LIGHTING THE WAY

One of the Agent's operatives spoke with Craig Hatch at California Dragway in Fontana, CA. The Dragway has now become Southern California's first quarter-mile drag strip to be built in over 30 years. The newly remodeled strip now boasts a 330-foot concrete launch pad, new asphalt paved 100 feet past the top end lights, new grandstands and installation of a massive six-tower Musco lighting system to allow for racing until the 11 p.m. curfew. The facility is now certified to 6.0 E.T.'s, added a sand pit and safety net to what was once deemed a parking lot strip.

While the 2004 schedule is still being finalized, they will start with NHRA Street Legal racing on Jan. 10, Jan. 24 and Feb. 7. The NHRA Sport Compact Series will hold its season opener on March 13-14, the SoCal Pro Gas Association will race on Feb. 15, June 5 and Aug. 14, and the Pacific Street Car Association will bring their quick doorslammers on May 21-23 and Oct. 22-24.

Irwindale Dragstrip, LACR and the new Barona eighth-mile have set the pace for local action, but California Dragway is leading the way for booked-in drag racing shows and the place to head on a Saturday night.

The Agent says, "Be there!" [12-19-2003]

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CERNY GOES CRUZIN'

Cruz Pedregon has added veteran tuner Wes Cerny to his Advance Auto Parts Pontiac Firebird Racing team. Cerny will be co-crew chief along with Tony Shortall, formerly assistant crew chief of the Funny Car team.

Kurt Elliot was also added as assistant crew chief on the Quaker State Camaro of Tony Pedregon. Dickie Venables is crew chief on the car.

"I'm so excited about everything lately with our team," Cruz said. "Being able to race with Tony is the fulfillment of a life-long dream, and having the commitment of Wes Cerny as our co-crew chief is the icing on the cake. The two-car team concept seems to be the way of the future. The key is being able to gather so much information from two cars that we will learn at twice the pace." (Jeff Burk photo) [12-19- 2003]