TONY PEDREGON / Q POWER NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM RICHMOND ADVANCE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2006 

Media Contacts: 

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

 

 

TONY PEDREGON

Q TORQUEPOWER NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM

RICHMOND ADVANCE

 

EVENT:

NHRA Nationals

 

TRACK NAME / LOCATION:

Virginia Motorsports Park, Petersburg, Va. (near Richmond)

 <http://www.virginiamotorsports.com/> www.VirginiaMotorsports.com

 

DATE:

October 6-8, 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

 

 

RICHMOND, Va. (October 4, 2006) – 2003 NHRA World Champion Tony Pedregon and
his Q TorquePower Nitro Funny Car Team head to Virginia Motorsports Park in
Petersburg, Va. (near Richmond), this weekend for the NHRA Nationals, the
21st of 23 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events in 2006. This is the
first time the NHRA competitors have raced in Richmond since 2000. With
three wins in 2006, Tony is currently fourth in points in the NHRA POWERade
Nitro Funny Car division.

 

NHRA POWERade Drag Racing returns to Virginia for the first time in five
years, bringing nitro-fueled thunder to the hallowed battlegrounds where
Civil War cannons once roared. Host of an NHRA national event from 1995 to
2000, Virginia Motorsports Park has been the site of many record-breaking
runs in all classes.

 

"It's been a while since we've been to Virginia Motorsports Park," stated
Pedregon. "The teams and competitors have gotten some good feedback that the
track surface is smooth, which is what we need for a good weekend. We'll
apply what we've learned these past few weeks and put our Q Power car
through its paces. We are looking forward to finishing the season strong,
and it starts with this weekend in Richmond." 

 

How to get to Virginia Motorsports Park: From Interstate 85 southbound, use
Exit 63-A and travel five miles; the track is on the right. From I-85
northbound, use Exit 53 and travel west to Route 1 north. Go seven miles,
and the track is on the left. From I-95, take I-85 south to Exit 63-A. The
track is five miles on the right.

 

After conquering the quarter-mile Virginia Motorsports Park this weekend,
the NHRA warriors head on October 26-29 to The Strip At Las Vegas Motor
Speedway.

 

For more information on Tony, please go to  <http://www.pedregonracing.com/>
www.PedregonRacing.com. 

 

TONY PEDREGON STORY ANGLES:

·        Tony, along with brother and co-team owner Cruz, has just opened up
a brand new 25,000-square-foot racing shop, located in the new headquarters
for NHRA teams in Brownsburg, Ind. The shop, housing both teams, was
designed specifically to address the unique needs of Pedregon Racing, LLC,
and Cruz Pedregon Racing, Inc, along with input from Tony's wife Andrea,
Cruz's wife Sharon, and all of the crew chiefs;

·        The new Pedregon Racing facility houses the restored version of the
Flamin' Frank Pedregon World's Fastest Coupe (a legendary top fuel dragster
from the 60's with a chopped Fiat body, driven by Cruz and Tony's father,
Frank Sr.);

·        Tony and his Q Power Team will be running a totally different
special paint scheme for the NHRA Nationals in Richmond, VA.  The Q
TorquePower Full Synthetic stunning blue and gold paint job will be
celebrating Quaker State's introduction of this product on retail shelves,
coinciding with the massive U.S. Nationals event.  The new advanced motor
oil formulation is engineered to help maximize torque in the engines of
hard-working trucks and SUV's to help give drivers the power they want for
towing, hauling and off-roading.  Pedregon's car will sport this new paint
scheme for the remainder of the season;

·        A special limited edition set of 1:64 scale Hot Wheels® models of
Tony and Cruz Pedregon's NHRA Nitro Funny Cars are now available exclusively
at Advance Auto Parts stores. These cars will be packaged in a special Hot
Wheels® 2-Pack Collector Car Set (while supplies last);

·        Tony has a strong Hispanic following and can speak in Spanish;

·        Tony just became certified with the Indiana Business Diversity
Council, designed to promote minority ownership of businesses in Indiana.

 

TONY PEDREGON HISTORY AT VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK:

Pedregon has never 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 

August 11-13 - Brainerd:

Qualified: 2nd - 4.773 / 321.04; 1st Round: Wilkerson 4.805 vs. Pedregon
4.858

August 18-21 - Memphis:

Qualified: 5th - 4.899 / 304.80; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.247 vs. Bartone
5.361; 2nd Round: Pedregon 4.892 vs. Capps 4.941; Semi-Final Round: Pedregon
4.895 vs. Hight 4.958; Final Round: Force 4.786 vs. Pedregon 5.048

September 1-4 - Indianapolis:

Qualified: 8th - 4.735 / 325.30; 1st Round: Ashley 4.754 vs. Pedregon 4.753

September 15-17 - Dallas:

Qualified: 4th - 4.812 / 321.96; 1st Round: Pedregon 6.263 vs. Burkart
7.522; 2nd Round: Pedregon 4.891 vs. Bartone 6.160; Semi-Final Round: Hight
4.861 vs. Pedregon 5.827

September 29-October 1 - Reading:

Qualified: 6th - 4.723 / 321.12; 1st Round: Tony Pedregon 4.781 vs. Cruz
Pedregon 4.903 (red light); 2nd Round: Medlen 4.799 vs. Pedregon 4.904 

 

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:

1. John Force, 1387

2. Ron Capps, 1386

3. Robert Hight, 1352

4. Tony Pedregon, 1241

5. Eric Medlen, 1179

6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 1143

7. Gary Scelzi, 1108

8. Whit Bazemore, 956

9. Phil Burkart, 899 

10. Cruz Pedregon, 844

 

RICHMOND WEEKEND SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, October 6

Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel) – 3:30 pm ET

Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel) – 6:30 pm ET

SATURDAY, October 7

Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 12:30 pm ET

Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 3:30 pm ET

SUNDAY, October 8

Final Eliminations (Top Fuel/Funny Car) – 11:00 am ET

 

RICHMOND ESPN2 TELEVISION COVERAGE:

October 7 – Qualifying: 10:00 pm-12:00 am ET

October 8 – Eliminations: 7:00-10:00 pm ET

October 9 – Repeat Eliminations: 2:30-4:30 am ET

 

RICHMOND LIVE AUDIO BROADCAST: 

The public-address commentary from the NHRA Nationals in Richmond will be
broadcast live over the Internet from
<http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race21/broadcast.html>
http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race21/broadcast.html. Follow the
wire-to-wire, play-by-play coverage from the 21st 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
9:30 a.m. and Saturday at 9 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 TorquePower Monte Carlo

 

Birthdate

March 8, 1965

 

Residence

Detroit, MI

 

Website

 <http://www.pedregonracing.com/> www.PedregonRacing.com

 

Career NHRA Wins

TOTAL: 32

FC - 32

 

Career NHRA Final Rounds

57

FC - 57

 

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

September 29-October 1 - NHRA Nationals, Reading, PA (rescheduled due to
rain)

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

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

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

 

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