Tony Pedregon
Encyclopedia
Tony Pedregon is a 2-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California
. He is also the youngest of the Pedregon brothers. His brother Cruz Pedregon
is the 1992 NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car Champion.
Dragster. In 1995 He ran a limited Funny Car Schedule for car owner Larry Minor.
driving a funny car. In his first season with the team he made 7 final round appearances, winning his first career event at Atlanta
and finishing 2nd overall in season points under car owner John Force
. He was also named the inaugural winner of the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award. In 1997 Tony beat brother Cruz in the first ever funny car final between brothers. He was also the number one qualifier in 3 events and made it to 5 finals. In 1998 He won 2 events in 2 Finals. In 1999 Pedregon Was the No. 1 qualifier at four events and posted the quickest time in history when he clocked a 4.779 second run at Gainesville Raceway
Runner-up in the Funny Car bonus race at Indianapolis . In 2000 Pedregon went to 6 Finals Collecting 2 wins.
In 2001 Pedregon won at Englishtown
after qualifying 1st a career 1st. He also won back to back races for the first time in his career. In 2002 he won 6 times in 8 final rounds and finished 2nd in points for the 4th time in his career. He also won 3 consecutive races for the first time in his career. In 2003 Pedregon Finally won the Championship becoming the first driver to win besides John Force since 1992 when brother Cruz won. He also won 8 events that season putting him 4th on the all time career win list. Pedregon decided at the end of the season to go join brother Cruz and form Pedregon Racing.
Best Driver Award. Joining Pedregon are Tony Schumacher, John Force
, Greg Anderson
and Melanie Troxel. No drag racer has ever won the ESPY Best Driver Award.
In 2005 Pedregon Set career best for time when he and his brother (Cruz) each ran 4.680s at Chicago 2 He finished the season with two wins and a runner-up finish at the final five events. He qualified for all 23 events, increasing his streak of successfully qualifying at national events to 110. He also earned three No. 1 qualifiers and had the low E.T. at three events. In 2006 Pedregon won 3 events and finished top five in the final points standings. In 2007 Pedregon won his second NHRA Funny Car title winning 4 events along the way. In 2008 Tony Won 4 events qualified 1st in 2 events and finished 5th in the final points. In 2009 Pedregon won 3 events and finished 6th in the final points.
On Oct 29, 1998, Tony Perdregon, sponsored by Castrol Syntec and Action Performance Racing, unvailled a racing car, featuring slain Tejano Superstar Selena
with his wife Andrea. He has four children two daughters Cecily and Arielle, and two sons Desidario and Benecio. He is also the son of Drag Racing Legend Flamin' Frank Pedregon.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series is the top competition division of the NHRA. It consist of four classes, Top Fuel Dragster, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle.-History:...
Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
. He is also the youngest of the Pedregon brothers. His brother Cruz Pedregon
Cruz Pedregon
Cruz Pedregon is a 2-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California. He is the brother of Tony Pedregon also a two-time Funny Car Champion.-Early Days:...
is the 1992 NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car Champion.
Early Days
In 1993 Pedregon qualified for his first NHRA event driving a Top FuelTop Fuel
Top Fuel racing is a class of drag racing in which the cars are run on a mix of approximately 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol rather than gasoline or simply methanol. The cars are purpose-built for drag racing, with an exaggerated layout that in some ways resembles open-wheel circuit racing...
Dragster. In 1995 He ran a limited Funny Car Schedule for car owner Larry Minor.
John Force Racing Days
In 1996 Pedregon made his Debut at John Force RacingJohn Force Racing
John Force Racing is an NHRA drag racing team. In over 30 years of competition, John Force Racing has won 17 Funny Car championships. The current line-up of drivers includes John Force, Mike Neff, and Robert Hight. John Force Racing has had Castrol as their main sponsor for more than 30 years...
driving a funny car. In his first season with the team he made 7 final round appearances, winning his first career event at Atlanta
Atlanta Dragway
Atlanta Dragway is a drag racing facility located in Banks County, Georgia, just north of Commerce, Georgia. It is current home to the NHRA Full Throttle Series, Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals-History:...
and finishing 2nd overall in season points under car owner John Force
John Force
John Harold Force is an NHRA drag racer, a 15-time Funny Car champion driver, and a 17-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing. He is one of the most dominant drag racers in the sport with 133 career victories...
