With up-close access at every NHRA event, fans are given the incredible opportunity to interact with NHRA drivers in a way most professional sports can’t match.



But at some point on Friday morning, the ugly side of that kind of access reared its unfortunate head in the pits of Funny Car standout Tony Pedregon.



After the team made its first qualifying pass on Thursday at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona and closed up shop for the night, a complete toolbox was stolen from Pedregon’s pits.



The two-time Funny Car world champion estimated he lost more than $3,000 in stolen items, putting an immediate damper on his opening race weekend of 2013.

With up-close access at every NHRA event, fans are given the incredible opportunity to interact with NHRA drivers in a way most professional sports can’t match.



But at some point on Friday morning, the ugly side of that kind of access reared its unfortunate head in the pits of Funny Car standout Tony Pedregon.



After the team made its first qualifying pass on Thursday at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona and closed up shop for the night, a complete toolbox was stolen from Pedregon’s pits.



The two-time Funny Car world champion estimated he lost more than $3,000 in stolen items, putting an immediate damper on his opening race weekend of 2013.



“It’s like somebody hitting you in the gut,” Pedregon said. “Part of it is just the principle that somebody can actually come here in what we think is a secure area, but obviously it must be open enough for anyone to walk in.



“It can’t just be one person because one person can’t lift up a toolbox of that size and that weight, so that means there’s a couple guys scoping everyone’s pit out, looking for the easiest thing to steal. It’s a shame because things are tough. It adds insult to injury because you feel like they’ve come into your home and taken something.” Included in the toolbox were a number of important items that are used to service the car after each run.



Pedregon said his team will work hard to overcome the loss this weekend, but it’s a disappointing and frustrating blow to the budget-minded team.



“We call it our clutch box. It had some pretty expensive torque wrenches, plenty of tools and a lot of clutch components. We were lucky we didn’t have a pressure plate or a flywheel in there, but there were plenty of valuable parts we’re going to have to do without this weekend,” Pedregon said.



Pedregon promised it won’t stop the resolve of the team, and he even tried to find the light at the end of the tunnel when it came to the stolen items.



He doesn’t expect to recover the stolen items, but Pedregon did mention that the toolbox wasn’t a newer item in the team’s new pit area facelift.



“That was one of the boxes that was a year-and-a-half old, so I’m trying to find the silver lining,” Pedregon said. “For us it’s a reminder that we have to secure all of own equipment. It’s a reminder that we have to put everything away.”



The second piece of adversity came later during Friday’s lone qualifying session. After a strong early run, Pedregon’s engine exploded, blowing his new American Wheels Racing body high into the air.



With flames still coming out of the car Pedregon was able to get the car stopped and then exited without injury.



It wasn’t another tough turn of events for Pedregon, but he insisted he received plenty of support from his Funny Car counterparts after the toolbox was stolen.



“When it comes to issues like this, we’re all on the same page. We were here pretty late last night, so this is something that happened late at night or earlier, prior to 8:00 (a.m.) when my team rolled in here,” Pedregon said.



“If it could happen to me, it could happen to any of these teams. Fortunately we’ve got the ability to recover and we won’t skip a beat because of it.”



If anyone has any information regarding the stolen tools and toolbox, they are encouraged to get in contact with Pedregon through his website, www.tonypedregon.com.

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