Cruz Pedregon

{{Short description|American racing driver}} {{BLP sources|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Cruz Pedregon | image = CruzPedregonMcDonaldsDragster.jpg | imagesize = 250px | caption = Pedregon's championship winning Funny Car from 1992, a McDonald's-sponsored Pontiac Firebird | nationality = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|9|19}} | birth_place = Torrance, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | retired = | relatives = Tony Pedregon (brother) <br> Frank Pedregon Jr.(brother) | last_series = | current_series = NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series | years_active = 1987 - 2000, 2002-present | teams = Cruz Pedregon Racing, Inc. | starts = | championships = 2 (FC) | wins = 44 (40 FC, 3 TAD, 1 TAFC)<ref name="nhra" /> | poles = | fastest_laps = {{ubl | '''Best ET''' | 3.839 seconds<ref name="nhra-driver-page">{{cite web |title=Cruz Pedregon |url=https://www.nhra.com/driver/cruz-pedregon/711 |website=NHRA |access-date=16 September 2025 |language=en |date=14 December 2016}}</ref> | '''Best Speed''' | {{convert|335.65|mph|abbr=on}}<ref name="nhra-driver-page"/> }} | best_finish = | year = | prev_series = | prev_series_years = | titles = NHRA Funny Car Champion | title_years = 1992, 2008 | awards = Premio De Oro | award_years = 1997 | updated = September 15, 2025 }} '''Cruz Pedregon''' (born September 19, 1963) is an American two-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California. He is the brother of Tony Pedregon, also a two-time Funny Car Champion & Frank Pedregon Jr. who has won multiple NHRA National Events.<ref name="nhra">{{Cite web|title=NHRA Cruz Pedregon Biography|url=http://www.nhra.com/drivers/funny-car/Cruz-Pedregon/|publisher=NHRA|accessdate=24 August 2010}}</ref> He currently races for his own team, Cruz Pedregon Racing, Inc.

==Early days==

Pedergon was born in Torrance, CA, the son of drag racer Frank Pedregon, Sr. Pedregon began his career in 1980 behind wheel of a 1953 Kenworth truck. He raced go-karts in 1986 and was track champion at Ventura California Raceway. In 1987, he joined NHRA Competition, racing an Alcohol Dragster. After three years in Alcohol Dragsters, he moved to Alcohol Funny Cars. In 1991, Pedregon moved to Top Fuel Competition, racing a partial schedule. In 1992, Pedregon won the Funny Car Championship. He would be the only driver besides John Force to win it in the 1990s. He was also one of the first Funny Car drivers to record a five-second e.t.<ref>Burk, Jeff. “50 Years of Funny Cars: Part 3” in ''Drag Racer'', November 2016, p.56.</ref> In 1994, he was the only Funny Car driver to defeat John Force in a final round the entire season, and qualified in the top half at 15 of the 18 national events. In 1995, Pedregon won the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis for the third time in four years, having also won in 1992 and 1994. In 1996, Pedregon competed in a limited schedule, winning one race and finishing third in the final points standings. In 1997, Pedregon became the only motorsports driver to win the "Premio De Oro", an award for outstanding Hispanic Athletes. In 1998, Pedregon qualified first for a career best 12 races. In 1999, Pedregon formed his own team and raced a partial schedule in Funny Car.<ref name=nhra /> Pedregon won his first race as an owner/driver at Englishtown in 2000.

==Retirement and comeback==

In 2001, Pedregon served as a color analyst for ESPN's NHRA coverage. After his year off Pedregon returned to racing, qualifying for 18 races as an owner driver. In 2003, Pedregon finished the highest in the funny car standings since 1998. In 2004, he earned first No. 1 qualifying position since 1998 at Columbus. In 2005, Pedregon earned a pair of No. 1 qualifiers at Englishtown and Chicago He set the low E.T. at two events (Englishtown and Chicago), and won a $25,000 bonus for having closest margin of victory in the Motel 6 Who Got the Light award. In 2006 Pedregon won his first race in six years. He qualified for 21 of 23 events and advanced to 3 final rounds. Pedregon won 16 rounds to 18 losses in 2007. He also went to three finals and qualified first in Houston.<ref name=nhra />

In 2008, Pedregon earned his second career NHRA Full Throttle Series Championship Title (the other being in 1992), when his brother Tony Pedregon defeated the only other driver left in contention at the year’s final race. He had an incredible charge in the playoffs, winning three of four final-round appearances, including the final three events of the season.<ref name=nhra /> He also won the $100,000 NHRA Showdown in Indianapolis.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}

==Personal life== Pedregon resides in Brownsburg, Indiana. He is fluent in Spanish and frequently works with Hispanic media.<ref name=nhra /> He is of Mexican American descent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/tourism/nhras-success-fueled-by-blend-of-racial-groups-ethnicities/|title = NHRA's success fueled by blend of racial groups, ethnicities|date = 7 April 2013}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official|1=http://www.cruzpedregon.com/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedregon, Cruz}} Category:1963 births Category:Dragster drivers Category:NHRA drivers Category:American people of Mexican descent Category:Sportspeople of Mexican descent Category:Living people Category:Racing drivers from Torrance, California