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Time for a sit-down
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Tony Pedregon gives CompetitionPlus.com the lowdown on what's ahead with his new Funny Car deal
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By Thomas Pope Photos by Brian Wood, Roger Richards and Quaker State |
Tony Pedregon was barely old enough to pronounce the word “nitro” when the Isley Brothers released one of their biggest hits, “It's Your Thing” (Do What You Want to Do). Times have changed, but that philosophy of individual freedom still rings true for Pedregon. Barely a day after officially being crowned NHRA POWERade Funny Car champion, the 38-year-old driver announced he was ending his eight-year relationship with team owner John Force, a pairing that saw Pedregon win 27 races en route to a title and four second-place points finishes. Pedregon will field a car in 2004 with Quaker State as his primary sponsor and as a teammate of sorts with one of his older brothers, Cruz, the 1992 Funny Car champion who has been on his own since '99. The brothers will share information, but individually run their own operations. Tony Pedregon recently talked about his past, present and future as a drag racer in an interview with Competitionplus.com contributor Thomas Pope.
CP: Tony, sum up your eight years with John Force and how you reached the point of deciding to strike out on your own in 2004. TP: “ John provided an opportunity for me. Initially, when he and I ventured out in the early stages of this, I was driving an R&D car. John was very reluctant to commit to anything other than, ‘We'll try a few races. I like you and I'd like to give you a chance.' For me, there was never a guarantee beyond that. At the time, in spite of the fact that it was just an R&D program, it still was a great opportunity for any up-and-coming driver. In a short period of time, it opened not only John's eyes but it also opened the eyes of a lot people. I always felt John had this vision, and in '96 a lot of people didn't understand how a second or third car could be an asset. “Over time, I invested eight yearsof my life in this thing, and what I got out of that was a championship and I won a lot of races. I have always felt that I learned from the absolute best that there is. I also came out of that with friendships and relationships with guys like John Medlen and Bernie Fedderly. For me, leaving those guys was the toughest part. But you've got to have faith and take risks. I remember reading an article about John when he was driving a truck for a living and racing when he could, and all the truckers saying, ‘John, come back and drive a truck, you're never going to win a race.' The fact that he had the faith to take those kinds of risks and never give up on his dream, that made it a little easier for me to make a move because I felt that John probably understood that decision better than anyone. “It was hard to walk away from a winning team, but if you're going to go, you want to go out when you're on top. I'm walking away while we're at our absolute best - after winning the championship. But on the other side, there were conversations taking place all along since last year. Knowing what Quaker State was offering me really fueled me up for the last couple of races. I had all the pressure in the world on me and I was able to maintain my focus. Pressure tends to do that – bring out the best in you. “Really, this it was just a natural progression. There was a point in my career as it evolved where I wasn't satisfied just showing up to drive the car. I was with a good team, and I found myself wanting to be more involved in every aspect, including being pro-active with sponsors. I wanted to be able to not only show up and drive, but also control where I was going and what I was doing for the next four or five years. That was the biggest reason I had to make this decision.”
Q: The desire to control your own professional and personal destiny is one thing. You obviously are a championship driver. What strengths do you think you have that will allow you to make your own team a success? A: “In Quaker State, there is a company that is investing what it takes financially for me to be competitive. Not only was the base and interest there, but their marketing ideas and what they wanted to do to activate the sponsorship – you know, going into certain markets, doing commercials, all appealed to me in a big way. And I look at the way John structured his team. There was an A car, a B car and a C car. When Cruz and I started our conversations and how we wanted to structure this, I think a lot of people thought I was going to be driving for Cruz. That didn't interest me. What interested me was to own a car and work with Cruz. I'm with a company that has hooks with Hendrick Motorsports, Steve Kinser and people of that caliber, and that motivated me more than anything. Being able to do it with Cruz was icing on the cake. Cruz and I have different approaches. I always felt we were stronger together than separately. A lot of the components and elements were in the right places. “The tough part was the emotional part of it. John, he kept counter-offering, I guess is the word. I did learn one thing: Money doesn't make me happy. Other people are driven by money every day. It happens in football in the NFL, it happens in baseball with free agency, it happens in corporate America when certain people are an asset and have ideas and are constantly hired away. It wasn't about winning championships. I told John my thoughts and intentions long before I made the decision. This is just an evolution of where I've headed. Everything is in the right place and with the right people who are willing to invest not just to be competitive, but also long-term.”
