TONY PEDREGON / Q POWER NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM DENVER ADVANCE
July 11, 2006 EVENT: Mile-High NHRA Nationals TRACK NAME / LOCATION: Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, Colo. (near Denver) www.Bandimere.com <http://www.bandimere.com/> DATE: July 14-16, 2006 SERIES: NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Nitro Funny Car Division TEAM MEMBERS: Driver/Owner: Tony Pedregon Teammate: Cruz Pedregon Crew Chief: Dickie Venables Asst. Crew Chief: Kurt Elliott APPEARANCE UPDATE: Tony Pedregon will be appearing at Stevinson Chevrolet West on Thursday, July 13th (15000 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood, CO 80401) from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 11, 2006) – 2003 NHRA World Champion Tony Pedregon and his Q Power Nitro Funny Car Team head to Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. (near Denver) for the Mile-High NHRA Nationals for the 13th of 23 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events in 2006. Pedregon moved into fourth place after winning the last NHRA round in St. Louis. The second half of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season kicks off with the first of three consecutive weekends of racing and one of its greatest challenges. NHRA’s POWERade Pros must travel high and deep into the Rocky Mountains, to more than 5,800 feet and picturesque Bandimere Speedway, where the mile-high altitude plays havoc with everything from engine tune-ups to aerodynamics. Teams must make wholesale changes to established power-making combinations and battle the lack of downforce in the thin air to tackle the unfamiliar environs. The event is testament to the skill and adaptability of the crew chiefs and teams. "We're pretty fired up for these next few races, coming off of a race win in St. Louis, then having had two weekends off to prepare for our upcoming western swing," Pedregon explained. "We spent one weekend at Norwalk (OH) Raceway Park in a match race getting runs under our belt and trying to prepare for the next few races. It's important to us to start the second half of the season strong, as it kicks off with three races in a row. Denver is pretty challenging because of the altitude. Going into this race I think we're ready, and I know Dickie (Venables, crew chief) has worked on his high-altitude setup, so we are looking for good results in Denver." The NHRA racers had a few weeks off before their western swing, but Pedregon and his Q Power Racing Team did not take a vacation during that time. They elected to participate in the world's largest single-day drag race, "Night Under Fire," held at Norwalk (OH) Raceway Park on July 1st. The event brought in eight of the top NHRA Funny Car drivers – including Pedregon's brother and teammate Cruz - for a match race in front of a huge amount of fans, with the race being a prelude to a $100,000 fireworks spectacular. Other drivers who participated included John Force, Scott Kalitta, Robert Hight, Tim Wilkerson, Eric Medlen and Gary Densham. The weekend in Norwalk paid off big for Pedregon, as he took away the "win" in the match race along with a new track record (4.76): "It was a great event – we set a new track record. We made two runs, and our Q Power team was the quickest of both sessions. We accomplished what we set out to do – to entertain close to 40,000 people who saw that show. I think when you run that well, you can't help but to leave the fans with a good impression and a great experience." How to Get to Bandimere Speedway: The track is 10 miles west of Denver just north of the historic town of Morrison. From Denver, take Interstate 70 west to C-470 and travel south to the Morrison Road exit. Take Morrison Road west to Rooney Road and go north to the track. After conquering the quarter-mile Bandimere Speedway this weekend, the NHRA warriors head to Kent, Wash. (near Seattle), and the Pacific Raceways on July 21-23. Check your local ESPN2 listings for broadcast times and event coverage. For more information on Tony, please go to www.PedregonRacing.com <http://www.pedregonracing.com/> . TONY PEDREGON HISTORY AT BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY: Pedregon won this event in 1998 and 1999. 2006 RESULTS: Feb. 9-12 – Pomona Qualified: 3rd, 4.713; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.147 vs Worsham 4.894 Feb. 24-26 – Phoenix Qualified: 4th, 4.724; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.778 vs Densham 9.445; 2nd Round: Pedregon 4.847 vs Johnson 4.809 March 16-19 – Gainesville Qualified: 16th, 4.900; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.018 vs Force 4.775 March 31-April 2 – Houston Qualified: 8th, 4.798; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.869 vs Bazemore 6.819; 2nd Round: Pedregon 9.461 vs Force 4.761 April 6-9 – Las Vegas Pedregon ran a 4.79 Friday night but the pass was disallowed by the NHRA when his team did not stop and weigh the car at the inspection station due to the drama of an engine explosion at the finish line. This was Pedregon’s first DNQ in five years dating back to the Bristol race in 2001 (115 events). April 28-30 – Bristol Qualified: 12th, 4.851; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.314 vs Johnson 4.817 May 5-7, 2006 – Atlanta – WON THIS EVENT Qualified: 9th, 4.797 / 275.00 1st Round: Pedregon 4.765 vs Bazemore 4.774; 2nd Round: Pedregon 4.735 vs Force 4.715 (Pedregon’s margin of victory was .0124 of a second (approx. 