CRUZ PEDREGON AND THE ADVANCE AUTO PARTS RACE TO FINAL ROUND IN RICHMOND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 16, 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 RACE TO FINAL ROUND IN RICHMOND

 

2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 

Round 21 of 23 

NHRA Nationals, Virginia Motorsports Park, Richmond, Va.  

Race Date:  October 13-15, 2006

 

RICHMOND, Va. (October 16, 2006) - Cruz Pedregon and his Advance Auto Parts
Race Team raced to a final-round appearance at the NHRA Nationals at
Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Va., in the Nitro Funny Car division.
Pedregon moved to 9th place in the 2006 point standings (only 20 points out
of 8th place) after the Advance Auto Parts team's strong final-round showing
in Richmond.

 

"Sunday was a really good day for us," a happy Pedregon said after his final
round appearance.  "The Richmond race is the only NHRA event in Virginia,
the home state of our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts (based out of Roanoke,
Va.), so it was really special to be able to do so well for them this
weekend.  On Friday, we were floundering a bit, but we got our act together
and qualified well on Saturday.  We tried to do what only Tony (Pedregon)
has done this year and take (John) Force's three cars out during
eliminations, but came up short in the final round.  When you are racing
against formidable competition like that, you have to be flawless - we were
close, but not close enough.  I have to give credit to our Advance Auto
Parts Team.  I feel like we put on a good, solid performance, and our team
can be really proud of that effort.  During the final, I had the best
reaction time, and that's all you can do - to ask your team for a car that
will perform.  It's one thing to have confidence; it's another to actually
have the results to back things up.  We are coming on strong toward the end
of this season, just as I had hoped.  We wanted to finish strong, and
Richmond was just the start to carrying out that plan.  I think we let
everyone know that we still have a good shot at winning the last two races.
Not only our team, but our entire organization.  Collectively with Tony
(Pedregon), we have won four races and have gone to eight finals this year,
and that's pretty impressive.  We head to Vegas next, and we won the spring
race there.  Our last race is at Pomona, my home track, so I'd really like
to win there as well.  It feels like we are finally on track and realizing
our full potential.  If we keep doing what we have been doing, we'll win our
share of races."  

 

NEXT RACE:   October 27-29, 2006 - NHRA Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev. 

 

RICHMOND RACE RESULTS:   

 

QUALIFIED:

10th - 4.833 / 307.16

 

FIRST ROUND:

(W) Cruz Pedregon - 4.841 / 301.67

(L) Tommy Johnson Jr. - 4.874 / 299.33

 

SECOND ROUND:

(W) Cruz Pedregon - 5.016 / 278.58

(L) Robert Hight - 11.709 / 81.99

 

SEMI-FINAL ROUND:

(W) Cruz Pedregon - 4.870 / 304.39

(L) John Force - 5.680 / 167.22

 

FINAL ROUND:

(W) Eric Medlen - 4.814 / 301.00

(L) Cruz Pedregon - 4.873 / 297.02

 

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:

1. John Force, 1,463

2. Ron Capps, 1,417

3. Robert Hight, 1,409

4. Eric Medlen, 1,297

5. Tony Pedregon, 1,265

6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 1,176

7. Gary Scelzi, 1,140

8. Whit Bazemore, 956

9. Cruz Pedregon, 936

10. Phil Burkart, 930

 

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