Sonoma: Tony Pedregon preview

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 25, 2006) -- 2003 NHRA World Champion Tony Pedregon and his Q Power Nitro Funny Car Team head to Infineon Raceway in the beautiful wine country in Sonoma, Calif. for the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals for the 15th of 23 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events in 2006. Pedregon retained fourth place in the point standings after the last NHRA round in Seattle, only one point out of third place.

They don't refer to this race as being in the Wild West for nothing. In the heart of Northern California's high-tech region and sponsored by Infineon Technologies, the facility annually plays host to some of the tour's most dramatic moments. A $70 million modernization project was completed four years ago that included a new 660-foot concrete launchpad and led to scores of new track records. Despite its midsummer position on the schedule, the event is blessed with pleasant weather that, combined with a quality racetrack, has yielded impressive performances.

"There's added incentive for the Q Team in Sonoma because we haven't won there, although we have been to the final round," Pedregon explained of this weekend's race. "Going back to California is really nice -- it's close to San Francisco and just a beautiful area. Infineon is a great track. They've made some upgrades to the facility a year or two ago, which makes it even better to visit that area of the country because we know we've got something to work with. We just want to finish our western swing strong in Sonoma. Coming off of a semi-final finish in Seattle, we know we're prepared for some warm conditions, and we're looking forward to getting another opportunity to win."

How to get to Infineon Raceway: The track is 35 minutes north of San Francisco at the junction of Highways 37 and 121. From Sacramento, take Interstate 80 to Highway 12 to Highway 29. Travel north on Highway 29 to Highway 121, then west to the track. For quick access, avoid using Highway 37 westbound from Vallejo to Highway 121. >From East Bay cities, take I-580 west across the San Rafael Bridge to Highway 101, then travel north to Highway 37 and east to Highway 121 or Lakeville Highway (both have track entrances).

After conquering the quarter-mile Infineon Raceway this weekend, the NHRA warriors head to NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (MN) Int'l Raceway on August 10-13.

-www.PedregonRacing.com.