CRUZ PEDREGON / ADVANCE AUTO PARTS NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM -- POMONA RESULTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2006

Contact:  

Allison Holt, JRL Group, (847) 291-7080 x201, allison@jrlgroup.com

Hi- and low-resolution photos available upon request

  

CRUZ PEDREGON AND THE ADVANCE AUTO PARTS RACE TEAM START THE 2007 NHRA
SEASON BY REACHING THE QUARTERFINALS IN THE QUICKEST FIELD IN NHRA HISTORY

 

2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 

Round 1 of 23 

NHRA Winternationals, Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.)

Race Date: February 8-11, 2007

 

POMONA, Calif. (February 12, 2007) - After a slight rain delay, the 2007
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Season got under way in dramatic fashion.
Qualifying thirteenth (4.784 at 317.27 mph) in what became the quickest
Funny Car field in NHRA history, Cruz Pedregon and his Advance Auto Parts
Nitro Funny Car, headed into Sunday's final eliminations with a classic
first round match up against reigning Funny Car champion John Force.  Force,
qualifying in the fifth position, had lane choice, but Crew Chief Wayne
Dupuy had the right set up which enabled Pedregon to make a solid run of
4.736 at 321.65 mph to beat Force and advance to the quarter-finals.

 

In the quarter-finals, Cruz faced Mike Ashley. Both drivers got off the line
even, but fewer car problems allowed Ashley to take the win. Ashley's 5.80 @
261.70 mph beat Pedregon's 5.553 @ 173.63 mph.

 

"This was a very good weekend for the Advance Auto Parts Race Team" stated
Cruz Pedregon.  "I am proud of our team as we fought through qualifying
sessions, which turned out to be the quickest field set in NHRA history, and
then to come out on Sunday in the first round and beat Force.  You always
get up for a race against Force and that was a big win to start the 2007
season. In the second round, we just ran into a parts failure (head gasket),
but Wayne (Crew Chief Wayne Dupuy), in the short time he has been with the
team, has really got a handle on the car and I am excited about the
potential for this Advance Auto Parts race team.  I am looking forward to
Phoenix."

 

In 2006, Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Race Team once again
finished in the top 10 in the NHRA point standings, which included a win in
Las Vegas. 

 

For more team information, log onto  <http://www.pedregonracing.com/>
www.PedregonRacing.com . 

 

NEXT RACE:   NHRA Nationals, Firebird Int'l Raceway, Phoenix, Ariz.,
February 23-25, 2007

 

All NHRA qualifying and final elimination races are televised on ESPN2.
Check you local listings for times.

 

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