CRUZ PEDREGON AND THE ADVANCE AUTO PARTS TEAM RACE TO QUARTERFINALS AT U.S. NATIONALS IN INDIANAPOLIS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 5, 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 TEAM RACE TO QUARTERFINALS AT U.S.
NATIONALS IN INDIANAPOLIS

- Move to 9th place in the point standings -

 

2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 

Round 18 of 23 

NHRA U.S. Nationals, Raceway Park at Indianapolis 

Race Date: September 1-4, 2006

 

CLERMONT, Ind. (September 5, 2006) - Cruz Pedregon and his Advance Auto
Parts Race Team fought hard through two rounds at the massive NHRA U.S.
Nationals at Raceway Park at Indianapolis in the Nitro Funny Car division,
but suffered a loss in the quarterfinals after an aggressive run. Pedregon
moved into ninth place in the 2006 point standings after the Advance Auto
Parts team's consistent showing in Indianapolis.

 

"The Advance Auto Parts team had a solid weekend," Pedregon said after a
successful visit to Raceway Park at Indianapolis. "We weren't the fastest,
but the car was consistent, which is one of the first things you have to
have before you win rounds. We were better than our 12th-place qualifying
effort. I slipped up Saturday and let the car drift up out of the groove and
actually had to shut the car off - it was probably a 4.73 or 4.74 before I
had to do that, but as it was, we still ran a 4.78. We had a big holeshot
win over Force's camp (Medlen) in the first round of final eliminations on
Monday - the car was there and we did our jobs. It was nice to get a win to
start the day off. Then we tried to push it in the second round, and the car
came loose and we smoked the tires - we pushed too far. The thing about drag
racing is that if you don't push a car hard enough, you get beat. But if you
push too hard, you also get beat. That's a fine line to walk, and you have
to try to make a perfect run every time. But we still made it to the
quarterfinals in the biggest race of the year. A lot of drivers would like
to have said that. We moved into 9th place in the points, which is really
positive for our team, and with six races left I feel we are positioned to
finish the year strong and prepare for a championship run in 2007."

 

NEXT RACE: September 15-17, 2006 - NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway,
Reading, PA

 

INDIANAPOLIS U.S. NATIONALS RACE RESULTS: 

 

QUALIFIED:

12th - 4.779 / 325.92

 

FIRST ROUND:

(W) Cruz Pedregon - 4.800 / 327.11

(L) Eric Medlen - 4.748 / 323.19

 

SECOND ROUND:

(W) Whit Bazemore - 5.072 / 275.96

(L) Cruz Pedregon - DQ-Centerline

 

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:

1. Ron Capps, 1300 

2. John Force, 1281 

3. Robert Hight, 1141

4. Tony Pedregon, 1112 

5. Eric Medlen, 1069

6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 1008 

7. Gary Scelzi, 1001 

8. Whit Bazemore, 956 

9. Cruz Pedregon, 759 

10. Phil Burkart, Jr. 756 

 

 

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