The first two races of the 2023 NHRA season didn’t go as planned at all for Cruz Pedregon.
 
He qualified eighth and 13th at the Gatornationals and Arizona Nationals, respectively, and lost in the first round at both races.
 
Pedregon’s fortunes changed at the Lucas Oil Winternationals Friday as he grabbed the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot with a 3.865-second elapsed time at 302.28 mph.
 
“Truth be known, there was a little left on the table even in that run,” said Pedregon, who pilots the Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT. “I clicked it a little early. I have been trying hard to keep the car in the groove. It has been wanting to dart and wander all over the place in Gainesville and (Phoenix) Arizona, so I was really focused on keeping it in the groove. I lost a little bit of sight of where I was on the track. Right as I closed the throttle, I saw the placards on the wall. But, it was a great run and the thing put me back in the seat.
 
“The numbers were better than any of the numbers we had run at the Finals (in Pomona) in November.”
 
If Pedregron holds the No. 1 spot through Saturday’s two qualifying sessions it will be the 63rd of his career. Pedregon’s last No. 1 qualifying spot was in Reading, Pa., in 2021.
 
“The team has been hanging in there,” Pedregon said. “It wasn’t the start we wanted in Gainesville or Phoenix, but you know, I think we are notoriously slow starters, but we have a really great car for this weekend, and I think we will be good the rest of the year. I think we have the bugs worked out.”
 
A year ago, at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Pedregon qualified second and won the race – the 39th of his championship career. Pedregon finished sixth in the final points standings.
 
“I don’t know,” Pedregon said when asked about his Pomona success. “The track is tight and cool, and I just think our car, when we unloaded it last November it just liked what we did to it. Believe me, I wanted to go down the track just as good in Gainesville and Phoenix, but it just wasn’t there. I think we learned something from those tracks. I don’t think had we brought the car here right from Indy we probably would have struggled a little. Some things we learned at those first two races we applied here.”
 
Pedregon has won four national events in Pomona in 1995 (Winternationals), 2008, 2012, and 2022 all were the NHRA Finals. He won NHRA nitro Funny Car world championships in 1992 and 2008.
 
“I wanted to get back here (to Pomona),” Pedregon said. “I was joking with the guys that we sat around and admired our handy work a little too much over the winter. It was fun because we were the last car to win (in 2022), so I think we were feeling a little bit too good as least; I can speak for myself. We were a little off. We had a few guys who we had to put into the mix, insert them in different spots. I always reference football; not everybody is going to come out swinging and be at their best. It takes time to learn the new positions. We all took turns, including myself getting the car out of the groove a couple of times. It was just a team effort. 
 
“Everybody on the team, starting with J.C. (John Collins, crew chief) and Ryan (Elliott, co-crew chief), we all have a little gray on our heads for a reason. I think we shook  it off, and it showed (Friday) with the performance of our Snap-On car.”