Tony Pedregon looked like a fish out of water. Admittedly he felt like one.

Pedregon, a two-time NHRA Funny Car champion, stood in the Bristol Dragway media center as cars made their first qualifying runs down the drag strip. This was nothing new for Pedregon but what was different was standing amongst the media as his class ran without him.

“Never in my career,” said Pedregon, when he reflected on the last time he sat out a qualifying session to save money. “I’ve been racing professionally since 1996 and for most of my career I’ve had the good fortune of driving for someone else. This is the first time in my career that I’ve sat one out and I have to say that it’s a little awkward. But, I took a lot of things into account and I took into account all the variables on the business side, and what we do on the track. And with sixteen cars, we’re afforded the luxury of not having to make all the runs. If there we seventeen or eighteen cars I would take a different approach but I’ve still got to be smart about it.”

Tony Pedregon looked like a fish out of water. Admittedly he felt like one.

Pedregon, a two-time NHRA Funny Car champion, stood in the Bristol Dragway media center as cars made their first qualifying runs down the drag strip. This was nothing new for Pedregon but what was different was standing amongst the media as his class ran without him.

“Never in my career,” said Pedregon, when he reflected on the last time he sat out a qualifying session to save money. “I’ve been racing professionally since 1996 and for most of my career I’ve had the good fortune of driving for someone else. This is the first time in my career that I’ve sat one out and I have to say that it’s a little awkward. But, I took a lot of things into account and I took into account all the variables on the business side, and what we do on the track. And with sixteen cars, we’re afforded the luxury of not having to make all the runs. If there we seventeen or eighteen cars I would take a different approach but I’ve still got to be smart about it.”

Pedregon understands tough financial times demand tough decisions. And, for Pedregon, who has raced consecutively for a little over 14 seasons, Bristol could have ended his streak had it not have been for the sponsorship this weekend from Kenny Koretsky’s NitroFish brand.

“There’s no question about it, as much as I want to stay in the top ten, being competitive is important but my business surviving is a priority,” admitted Pedregon. “I’m still optimistic. But, I’m in a little bit of a different position now. I’m watching but it’s still a great sport, it really is, I believe that. I think it’s a great product, I think as an owner that’s what motivates me. I just think we need to better market it and that’s my job. That’s my responsibility. NHRA, I think they’re going to help to a certain degree but I think it’s going to require everybody pushing in the same direction. So I’m not going to get to discouraged it’s just I’ve come to terms with the reality of things.”

Pedregon is taking the steps to keep his team in the hunt on a less than top notch budget and hiring noted tuner Mike Kloeber to right his errant ship is one he feels is in the right direction. However, Kloeber didn’t suggest missing the session, the buck stops with Pedregon. He made the choice himself.

“It’s my decision and it’s tough, it’s just something I’ve been thinking about for the last couple of races and I’ve really intended on doing this,” revealed Pedregon. “By nature we need more runs; we still didn’t test like most of the other teams. We’re just taking this a little bit longer and the fact that I’ve had a couple of different crew chiefs it’s almost like starting over again.

“Kloeber understands the position that I’m in. I think he respects that and that’s why I like him. I know this guy’s raced with those conditions before and I think he supports it so we’re on the same page and anxious to get back out.”

Pedregon was 13th in his only run Friday; the nighttime pass where conditions were the best. Two other drivers, Jeff Diehl and Paul Lee,  also sat out Friday’s opening qualifying session.

“I’m not surprised,” said Pedregon. “I’m here because I was able to get some funding from Koretsky and his Nitrofish brand at the last minute. Taking that into account that’s still going to be pretty tight for me this weekend and Norwalk, I may be in the same situation but we’re committed. We’re committed to being there and if more cars show up then I’ll turn back into the racer that I am and make every run if I have to. So to some degree I try to do whatever it takes and the balance for me is being sensible and that’s something I haven’t had to do in a long time.”

Sitting also has it’s benefits.

“I’ll go back to the pits for the first time in a long time and will have zero parts damaged and zero burnt pistons and broken parts,” Pedregon admitted.