Q: When did you first seriously begin thinking about pulling this together? A: “The middle of last year. Shell merged with Quaker State/Pennzoil, and Cruz had some involvement there with Quaker State as an associate sponsor. At that stage, I felt I was at least a year away, minimum, from being able to tackle my own team. I didn't feel like our work was done as a team with (crew chief) John Medlen, but it was something in the back of mind. What really interested me was, I've driven for John and those are some big shoes to fill there, but as long as John was in position that he was a driver, I always felt that whether I won the championship or not, John's the A car. Cruz and me, we're not an A car and B car, and the question of whether we race or take a knee does not even exist because we've got two different sponsors and two different owners. We will help each other because we are brothers and there is some relationship between the two sponsors (Quaker State and Cruz' primary sponsor, Advance Auto Parts). In the end, I think the sport was built on competition and racing. We'll be able to maintain and deliver that. We're in an era, because of multi-car teams, that taking a knee or tanking a race is an issue, but this team, the way we're forming it, it's a non-issue, and that's very good for NHRA.” Q: But you knew going in that as part of Force's team, there was a possibility that you'd be asked to “take one for the team” if it was necessary? A: “I want to continue my friendship with John, but I always understood business decisions and don't know that anyone's made as many good decisions as John. As a driver, I was simply a driver. Every time I got strapped in the car, I had every intention of winning and I believed that I could. There were times of controversial calls that were out of my control. I had an opinion about it, but for me, as a hired driver, there are only so many things you can question and it's really not my place to get in the middle of that.
“This kind of thing is not just a concern of mine, but a concern of everyone's. Our sport is built on unlimited, unrestricted racing. Two men enter, one man leaves – like “Thunderdome.” When you compromise that, this is something the other big team owners should be concerned with. I think when the fans - and I think lot of people underestimate what power the fans have – can draw their own conclusions about what goes on. If we want to compete against NASCAR and other sports, we've got to be legit. People are smart, and I think sometimes it's obvious something's fishy. That said, these cars, they have a personality of their own, and as much as you'd like to tell them what to do, they don't always do that. That happens a lot. But with my car, if it happens, I can assure you that it will be because we missed the tune-up.”
A: “ No, not at this point. At this stage, that's not much of a consideration – we have plenty of obstacles to hurdle. But who knows what's down the road? I have every intention of forming a competitive team. It takes years to build that, and this is a very competitive sport. In this era, I won a championship in a year when no one really dominated.” Q: What do you mean you didn't dominate? You won eight races. A: “ I won more races than anyone, but I never had more than 140- to 160-point lead. The competition caught up. The days of a car being a tenth of a second quicker than the rest of the field, you don't see that much anymore. Even when we won six races in the first half of the season and people around me started talking championship, I never really felt that comfortable. I've seen leads diminish mighty fast. There wasn't any point until the final-round race at Vegas when we clinched the championship, that I was relieved. The fact that it was so close all season is something I'll carry that with me for the rest of my days, just remembering that, without a doubt, we had to work for every bit of that championship. I take more pleasure in that, knowing that it didn't come easy. There's a price to pay for everything. It took a year's worth of races, 22 races, to win that championship. That's what makes it special. Now I know what John felt like … but he always had that feeling about Indy (laughs). That must be nice feeling, but for me and the viewers, we got to witness one of the best showdowns that drag racing has seen in a long time.”
