 Audio Interview with Cruz Pedregon
(MP3 12.1mb)
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2009) –Cruz Pedregon has come full circle. The two-time NHRA world champion Funny Car driver earned his NHRA racing license at historic Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif. The same place his father Frank raced in the 1960s and his brother Tony – also a two-time NHRA Funny Car champ – got his racing license. Now Pedregon is returning to Auto Club Famoso Raceway as Grand Marshal of the 51st March Meet, the track’s most famous and prestigious race, Mar. 6-8.
“It’s an unbelievable honor to come back here as Grand Marshal,” said Pedregon, who is the 2008 NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car champion and also won the title in 1992. “Auto Club Famoso Raceway holds a lot of memories for me and I’m looking forward to being here for all the March Meet festivities and racing. The fans here are great and it will be a lot of fun. The March Meet is the most famous race of its kind, dating back more than 50 years. The same applies to Auto Club Famoso. This is true drag racing history and one of the places I learned to drag race. I can’t wait to get back there.” “Besides being a world champion and having a history here, Cruz is also a great guy and very fan friendly,” said Blake Bowser, vice president and general manager of the Kern County Racing Association, operators of Auto Club Famoso Raceway and producers of the fabled March Meet. “Cruz speaks fluent Spanish which will be special for our large Latino fan base. The March Meet has always been a treat for fans and this year’s event with Cruz will be one of the best.”
Now celebrating 51 years of racing, the March Meet is an affordable three-day speedfest that enthusiasts call ‘the jewel of Nostalgia Racing.’ It attracts drag racers and spectators from around the world and also includes a hot rod car show, swap meet and a vendors’ midway. The 2009 March Meet is also the first race of the Hot Rod Heritage Series, the NHRA’s 8-race nostalgia racing series.
Tickets: a Super 3-Day Pass for $75 can be purchased online now and can be picked up at the track the week of the event. There are no service charges for tickets purchased online at www.autoclubfamosoraceway.com. Individual day tickets for the event will go on sale Mar.2, but will be available only at the track. Ticket prices are $25 for Fri., Mar. 6; $30 for Sat., Mar. 7; and $30 for Sun., Mar. 8.
Auto Club members also receive a $ 2 discount off daily admission tickets by showing their cards when they purchase tickets at the track. Daily tickets for children ages 7 to 12 are $10 and kids 6 and under are free when accompanied by an adult with paid admission.
The Kern County Racing Association (KCRA) operates historic Auto Club Famoso Raceway (just north of Bakersfield, Calif.) and promotes a full schedule of races year round, including the world famous March Meet, Mar. 6-8, 2009, is the recognized Mecca of nostalgia drag racing. For more details, visit www.autoclubfamosoraceway.com.
Contact: Bill Groak, PCGCampbell, 310/224-4940 (bgroak@pcgcampbell.com)
Dan Smith, PCGCampbell, 310/224-4954, (dsmith@pcgcampbell.com)
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