TONY PEDREGON / Q POWER NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM BRAINERD ADVANCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 7, 2006 Media Contacts: Allison Holt, JRL Group, (847) 291-7080 x201, allison@jrlgroup.com Janie Vogel, JRL Group, (440) 915-7627, janievogel@yahoo.com TONY PEDREGON - 2003 NHRA Funny Car Champion - Q POWER NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM BRAINERD ADVANCE EVENT: NHRA Nationals TRACK NAME / LOCATION: Brainerd (MN) Int'l Raceway www.BrainerdRacewayAndResort.com <http://www.brainerdracewayandresort.com/> DATE: August 11-13, 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 INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (August 7, 2006) – 2003 NHRA World Champion Tony Pedregon and his Q Power Nitro Funny Car Team head to Brainerd (MN) Int'l Raceway for the NHRA Nationals for the 16th of 23 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events in 2006. Pedregon, a championship contender, moved into third place in the point standings after his final-round appearance in last weekend's race in Sonoma. NHRA’s version of a weeklong campout, Brainerd is a popular stop due to the area’s recreational opportunities. Because Brainerd Int'l Raceway is situated in the midst of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, avid fishers among the racing ranks often spend the days before the race trolling the area’s many lakes for walleye, bass, and northern pike. The fans, including many Canadians, are among the most rabid on the tour. A huge onsite campground provides nightly camaraderie for race fans who sit around campfires discussing the day’s action. A 700-foot concrete launchpad, one of the longest on the tour, helps boost performances. "Every race at this point in the season is pretty important," stated Pedregon. "Brainerd and the race after that in Memphis set the stage for Indy and the all-important U.S. Nationals, so it's highly important to do well during this stretch of races in August. We're past the half-way point in the season, and the Q Power team has just moved into third place in the point standings - it's important for us to stay close to the guys on top of the points. We've earned our place in the points, but now we have to maintain that and keep striving to move up each week. There's some really good cars we have passed, but now we have to keep the pressure on the teams ahead of us and stay consistent. We are putting the time in, so we are as prepared as we can be. We haven't won in Brainerd yet, so that is certainly extra incentive for our Q Power team to win next weekend." How to get to Brainerd Int'l Raceway: The track is six miles north of Brainerd on Highway 371 north. From Minneapolis, take Highway 10 north to Highway 371 north; go north to the track. After conquering the quarter-mile Brainerd Int'l Raceway next weekend, the NHRA warriors head to the Mid-South Nationals at Memphis (TN) Motorsports Park on August 18-20. For more information on Cruz, please go to www.PedregonRacing.com <http://www.pedregonracing.com/> . TONY PEDREGON HISTORY AT BRAINERD INT'L RACEWAY: Pedregon has not won this event. 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 July 14-16 – Denver: Qualified: 8th - 4.956 / 309.91; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.268 vs. Worsham 5.276; 2nd Round: Cruz Pedregon 5.588 vs. Tony Pedregon 6.866 July 21-23 – Seattle: Qualified: 8th – 4.929 / 310.27; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.029 vs. Johnson Jr. 5.651 2nd Round: Pedregon 5.318 vs. Hight 6.117; Semi-Final Round: Bazemore 5.029 vs. Pedregon 5.129 July 28-30 - Sonoma: Qualified: 5th - 4.816 / 319.75; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.910 vs. Johnson Jr. 4.947; 2nd Round: Pedregon 4.909 vs. Kalitta 9.070; Semi-Final Round: Pedregon 4.910 vs. Ashley 7.813; Final Round: Medlen 4.854 vs. Pedregon 5.021 FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Ron Capps, 1139 2. John Force, 1069 3. Tony Pedregon, 948 4. Eric Medlen, 928 5. Robert Hight, 913 6. Gary Scelzi, 841 7. Tommy Johnson Jr., 824 8. Whit Bazemore, 809 9. Cruz Pedregon, 640 10. Del Worsham, 635 BRAINERD WEEKEND SCHEDULE: FRIDAY, August 11 Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel) – 3:30 pm CT Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel) – 6:15 pm CT SATURDAY, August 12 Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 12:00 pm CT Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 3:00 pm CT SUNDAY, August 13 Final Eliminations – 11:00 am CT BRAINERD ESPN2 TELEVISION COVERAGE: August 12 – Qualifying: 6:00-8:00 pm ET August 13 – Eliminations: 7:00-10:00 pm ET August 18 – Repeat Eliminations: 3:00-5:00 am ET BRAINERD LIVE AUDIO BROADCAST: The public-address commentary from the 25th annual NHRA Nationals will be broadcast live over the Internet from http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race16/broadcast.html. Follow the wire-to-wire, play-by-play coverage from the 16th 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 10:15 a.m. Eastern. The all-access final eliminations show – open, as always, to all NHRA.com visitors – begins Sunday at 11 a.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 56 FC – 56 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 – 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/> MOUNTAIN VIEW CHEVROLET – www.mountainviewchevrolet.com <http://www.mountainviewchevrolet.com/> GOODYEAR – www.goodyear.com <http://www.goodyear.com/> SLICK 50 – www.slick50.com <http://www.slick50.com/> LARRY MINOR MOTORSPORTS – www.larryminor-motorsports.com <http://www.larryminor-motorsports.com/> SIOUX CITY TRUCK & TRAILER – www.siouxcitykenworth.com <http://www.siouxcitykenworth.com/> EARL’S PERFORMANCE PLUMBING – www.holley.com <http://www.holley.com/> WELD RACING – www.weldracing.com <http://www.weldracing.com/> MR. GASKET COMPANY – www.mrgasket.com <http://www.mrgasket.com/> THE PALMS CASINO RESORT – www.palms.com <http://www.palms.com/> FRAM – www.fram.com <http://www.fram.com/> # # #