This will be a sentimental weekend for Funny Car veteran Cruz Pedregon at what will be the final NHRA race at Denver’s Bandimere Raceway. Cruz Pedregon has called it his “favorite track,” and it’s the place where he’s set numerous ET records and had multiple wins. The team has been working on the Snap-on “Makers and Fixers” Dodge SRT Hellcat to get it ready for what is sure to be a memorable curtain call for this high-altitude raceway.
“The way we plan to say ‘farewell’ to the wonderful Bandimere family and Thunder Mountain is by having the Snap-on Dodge tuned and ready for these mile-high conditions,” Pedregon says. “We’ve been working on tune-ups we believe will be a winning swan song for this legendary favorite track of mine.”
Pedregon’s Funny Car will sport a Snap-on franchise paint scheme to honor the many franchisees of the team’s primary sponsor. Before races, Cruz rides along with franchisees in NHRA cities to visit shops and professionals who love being “makers and fixers,” talking tools and racing. The “Own It” paint scheme is a reminder that the Snap-on franchise opportunity is a way to own your own business, and it’s a ‘thank you’ tribute to current and future Snap-on franchisees.
The weekend will be one to remember for Snap-on Nitro Franchisee Walter Hayes as well. He drove Pedregon on his first Denver ride-along with a franchisee, so it’s only fitting he will be around for this final area visit to shops with Cruz Pedregon. Walter was an auto mechanic in his early career and has had his Snap-on franchise for 26 years. In his free time, he’s a competitive, medal-winning bodybuilder. Walter’s been friends with Pedregon for a long time and has done a lot with the racing program at Bandimere, where he’s learned he just can’t say enough good things about the Bandimere family.
Before Denver, Pedregon’s “Makers and Fixers” Dodge Funny Car headed south to Atlanta for a special appearance at sponsor Snap-on’s SkillsUSA booth. It was “the largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce,” where around 15,000 attendees had the opportunity to have an up-close look at a Nitro Funny Car. If you’re a future maker and fixer like the SkillsUSA students or a seasoned pro, be sure to check out “Makers and Fixers” on Instagram and share your stories at makersandfixers.com.
This story was originally published on July 10, 2023. 
