Cruz Pedregon says he’s excited to get to Bristol and the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, where for the first time in his career, he’ll join other NHRA racers in racing two events in one. The team had the Snap-on® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge® SRT® Hellcat® tuned for the New England Nationals until weather forced the balance of the race to be moved to this weekend’s event in Bristol, where the Funny Car will be ready to run in Thunder Valley.
“Our setup is working well for us, and we’ve made the needed adjustments for the expected weather conditions in Bristol,” says Cruz. “It’s important for us to get it right this weekend for our place in the standings, the fans, and for our primary sponsor Snap-on that will have several members of its leadership team here for the race. You know, Snap-on has a manufacturing facility just 30 minutes from here in Elizabethton that makes many of the hand tools we use on the car here at the track and back in the shop.
“When we pay tribute to the Makers and Fixers with the car’s paint scheme, we include the associates there who are dedicated to making high-quality tools, right here in the U.S., that are used by skilled technicians to keep this sport and our vehicles running at peak performance.”
If you’re among these professional “makers and fixers,” be sure to check out “Makers and Fixers” on Instagram and share your stories at makersandfixers.com.
Prior to the race, Cruz will ride along with Nitro Franchisee Erron Hancock to shops in the area. He’s had his Snap-on business for a decade after working as a medical equipment technician. He says he wanted more freedom and to be his own boss. One of the shops they’ll visit specializes in hot rods, so it will be right up Cruz’s alley. When Erron’s not working, he’s likely enjoying his hobby of traveling out west on motorcycles.
