NHRA

Sonoma: Cruz Pedregon preview

Advance Auto Parts Race team anxious to compete at Infineon Raceway new Dragstrip. Sonoma, CA ---As the third and final event of the NHRA "Western Swing" quickly approaches, Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Race Team will head to the hills ...

Published: Aug 2, 2002, 1:14 PM

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Advance Auto Parts Race team anxious to compete at Infineon Raceway new Dragstrip.

Sonoma, CA ---As the third and final event of the NHRA "Western Swing" quickly approaches, Cruz Pedregon and the Advance Auto Parts Race Team will head to the hills of wine country in Sonoma, CA to participate at the Fram Autolite Nationals three day event, held Aug. 2-4, 2002. Professional Racers will compete at Infineon Raceway, formerly known as Sears Point Raceway, for the first time since major reconstruction to the facility, including repavement of the dragstrip.

"We are going into Somona feeling fast," stated Pedregon. "Our success last weekend in Seattle was critical - helping us to learn more about what works in those particular conditions and settings. The atmosphere is similar in Sonoma, so we have a pretty good idea of how we are going to tune the car for this event."

Cruz Pedregon is also very excited about racing on a new dragstrip and feels very confident that the Advance Auto Parts Race Team will be a strong competitor in the playing field at this event. Being a new facility to all teams, Pedregon hopes to continue improving and building on the 2002 season.

"The best thing about a new dragstrip is that no other team has ever been to this track." commented Pedregon. "You're going into this race with a clean sheet of paper. Teams don't have advantages over each other and don't have notes to go on from previous years. It is an advantage to our team because we have haven't had any prior notes all season long. We've gone into each facility with little to no information from years past. Anything could happen at this race."

Although this will be a first for Cruz Pedregon at Infineon Raceway, Cruz reflects upon a few of his successes at the Sonoma facility in the late nineties, winning the national event title in 1996 and again in 1998. Keeping in mind that a win is always possible, Pedregon hopes to return to the lights of Winner's Circle at days end.

"The staff at Infineon Raceway has done an excellent job with the reconstruction of their facility, " added Pedregon. "They took a good look at some of their other facilities and realized that changes needed to be made to accommodate racers and fans. Sonoma will always remain one of my top places to race - not only because of my past successes, but being from California makes it a home track for me as well."

Qualifying sessions for the Fram Autolite Nationals Nationals will begin on Friday, August 2nd continuing through Saturday Aug 3rd. Final Elimination rounds will begin Sunday, Aug. 4 at 11:00 am.

-cpr/aap-

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