Red Line-equipped drivers Steve Torrence and Cruz Pedregon raced to victory on Sunday at the NGK Spark Plugs 4Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. The victory marked a 19th career win for Torrence and notched a 36th career win for Pedregon.
The four-wide racing format proved to be a winning factor for Steve Torrence and his Red Line-equipped Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster last weekend. Torrence blasted to a 3.709 ET in the first round, advancing to the semifinals where a second-place finish brought him to the final round. Torrence ran a 3.813-second pass at 326.56 mph in the finals to claim victory. This elevated Torrence to the lead in the Top Fuel championship over Tony Schumacher after six races in the 18-race season.
Cruz Pedregon qualified 6th in his Red Line-equipped Toyota Camry Funny Car and dominated the semi-finals facing Tommy Johnson Jr., Robert Hight and Ron Capps. Pedregon faced the father-daughter duo of John and Courtney Force in the final round, where he ran a 4.059 at 310.84 mph. This victory snapped a 92-race winless streak for Pedregon.
"I knew we had our work cut out for us when I pulled up to the starting line in the finals, and I actually didn’t believe my ears when my team manager told me that I won," Pedregon said. "It was surreal, and I cannot believe that I won this race."
Cruz Pedregon Winning Video
The 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues with the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Atlanta, Ga., from May 4-6.