6 feet);.03 sec. advantage at the starting line over Force, Pedregon’s former car owner); Semi-Final Round: Pedregon 4.739 vs Medlen 5.083; Final Round: Pedregon 4,740 vs Hight – 4.738 (Pedregon’s Final Round win was by about 5 feet - .0096 sec.) May 19-21 – Columbus – WON THIS EVENT Qualified: 3rd, 4.728 / 323.58; 1st Round: Pedregon – 4.870 vs. Wilkerson – 6.029; 2nd Round: Pedregon 4.865 vs. Scelzi – 5.053; Semi-Final Round: Pedregon – 4.802 vs. Johnson Jr. – 4.876; Final Round: Pedregon – 4.923 vs. Bazemore – 6.368 May 26-28 – Topeka Qualified: 6th – 4.983 / 302.69; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.985 vs. Bartone 5.253; 2nd Round: Pedregon 5.044 vs. Medlen 5.097; Semi-Final Round: Pedregon 5.092 vs. Force 4.968 June 9-11 – Chicago Qualified: 6th – 4.694 / 315.34; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.032 vs. Gilbertson 13.877; 2nd Round: Medlen 4.800 vs. Pedregon 6.585 June 16-18 – Englishtown Qualified: 5th - 4.812 / 320.58; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.926 vs. Kalitta 4.961; 2nd Round: Scelzi 4.947 / 311.41 vs. Pedregon - 5.310 June 24-26 – St. Louis – WON THIS EVENT Qualified: 12th – 4.909 / 313.37; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.198 vs. Worsham 6.183; 2nd Round: Pedregon 5.061 vs. Gilbertson 5.126; Semi-Final Round: Pedregon 4.886 vs. Scelzi 4.877; Final Round: Pedregon 4.859 vs. Force 4.904 FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Ron Capps, 975 2. John Force, 931 3. Robert Hight, 742 4. Tony Pedregon, 728 5. Eric Medlen, 692 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 684 7. Gary Scelzi, 641 8. Whit Bazemore, 592 9. Del Worsham, 536 10. Cruz Pedregon, 530 2005 SEASON RECAP: In 2005, Tony Pedregon and the Q Power Race Team finished 7th in points with 2 wins, was #1 qualifier three times and recorded the second-quickest elapsed time in NHRA history at 4.680 seconds in Chicago. DENVER WEEKEND SCHEDULE: FRIDAY, July 14 Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 5:00 pm MDT Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 8:00 pm MDT SATURDAY, July 15 Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 3:30 pm MDT Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 6:00 pm MDT SUNDAY, July 16 Final Eliminations – 12:00 pm MDT DENVER ESPN2 TELEVISION COVERAGE: July 15 – Qualifying: 10:00 pm – 12:00 am ET July 16 – Eliminations: 9:00 pm – 12:00 am ET July 17 – Repeat Eliminations: 2:30 – 4:30 am ET DENVER LIVE AUDIO BROADCAST: The public-address commentary from the 27th annual Mile-High Nationals will be broadcast live over the Internet from http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race13/broadcast.html. Follow the wire-to-wire, play-by-play coverage from the thirteenth 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 and Saturday at 11 a.m. Eastern. The all-access final eliminations show – open, as always, to all NHRA.com visitors – begins Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. D R I V E R T O N Y P E D R E G O N The B A S I C S . . . Car Q Power Monte Carlo Birthdate March 8, 1965 Residence Detroit, MI Website www.PedregonRacing.com <http://www.pedregonracing.com/> Career NHRA Wins TOTAL: 32 FC – 32 Career NHRA Final Rounds 55 FC – 55 Career NHRA Best Elapsed Time 4.680 sec. Career NHRA Best Speed 331.28 mph The B A C K G R O U N D . . . • 2005: Set career best for time when he and his brother (Cruz) each ran 4.680s at Chicago 2; Finished the season on a roll with two wins and a runner-up finish at the final five events; Earned his first victory since Las Vegas 2 in his championship season of 2003; Qualified for all 23 events, increasing his streak of successfully qualifying at national events to 110; Earned three No. 1 qualifiers and had the low E.T. at three events • 2004: In his first season as a team owner, finished No. 8 in the final POWERade championship standings, his ninth consecutive season finishing in the top 10; Established career-bests for both E.T. and speed; Career-best E.T. is the seventh quickest Funny Car pass in NHRA history; Recorded two of the 10 fastest Funny Car speeds in NHRA history (331.28, Chicago 1; 329.83, Atlanta); His career won-lost record in elimination rounds of 319-189 is 13th-best among all active pro drivers with 50 or more decisions; Was the No. 1 qualifier three times (Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, Chicago 1); Qualified for all 23 events, upping his national