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Millington: Cruz Pedregon preview

Advance Team gaines momentum, sets goals for Memphis event. Millington, TN -- Recent successes will help pave the way as Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Racing Team head towards Memphis, TN to compete at the O'Reilly MidSouth NHRA ...

Published: Sep 19, 2002, 10:52 PM

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Advance Team gaines momentum, sets goals for Memphis event.

Millington, TN -- Recent successes will help pave the way as Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Racing Team head towards Memphis, TN to compete at the O'Reilly MidSouth NHRA Nationals, held September 19 -22nd. As the team prepares for the second event of three back-to-back races held this month, they reflect upon the strides they have made, beginning at the test session in Indianapolis just before the U.S. Nationals. Strong qualifying positions at the last two events and a semifinal finish at Indy has helped gain momentum, giving the Advance Team confidence to set high goals for the upcoming race this weekend.

"We have definitely improved since our test session in Indianapolis," comments owner/driver Cruz Pedregon. "We were able to try a few things that we had been unable to try up until that point. With other factors being involved - from the heat in St. Louis to the climate changes in Denver - we hadn't really had an open opportunity to truly test our ideas. We learned a great deal that has obviously helped us as we move forward. We had a great weekend at the U.S. Nationals, and even though things didn't progress as we anticipated in Reading, we still ran consistent and qualified in the top half of the field."

Working towards their goal of qualifying with a low ET, Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Team are confident they will be going rounds on Sunday. The Advance Funny Car has proven that it is capable of making winning passes and has given the team encouragement to push its limits.

"We know the potential that this car has, and we are doing everything we can to get it there," stated Pedregon. "We are possibly looking at testing again in the near future -- as our schedule permits. As long as we stay on top of how the car is reacting, we should be in good shape. I feel our team has really started to mature into a strong, competitive team. Our spirits our high and we have the passion that it takes to win."

The Advance Auto Parts Racing Team will be qualifying on Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 20. Final Elimination rounds for the event will begin on Sunday at 11:00 AM.

Cruz Pedregon is a two-time Memphis runner-up title holder, in 1997 and 1998. Cruz was also the number one qualifier at this event in 1992, 1995 and again in 1998.

-aaprt-

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