TONY PEDREGON / Q POWER NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM POMONA
ADVANCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 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
Q POWER NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM
POMONA ADVANCE
EVENT:
NHRA Finals
TRACK NAME / LOCATION:
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
<http://www.autoclubracewaypomona.com/> www.autoclubracewaypomona.com
DATE:
November 10-12, 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
POMONA, Calif. (November 3, 2006) – 2003 NHRA World Champion Tony Pedregon
and his Q Power Nitro Funny Car Team head to the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
next weekend for the NHRA Finals, the 23rd and last NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series event in 2006. With three wins in 2006, Tony is currently
fifth in points in the NHRA POWERade Nitro Funny Car division.
With Southern California’s foothills serving as a dramatic backdrop, the
season concludes where it began nine months earlier with an event
traditionally laced with championship drama and last-chance bids for teams
to accomplish goals for the year. The historic racetrack, which hosted
NHRA’s first official event in 1953, typically enjoys seasonably cool
temperatures that translate into perfect racing conditions and a
spectacular, no-holds-barred battle for the prestigious NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series world championships.
"There's only one way to finish the year, and that's with winning in
Pomona," Pedregon stated. "We realize we need to do that to get the points
position back. If we can win, we can possibly move into fourth place in the
point standings. We won there last year, so we know the Q Power team has a
great setup going into this race. Not only is this race a pivotal event for
our team, but winning in Pomona again would mean a lot to me as I consider
it to be my home track. We're going in their fully prepared for a victory
after a great test session in Vegas on Monday, and know that ending the 2006
season with another notch in the win column would be the best reward for a
hard-fought season for our entire team and all of the sponsors like Q Power
who have supported us all year."
How to get to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona: The track is about 35 miles east
of downtown Los Angeles. From Interstate 10 east, exit at Fairplex Drive or
White Avenue and go north to the track. From I-10 west, exit at Fairplex
Drive and go north. The track is about one mile north of the interstate.
Arrow Highway provides access from the north.
The NHRA Finals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is the last race of the
2006 NHRA POWERade Series season. The 2007 season kicks off with the NHRA
Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on February 9-11.
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 Finals in Pomona, CA. The Q
Torque Power Full Synthetic stunning blue and gold paint job will be
celebrating Quaker State's introduction of this product on retail shelves,
which coincided 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;
· 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 POMONA:
Pedregon is a four-time winner at this track, winning and qualifying in the
top position in the spring race last year, as well as being victorious in
1997 (fall), 1999 (spring), 2003 (spring) and 2005 (fall); He was also quick
qualifier in 2003 (fall).
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
October 13-15 - Richmond:
Qualified: 6th - 4.788 / 312.28; 1st Round: Ashley 4.842 vs. Pedregon
4.865
October 27-29 - Las Vegas 2:
Qualified: 8th - 4.742 / 320.97; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.143 vs. Scelzi
5.179; 2nd Round: Bartone 4.881 vs. Pedregon 5.177
FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. John Force, 1520
2. Ron Capps, 1449
3. Robert Hight, 1447
4. Eric Medlen, 1373
5. Tony Pedregon, 1328
6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 1269
7. Gary Scelzi, 1172
8. Phil Burkart, 962
9. Whit Bazemore, 956
10. Cruz Pedregon, 946
POMONA WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, November 9
Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel) – 2:30 pm PST
FRIDAY, November 10
Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel) – 2:30 pm PST
SATURDAY, November 11
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 12:00 pm PST
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 3:30 pm PST
SUNDAY, November 12
Final Eliminations – 11:00 am PST
POMONA ESPN2 HD and ESPN2 TELEVISION COVERAGE:
November 11 - Qualifying: 5:00-7:00 pm ET
November 12 - Eliminations: 7:00-10:00 pm ET
November 14 - Repeat Eliminations: 3:00-5:00 am ET
POMONA LIVE AUDIO BROADCAST:
The public-address commentary from the Automobile Club of Southern
California NHRA Finals will be broadcast live over the Internet from
<http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race23/broadcast.html>
http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race23/broadcast.html. Follow the
wire-to-wire, play-by-play coverage from the final race of the 2006 NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series season. NHRA members get exclusive access to
listen live to three days worth of qualifying shows; check in Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday at 11:15 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 Torque Power 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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