)
· Height/weight: 6´0", 180 lbs.
· Notable: Won first drag race in 1980 behind wheel of a 1953
Kenworth truck; Raced go-karts in 1986 and was track champion at Ventura
(Calif.) Raceway; Brothers Tony and Frank also compete in NHRA Funny Car
category
· Father, Frank, raced Top Fuel dragsters in 1960s
· Fluent in Spanish, Cruz enjoys working with Hispanic media
· Enjoys doing charitable work with children
· Avid NFL fan, especially of Oakland Raiders. Also enjoys listening
to sports talk radio
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 2006 Schedule
February 9-12 – CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, CA
February 24-26 – Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals, Chandler, AZ
March 16-19 – ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL
March 31-April 2 - O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals, Houston, TX
April 6-9 - NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals, Las Vegas, NV
April 28-30 - NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, TN
May 4-7 - Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta, GA
May 18-21 – Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals, Columbus, OH
May 25-28 - O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, Topeka, KS
June 8-11 – CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Joliet, IL
June 15-18 - K&N Filters SuperNationals, Englishtown, NJ
June 23-25 - O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals, Madison, IL
July 14-16 - Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, Denver, CO
July 21-23 – Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals, Seattle, WA
July 28-30 - Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals, Sonoma, CA
August 10-13 – Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, MN
August 18-20 - O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Memphis, TN
August 30-Sept. 4 - Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Clermont, IN
September 14-17 - Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals, Reading, PA
September 21-24 - O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals, Ennis, TX
October 6-8 - Virginia NHRA Nationals, Richmond, VA
October 26-29 - ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas, NV
November 9-12 - Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Pomona,
CA
MANY THANKS TO THE ADVANCE AUTO PARTS TEAM
2006 SUPPORTERS
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS – www.advanceautoparts.com
<http://www.advanceautoparts.com/>
QUAKER STATE – www.qpower.com <http://www.qpower.com/>
SNAP-ON – www.snapon.com <http://www.snapon.com/>
GREAT STUFF – www.greatstuff.dow.com/index.htm
HERZOG – www.herzogcompanies.com <http://www.herzogcompanies.com/>
FETERL – www.feterl.com <http://www.feterl.com/>
GOODYEAR – www.goodyear.com <http://www.goodyear.com/>
SIOUX CITY TRUCK & TRAILER – www.siouxcitykenworth.com
<http://www.siouxcitykenworth.com/>
WELD RACING – www.weldracing.com <http://www.weldracing.com/>
MR. GASKET COMPANY – www.mrgasket.com <http://www.mrgasket.com/>
MOUNTAIN VIEW CHEVROLET – www.mountainviewchevrolet.com
<http://www.mountainviewchevrolet.com/>
THE PALMS CASINO RESORT – www.palms.com <http://www.palms.com/>
ABOUT ADVANCE AUTO PARTS:
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is based in Roanoke, Va., and is the second largest
automotive aftermarket retailer based on sales and store count. With almost
2,900 stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the company
serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets.
Additional information about the company, employment opportunities,
services, as well as on-line purchase of parts and accessories can be found
on the company's web site at <http://www.advanceautoparts.com/>
www.advanceautoparts.com.
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