Q: Did winning the championship after coming so close in 2002 and losing it in the semis of the final race make it particularly sweet? A: “That sure tested my will, my attitude, but I've got to say that only lasted for a day or two. I was disappointed, sure. We had done so much to get to that point and when you get that close, hey, you know the old saying: The higher you go, the harder the fall. That was a tough race, to have gotten that close and lost such a close one. That was a learning experience and I knew it. After you work and pour heart and soul into an effort and come up short, I always knew after that I would get another chance. That chance came the next year, and because of that experience, I was a better person, a better driver, and I was able to utilize that experience down the stretch this year. That's what helped - that I had been there, done that. I kept telling myself, ‘Don't get caught up inanything, don't get emotional, just rely on your instincts.' ” Q: Was Dickie Venables your hands-down first choice to be your crew chief in 2004? A: “ Yeah, he was. I never solicited Dickie. I had a couple of crewchiefs in mind. Dickie and I are close in age and we both have racing backgrounds. When I learned his ultimate goal was to be crew chief, which was one of the things he was promised when he was hired by John, when I learned he was a free agent and getting offers from other teams like Prudhomme and Schumacher, I talked to John about it and gave me his blessing to talk to Dickie. Contractually, that was something I really couldn't do, but because John's a fair person, there's a lot of latitude with what he could and couldn't do. My contract ran to the end of the year, but he understood I had to get to work the Tuesday after the banquet.
”Dickie and I have worked together for four years. We have that chemistry, we know each other, it was a natural fit and I'm happy to have him. And I think for a guy like him, I'm happy he believes enough in my capabilities that he was willing to take a chance. He had offers from teams that were established financially, but are missing that one component, and I think Dickie is that one thing. I'm glad we're going to be able to continue working together. He was a very important piece of the puzzle.”
Q: Quaker State had no qualms about hooking up with someone who's promoted a competitor's product for so many years? That would ruin a deal for a lot of companies; that you were too closely identified with Castrol. A: “One of the things I look forward to is getting to know the company more, internally, and some of the people that are involved and in the marketing aspect. When I say that this sport was built on competition, it goes without saying that it exists between drivers, team owners and crew chiefs, but it exists between corporations, too. As I see it, the sport wins. There was always a rivalry between myself and John - and that won't change; I'll still get to race him. Somebody from Quaker State asked me what it will be like to race John the first time. I told him, ‘Man, that's a heavyweight fight right there. That's Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Roy Jones. When we're able to deliver all of the horsepower, the flames - that's just icing on the cake.” Q: A major sponsor is one thing. How's it going as you try to line up the associates you might need to give you that extra financial boost? A: “The major sponsor is, without a doubt, the foundation for the team. We have proposals into other companies. The associates we can acquire are only going to help the depth of this team. That's imperative, that we also bring some partners. I've gotten some commitments from some companies and I'm trying to finalize some things. Quaker State, they're very influential, they have a lot of partnerships that are going to help us. The challenge for me on the business side is interesting those companies and forming more partnerships. We're actually right in the middle of that process right now. “I think where you start to feel the effects of associate sponsors is about the time you get to the summer races and you're dealing with climate and different conditions you encounter. These cars cost a lot of money to maintain. They're like parts-eating machines. I'm just trying to position myself that when we need more financial depth, I'll find it. It's out there, I just need to put those programs together.” Q: Did you learn a lot of the business aspects of running a team from Force? A: “I took a crash course in business, being involved with John, but I know I only know some of those aspects. One of the advantages I have, I can work closely with Cruz, who's done it for several years. Dickie not only can tune a car, he has some management skills that appeal to me. I've hired a No. 2 guy to work with Dickie, Curt Elliott, and in time I'd like to hire people to handle the licensing and handle the contracts, but for now, I have to assume most of those. I'm just asking myself how to get through it - but we'll get there. Once we get the team up and off the ground, it's just a matter of trying to build it on the administrative side. The first priority is getting the car assembled and in shape and ready to race.” Q: Dickie made the comment when he was announced as your crew chief that there's plenty of work ahead, and that he didn't even have a screwdriver at that point. A: (Laughs). “After I read that quote, the first thing I did buy from Snap-On was a screwdriver. “For us, getting up and running is the biggest challenge. At this stage of the season, everyone's put in orders for blocks and heads and a few chassis. The day after the banquet was when I got on the phone and started ordering parts. We've started to acquire equipment, and at this stage, we're almost ahead of what our goals were. For us, the two to three weeks prior to us going testing are going to be biggest challenge. We don't have truck and trailer and we don't have a race car. Once we have those things, then we'll need parts to go test. By time the Vegas test session rolls around, I have every expectation of being there and making some laps.”
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Q: Is there something in the works to add your other brother, Frank, and make this a three-car Pedregon team? 