event qualifying streak to 87 consecutive races dating back to Bristol 2001, fifth best among all active pro driver • 2003: Became the first driver other than John Force to win the Funny Car championship since 1992; established career-bests for wins, No. 1 qualifying awards, elapsed time and speed; a career-best eight wins on the season places him fourth on the all-time Funny Car win list with 24 career victories; one of four Funny Car drivers to qualify for all 23 events; earned $100,00 for winning the Funny Car bonus event in his eighth career appearance • 2002: Earned six victories in eight final round appearances; Was contending for the POWERade championship until the semifinal of the last event of the season; Finished No. 2 in the standings for the fourth time in his career; Finished in the top five of the standings for the sixth time in eight professional seasons; Won three consecutive races for the first time in his career • 2001: Won a race as the No. 1 qualifier (Englishtown) for the first time in his career, beating team owner John Force; Won back-to-back races (Englishtown and Topeka) for the first time in his career • 2000: Went to the finals six times, collecting two victories • 1999: Was the No. 1 qualifier at four events; Posted the quickest time in history when he clocked a 4.779 second run at Gainesville; Runner-up in the Funny Car bonus race at Indianapolis • 1998: Earned two wins in two final-round appearances • 1997: No. 1 qualifier at three events and raced in five finals; Beat brother Cruz Pedregon at Houston in the first final-round meeting involving brothers; Runner-up in Funny Car bonus race • 1996: Made seven final-round appearances in first season with John Force Racing; Named the inaugural winner of the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, which identified the sport’s budding stars; Finished second in driver points in first full season on the tour; Earned first career victory (Atlanta) • 1995: Ran limited Funny Car schedule for car owner Larry Minor • 1993: Qualified for first NHRA event at the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster The F U N S T U F F . . . • Wife: Andrea; Daughters: Cecily and Arielle; Son: Desidario • Height/weight: 5´8", 165 lbs. • Father, Frank, raced Top Fuel dragsters in the 1960s • Brothers Cruz and Frank Pedregon also compete in the Funny Car class • Pedregon is an accomplished painter whose work adorns the helmets of fellow drivers John Force, Cory McClenathan, Cruz Pedregon, and others NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 2006 Schedule February 9-12 –NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, CA February 24-26 – NHRA Nationals, Chandler, AZ March 16-19 - NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL March 31-April 2 - NHRA Spring Nationals, Houston, TX April 6-9 - NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas, NV April 28-30 - NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, TN May 4-7 - NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta, GA May 18-21 – NHRA Nationals, Columbus, OH May 25-28 - NHRA Summer Nationals, Topeka, KS June 8-11 – NHRA Nationals, Joliet, IL June 15-18 - NHRA SuperNationals, Englishtown, NJ June 23-25 - NHRA Midwest Nationals, Madison, IL July 14-16 - Mile-High NHRA Nationals, Denver, CO July 21-23 – NHRA Nationals, Seattle, WA July 28-30 - Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals, Sonoma, CA August 10-13 – NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, MN August 18-20 - Mid-South Nationals, Memphis, TN August 30-Sept. 4 – NHRA U.S. Nationals, Clermont, IN September 14-17 - NHRA Nationals, Reading, PA September 21-24 - NHRA Fall Nationals, Ennis, TX October 6-8 - Virginia NHRA Nationals, Richmond, VA October 26-29 - Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas, NV November 9-12 - Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Pomona, CA MANY THANKS TO THE Q POWER RACE TEAM 2006 SUPPORTERS Q POWER / QUAKER STATE – <http://www.qpower.com/> www.qpower.com SNAP-ON – <http://www.snapon.com/> www.snapon.com GREAT STUFF – <http://www.greatstuff.dow.com/index.htm> www.greatstuff.dow.com/index.htm HERZOG – <http://www.herzogcompanies.com/> www.herzogcompanies.com FETERL – <http://www.feterl.com/> www.feterl.com MOUNTAIN VIEW CHEVROLET – <http://www.mountainviewchevrolet.com/> www.mountainviewchevrolet.com GOODYEAR – <http://www.goodyear.com/> www.goodyear.com SLICK 50 – <http://www.slick50.com/> www.slick50.com LARRY MINOR MOTORSPORTS – <http://www.larryminor-motorsports.com/> www.larryminor-motorsports.com SIOUX CITY TRUCK & TRAILER – <http://www.siouxcitykenworth.com/> www.siouxcitykenworth.com EARL’S PERFORMANCE PLUMBING – <http://www.holley.com/> www.holley.com WELD RACING – <http://www.weldracing.com/> www.weldracing.com MR. GASKET COMPANY – <http://www.mrgasket.com/> www.mrgasket.com THE PALMS CASINO RESORT – <http://www.palms.com/> www.palms.com FRAM – <http://www.fram.com/> www.fram.com