DRO: Surely you recognize that it will take some time.

PEDREGON: My goals are modest. We want to make progress, and we hope we can in the shortest possible period of time. But we have the absolute best equipment. What I am going to go to the line with to compete against John Force and everybody else will be absolutely as good as the best out there. Quaker State has provided all the tools and resources for us to be competitive. Our pockets might not be as deep -- yet. But Quaker State has shown good faith. The base is there. They know what motivates teams.

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DRO: What do you anticipate in working with Cruz?

PEDREGON: He has done a very, very good job of building his Advance Auto Parts team. I probably know him better than anyone, and he probably knows me better than anyone.

DRO: And what if he isn't crazy about you getting the attention?

PEDREGON: There are no egos here. I'm confident it'll be a non-issue. Hopefully Cruz will be too busy running good and winning races. Maybe it's time for him to get closer to what he did in 1992.

DRO: Too bad -- you and your brothers used to fight amongst yourselves and it got a little physical. Won't we get to see any good fights in your pit?

PEDREGON: We've always been very competitive, and fighting was a normal thing for us. Thank goodness we've gotten a little smarter than that. Back then, it took two of them to hold me down. I'm built tough.