PEDREGONS TO APPEAR ON 'DRIVING FORCE'

NHRA Funny Car drivers Cruz and Tony Pedregon will be on primetime television, Wednesday, Jan. 5. The SPEED Channel program Driving Force, which airs at 10 p.m.(ET), will go behind the scenes of Pedregon Racing as they compete at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The program will focus on pre-race, qualifying and race day, along with a look at legendary guitarist and musician Carlos Santana's first visit to a professional drag race. He was on hand to help Cruz and Tony promote his Milagro Foundation, which supports underprivileged children across the country and around the world. (Zak Hawthorne photo) [1-5-2005]

3 SPECTATORS HURT IN GEORGIA

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At least three spectators were injured New Year's Day when Alejanera "Ali" Belford's Outlaw 10.5 Mustang went over the guardrail at U.S. 19 Dragway near Albany, GA. Belford also suffered second-degree burns to his arms and legs in the wreck, which left one spectator with a broken leg, another with broken ribs, and a third with unknown, but apparently lesser injuries.

The accident, characterized by one fan as "probably the most horrific crash I've witnessed," saw Belford sideswipe the left rail then make a hard right and impact the right guardrail shortly before the end of the 1/8-mile strip.

According to a statement by track operator John Baldwin, "the car was in the process of getting up on two wheels and spinning at the same time, thus is the reason we think [it went] over the double strand of guardrail." Baldwin said a light pole "took the brunt of the impact" before the car hit a nearby pick-up truck, which fortunately prevented it from entering a larger crowd. It did burst into intense flames, however, and Baldwin credited Brad Cleveland for braving the inferno and helping Belford to safety.

After a more than three-hour delay for track repairs and additional waits after three oildowns, the race was finally completed about 2 a.m. with Halvor Hanson Jr. earning the $5,000 win. [1-5-2005]