Sixteen years later, Cruz Pedregon wins second Funny Car championship

Sixteen years after winning his first NHRA title, Funny Car veteran Cruz Pedregon returned to the top of the drag racing world
Sunday afternoon after advancing to the quarterfinal round of the
season-ending 44th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway.

"I'm stunned," an emotional Pedregon said moments after his brother
Tony Pedregon eliminated the last racer within reach. "It's awesome
Tony got that win right there because I'm standing here thinking of my
dad (Frank) and that I hope he's proud of his sons. I was 18 when he
died and Tony was 16 and now we each have two world championships.
We've come a long way for a couple of Hispanic kids from Chino."

Final round-by-round results from the 44th annual Automobile Club of
Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the
final of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Rod Fuller, 3.838, 314.83 def. Steve Torrence, 3.937,
254.86; Doug Herbert, 3.928, 298.93 def. Morgan Lucas, 3.986, 280.08;
Cory McClenathan, 3.878, 313.00 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.314, 230.06; Urs
Erbacher, 3.887, 316.67 def. J.R. Todd, 4.041, 309.77; Tony Schumacher,
3.821, 317.42 def. Tim Boychuk, 3.890, 300.53; Troy Buff, 3.840, 309.27
def. Hillary Will, 3.887, 313.44; Larry Dixon, 3.866, 312.57 def. Clay
Millican, 3.904, 314.46; Brandon Bernstein, 4.026, 276.80 def. David
Grubnic, 5.273, 128.59;

QUARTERFINALS -- Erbacher, 3.926, 309.84 def. Bernstein, 4.538,
243.81; Dixon, 3.868, 314.17 def. Herbert, 6.781, 85.86; McClenathan,
3.880, 312.57 def. Buff, 10.051, 76.71; Fuller, 3.862, 313.66 def.
Schumacher, 3.853, 315.56;

SEMIFINALS -- Dixon, 3.855, 309.98 def. McClenathan, 3.874, 309.77; Fuller, 3.851, 312.64 def. Erbacher, 3.991, 282.36;

FINAL -- Dixon, 3.833, 300.93 def. Fuller, 3.839, 310.48.

Sunday's final results from the 44th annual Automobile Club of
Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The
race is the final of 24 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Larry Dixon, 3.833 seconds, 300.93 mph def. Rod Fuller, 3.839 seconds, 310.48 mph.

Gary Scelzi understands the reality that he could be walking away from his final opportunity to drive a championship contending nitro car, once the Pomona weekend ends.

Scelzi’s not retiring, just stepping away while the time is right, to
tend to other business. He’ll come back if the perfect opportunity
presents itself, but with the current state of the drag racing economy
he knows those chances are getting slimmer with each lost drag racing
sponsorship.

“My wife and I talked the other day and there are basically, probably
only two people that I could drive for,” Scelzi said. “That would be
Connie Kalitta or Jim Head. Of all the people out here these are the
ones that I could drive for and have a good time. If I do make a
return, you might see me in Jim Head’s car at the Winternationals if he
decides not to run it. I doubt that but it is a possibility.”

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 44th
annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club
Raceway at Pomona, the final of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended
Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

 
Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.827 seconds, 315.93 mph  vs. 16. Tim
Boychuk, 3.925, 305.49; 2. Larry Dixon, 3.831, 309.70  vs. 15. Clay
Millican, 3.907, 309.42; 3. Hillary Will, 3.835, 314.31  vs. 14. Troy
Buff, 3.904, 302.96; 4. J.R. Todd, 3.848, 308.14  vs. 13. Urs Erbacher,
3.904, 309.20; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 3.849, 311.13  vs. 12. David
Grubnic, 3.897, 310.20; 6. Cory McClenathan, 3.855, 314.31  vs. 11.
Doug Kalitta, 3.884, 309.56; 7. Morgan Lucas, 3.855, 306.46 vs. 10.
Doug Herbert, 3.877, 307.58; 8. Rod Fuller, 3.862, 310.34  vs. 9. Steve
Torrence, 3.862, 313.22.

Following three months of recuperation from a freak accident at Maple
Grove Raceway in August, Don Schumacher Racing crew member Michael
Knudsen is back working with driver Gary Scelzi and his Mopar/Oakley
Dodge Funny Car teammates at this weekend’s NHRA Finals.

Knudsen returned to the race track for the first time since suffering
second- and third-degree burns when several propane tanks used for a
portable concession stand were knocked over and a gas line ruptured.
Knudsen reached to turn off a valve on one of the tanks when a pilot
light on a gas grill is believed to have ignited the propane escaping
from the ruptured line.

“It’s been really tough to watch the races on television and not be
there with the crew guys and helping out,” said Knudsen, who was
working as a clutch technician on Gary Scelzi’s Dodge Charger R/T Funny
Car at the time of the incident. “I’m really glad to be back and
hopefully we can get a win for Gary in his last race.”

The popular Mail from Home program instituted by Mail Terminal Services in 2007 as part of the company's
support of the Vavoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny
Car driven by Jack Beckman reached 100,000 cards as of this weekend,
surpassing last year's 90,000 mark.

The Mail from Home program allows fans and competitors an opportunity
to sign unique cards in the Don Schumacher Racing hospitality area and
at a kiosk within the U.S. Army Racing Zone at NHRA national events
with messages to the U.S. troops overseas, which are then distributed
free to war-zone camps by MTS.

When the POWERade championship comes down to the last day of the season
every team would like to be in control of their own destiny. Automobile
Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight has control and an ace
in the hole. In the first round the Hight, the No. 9 qualifier, will
face No. 8 qualifier and reigning Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon in
one of two first round heavy-weight races. Hight will get a huge assist
with his first championship if and when 14-time champion and
father-in-law John Force can dispatch Tim Wilkerson in their first
round tilt.

Hight was disappointed with his team’s performance today but he also knows he cannot let that distract him from the job at hand.

Jerry Toliver went on a wild ride during Saturday’s first qualifying
session during the NHRA AAA Finals in Pomona, Ca. The left rear tire
sheared off the mounting studs, sending the tire down the track in the
opposite lane as Toliver slid the Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge to a stop
just past the finish line.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. successfully defended his POWERade championship by clinching the 2008 title Saturday afternoon. All Coughlin
needed to do was make the field of the 44th annual Auto Club NHRA
Finals, which he did with a 6.678 at 206.95 mph in his JEGS.com
Chevrolet Cobalt.

"Mission accomplished," a relieved Coughlin said. "It's one thing to
say you've got it sealed up but it's quite another to actually get it
done and make it official. I'm so thrilled for this team and we're
definitely ready to let our hair down and enjoy this moment.