. He was also named the inaugural winner of the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award. In 1997 Tony beat brother Cruz in the first ever funny car final between brothers. He was also the number one qualifier in 3 events and made it to 5 finals. In 1998 He won 2 events in 2 Finals. In 1999 Pedregon Was the No. 1 qualifier at four events and posted the quickest time in history when he clocked a 4.779 second run at Gainesville Raceway
Gainesville Raceway
Gainesville Raceway is a quarter-mile dragstrip just outside Gainesville, Florida. It opened in 1969 and is most famous for hosting the NHRA's prestigious Gatornationals event since 1970...
Runner-up in the Funny Car bonus race at Indianapolis . In 2000 Pedregon went to 6 Finals Collecting 2 wins.
In 2001 Pedregon won at Englishtown
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, originally known as Madison Township Raceway Park, is an American auto racing facility. It is located on 230 Pension Road in Old Bridge Township, near Englishtown, New Jersey, just off of County Route 527...
after qualifying 1st a career 1st. He also won back to back races for the first time in his career. In 2002 he won 6 times in 8 final rounds and finished 2nd in points for the 4th time in his career. He also won 3 consecutive races for the first time in his career. In 2003 Pedregon Finally won the Championship becoming the first driver to win besides John Force since 1992 when brother Cruz won. He also won 8 events that season putting him 4th on the all time career win list. Pedregon decided at the end of the season to go join brother Cruz and form Pedregon Racing.
Pedregon Racing
In his first season as a team owner, finished No. 8 in the final Championship standings, his ninth consecutive season finishing in the top 10. Pedregon recorded his Career-best E.T. is the seventh quickest Funny Car pass in NHRA history and Recorded two of the 10 fastest Funny Car speeds in NHRA history (331.28, Chicago 1; 329.83, Atlanta). His career won-lost record in elimination rounds of 319-189 is 13th-best among all active pro drivers with 50 or more decisions. Was the No. 1 qualifier three times (Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, Chicago 1); Qualified for all 23 events, upping his national event qualifying streak to 87 consecutive races dating back to Bristol 2001, fifth best among all active pro driver. Tony Pedregon joins a short list of only 4 NHRA Professional drag racers to have ever been nominated for the prestigious ESPYEspy
-People:* Cecil Espy , American baseball player* Duane Espy, American baseball figure* James Pollard Espy , American meteorologist.* Mike Espy , American politician* William Gray Espy , American actor...
Best Driver Award. Joining Pedregon are Tony Schumacher, John Force
John Force
John Harold Force is an NHRA drag racer, a 15-time Funny Car champion driver, and a 17-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing. He is one of the most dominant drag racers in the sport with 133 career victories...
, Greg Anderson
Greg Anderson
Greg Anderson may refer to:*Cadillac Anderson , Gregory Wayne "Cadillac" Anderson, basketball player*Greg Anderson , Canadian actor*Greg Anderson , NHRA pro stock drag racer...
and Melanie Troxel. No drag racer has ever won the ESPY Best Driver Award.
In 2005 Pedregon Set career best for time when he and his brother (Cruz) each ran 4.680s at Chicago 2 He finished the season with two wins and a runner-up finish at the final five events. He qualified for all 23 events, increasing his streak of successfully qualifying at national events to 110. He also earned three No. 1 qualifiers and had the low E.T. at three events. In 2006 Pedregon won 3 events and finished top five in the final points standings. In 2007 Pedregon won his second NHRA Funny Car title winning 4 events along the way. In 2008 Tony Won 4 events qualified 1st in 2 events and finished 5th in the final points. In 2009 Pedregon won 3 events and finished 6th in the final points.
On Oct 29, 1998, Tony Perdregon, sponsored by Castrol Syntec and Action Performance Racing, unvailled a racing car, featuring slain Tejano Superstar Selena
Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
Personal life
Pedregon resides in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
with his wife Andrea. He has four children two daughters Cecily and Arielle, and two sons Desidario and Benecio. He is also the son of Drag Racing Legend Flamin' Frank Pedregon.