Funny Car team boss says he came into 2022 prepared for economic challenges.
- The newly announced 9.1 percent inflation rate is a concern to race teams, many of whom crafted their budgets nearly a year ago.
- NHRA Funny Car team owner/driver Cruz Pedregon, however, says his team is just fine.
- Pedregon has a word or two for teams who are airing their financial concerns during what some might even call trying times.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Consumer Price Index reached a 41-year high at 9.1 percent.
You might think one-car NHRA teams—those owner/driver outfits—might be hitting the panic button or at least sweating it out a bit as the season approaches the halfway mark. There are even whispers behind scenes that a few teams may skip a race or two just to make sure the money holds out until the end of the season.
After all, the cost of parts and transportation, as well as hotels and food for the crew on the road, isn’t showing signs of much relief.
Cruz Pedregon is a two-time NHRA Funny Car champion.
NHRA/National Dragster
NHRA Funny Car team owner/driver Cruz Pedregon, however, says his team is just fine. He’s also got a word or two for teams who are airing their financial concerns during what some might even call trying times.
Pedregon, 58, doesn’t want to hear about your problems. He says that the fans don’t, either.
“I’ve listened to other owners,” Pedregon said. “I’m not mentioning names, but I don’t think it’s in the public’s best interest, at least as I see it, to bellyache or worry about budgets, and oh my God, it’s doom and gloom. Because, to me, if you can’t afford to race, owners, stay the hell home.
“The fans want to see a good show. We’re running the car balls to the wall, full tilt every round and, you know, hey, we’ll let the chips fall where they may. I’ve got a little bank account, and I might have to tap that, too, but we’re here to race and have a good time and really give the sponsors their money’s worth.”
Pedregon is definitely having a good time this season. Heading into this week’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, near Denver, Pedregon is a comfortable fifth place in the Funny Car points chase behind just Robert Hight, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps and John Force.
Pedregon, a 38-time Funny Car event winner, has been a model of consistency this season, leaving each of the first eight events either fourth or fifth in the points standings. He’s yet to make a final round, but he made it to the semifinals in the season-opener at Pomona.
The inflation rate is not No. 1 on his mind. A two-time Funny Car champion (1992, 2008), Pedregon would rather worry about finding fun ways to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his first title.
“We’re okay,” Pedregon said. “I’m in the business world, and I’ve had these struggles in previous years, especially early in my career as an owner. You really try not to cut it so thin. You have to plan for the worst and hope for the best, so to speak. So we’ve done that. No question the prices of fuel and some of the parts and pieces that go on these cars are on the rise, but we really try to be smart about it during the offseason and purchase ahead of time and really try to lock in some of these manufacturers in their current prices, which was last year, late in the season.
“So, I’m not concerned about that at the moment.”
That’s not to say that Pedregon wouldn’t mind a little economic relief.
“I’m hoping that country—the gas, the fuel prices and everything—gets rectified.”
“I’m hoping that the country—the gas, the fuel prices and everything—gets rectified. I don’t want to run a business where it’s that close. We get paid by sponsors to go out there and perform and, you know, and I never want to be that guy that’s going knocking on the (sponsor’s) door just because I didn’t budget properly.”
While Pedregon never wants to be that team that has to double back to a sponsor late in the season and ask for another check to help make it to the finish line, he knows that a budget can be a living, breathing, ever-so-fluid plan.
“I take it year by year,” he said, “In drag racing, you try and project how many runs you make. Hopefully, you don’t have too many catastrophic issues like blowing bodies. I like to ask people all the time, imagine a business where you might blow the roof off your building and not only replace your roof, but the machinery and everything. Drag racing is probably the toughest of auto racing in general—you never know when you’re going to have that pileup on the track.
“Really, the way the budget works, you keep fresh parts, new parts in the car, and it treats you right and doesn’t blow up, and you have good quality people working on it. And that’s what we’ve done. We’ve spent the money up front so that we don’t have those surprise budget craters later on.”
Keyword: NHRA Owner/Driver Cruz Pedregon: 'If You Can't Afford to Race, Stay the Hell Home'