Pedregon Powers Dodge//SRT Mopar to Provisional No. 1 Spot in Funny Car at Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil
· Cruz Pedregon takes provisional pole aboard Snap-On Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car through Friday’s opening two rounds of qualifying at Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil
· Leah Pritchett posts second-fastest qualifying lap behind wheel of her HEMI-powered 1320 Angry Bee Dodge Mopar Top Fuel Dragster
· Matt Hagan tops opening qualifying session in Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car
· Mopar CAP “Assemble Your Future” initiative hosts more than 40 enrolled students and instructors at Bandimere Speedway
· Dodge Garage, a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, offers exclusive photo journals with behind-the-scenes action from Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil
· New @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel features Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers in NHRA action on “Thunder Mountain”
July 19, 2019, Morrison, Colorado – Cruz Pedregon raced his Mopar-powered Snap-On Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position Friday evening at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil at Bandimere Speedway near Denver.
Pedregon and Ron Capps posted the fastest two runs of the second session to lead six Mopar-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car drivers in the preliminary ladder for Sunday’s elimination rounds. Pedregon’s pass of 4.002 seconds at 317.42 mph narrowly edged out Capps’ lap of 4.005/316.97.
“It feels great to go out and be No. 1 in our Snap-On Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat,” said Pedregon, the 1993 and 2013 Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Funny Car winner. “I’m really happy for Dodge and Mopar. What they do for the sport is tremendous. I was part of the Mopar Block party last night for the first time and it was an incredible event. I really want to pay them back for their investment in me throughout the year. We’ve had some ups and downs, but I think that the needle is pointing up for us. The Snap-On Dodge is coming around. Bandimere Speedway has been really good to me through the years. It’s good to be No. 1 after Friday night.”
Matt Hagan paced the opening session, debuting his new Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car to capture three qualifying points, while Jim Campbell, Tommy Johnson, Jr. and Jack Beckman made qualifying passes to put them in the provisional field.
In Top Fuel, reigning Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals champion Leah Pritchett qualified the DSR 1320 Angry Bee-schemed Dodge Mopar Top Fuel dragster second with her run of 3.839 seconds at 330.31 mph in Friday’s second session.
Higher Education at 300 mph
The Mopar Career Automotive Program (Mopar CAP) “Assemble Your Future” initiative continued on Friday at Bandimere Speedway. More than 40 enrolled students and instructors from Araphoe Community College, Lincoln Tech and WyoTech were introduced to the world of the NHRA and given the opportunity to connect with representatives from 20 area FCA US dealers.
Mopar CAP Students heard from reigning Top Fuel Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil champion Leah Pritchett, two-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan and Hagan’s assistant crew chief, Mike Knudson before touring the Don Schumacher Racing pit areas.
The Mopar CAP “Assemble Your Future” initiative is visiting four NHRA national events in 2019, including the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil in Reading, Pennsylvania, scheduled for mid-September. For more information on the Mopar CAP program, visit: www.MoparCap.com.