Cruz Pedregon

Advance Auto Parts NHRA Nitro Funny Car

A.K.A. "The Cruzer" 

Car - Advance Auto Parts Chevy Impala SS 

Birth Date - September 19, 1963 

Residence - Brownsburg, In

Career Wins  - 27 Total, 23 FC, 3 TAD & 1 TAFC

Career Final Rounds - 61 Total, 56 FC, 3 TAD & 2 TAFC

Career Best Elapsed Time - 4,680 (Chicago 2, 2005)

Career Best Speed - 330.80 Mph (Chicago 2, 2005)

Background

• 2008: Runner up finish at Pomona, No. 1 qualifier at Houston; Countdown to Championship points leader heading into Las Vegas

• 2007: Qualified No.1 and made a final round appearance at the NHRA Nationals in Houston, Bristol and Dallas

• 2006: Won at Las Vegas 1; Finished 10th in points

• 2005: Earned a pair of No. 1 qualifiers (Englishtown and Chicago 2); Set the low E.T. at two events (Englishtown and Chicago 2); Set career bests for both time and speed; Won at least two rounds at five consecutive events and six of the first eight events to open the 2005 season; Won $25,000 bonus for having closest margin of victory in Motel 6 Who Got the Light award

• 2004: Earned first No. 1 qualifying position (Columbus) since 1998; Was the runner-up at consecutive events twice (Denver & Seattle; Indianapolis & Dallas); Established career-best performance numbers; Qualified No. 11 in the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history (Pomona 2)

• 2003: Highest finish in the Funny Car standings since 1998; was the runner-up at Denver and Reading; established career-best time and speed

• 2002: After taking a year off from racing, Pedregon assembled a team that qualified for 18 national events; Advanced to the semifinals at Indianapolis

• 2001: Served as color analyst for ESPN’s drag racing coverage

• 2000: Raced part-time as an owner/driver, collecting one win (Englishtown)

• 1999: Raced part-time as an owner/driver in the Funny Car category

• 1998: Earned the No. 1 qualifying spot a career-best 12 times; Won NHRA all-star race; Set national elapsed-time record three times; Runner-up in Funny Car bonus race

• 1997: The first motorsports athlete to received the "Premio De Oro," the only national award for Hispanic athletes

• 1996: Competing in a limited amount of races, Pedregon won one race en route to a third-place finish in the NHRA championship point standings; Finished in the top three for the fifth consecutive season

• 1995: Won at Indianapolis for the third time in four years (1992, ’94-95); Recorded first career four-second run, a 4.991 at Dallas; Broke the 300-mph mark for the first time with a 300.90-mph pass at Indianapolis

• 1994: Was the only Funny Car driver to defeat John Force in a final round the entire season; Qualified in the top half at 15 of the 18 national events

• 1992: Won the NHRA Funny Car championship — the only Funny Car driver other than John Force to win a title in the 1990s

• 1990: Won a career-best six races

• 1991: Raced part-time in Top Fuel competition

• 1990: Moved to Alcohol Funny Car competition

• 1987: Started his NHRA career in Alcohol Dragster

Other Fun Facts

• Height/weight: 6´0", 180 lbs.

• Notable: Won first drag race in 1980 behind wheel of a 1953 Kenworth truck; Raced go-karts in 1986 and was track champion at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway; Brothers Tony and Frank also compete in NHRA Funny Car category

• Father, Flamin’ Frank Pedregon, raced Top Fuel dragsters in 1960s

• Fluent in Spanish, Cruz enjoys working with Hispanic media

• Enjoys doing charitable work with children

• Avid NFL fan, especially of Oakland Raiders. Also enjoys listening to sports talk radio