Funny Car driver and team owner Frank Pedregon has been selected as NASCAR's first Hispanic team owner through its Drive for Diversity program. Pedregon will join Jeff Spraker and representatives from Joe Gibbs Racing at South Boston (Va.) Raceway Monday and Tuesday for the 2006 Drive for Diversity Motorsports Testing & Evaluation Combine to select a driver from a final pool of 19 ethnic and gender minority candidates, pared from a field of 400-plus hopefuls over the last six months.

Per his agreement with NASCAR, Pedregon will begin his stint as a team owner running NASCAR's Late Model Dodge 250 Series, which has 18 races on the West Coast. He'll be paired with a major sponsor and groomed to move up to the Nextel Cup series. Pedregon, Spraker, and Gibbs join existing Drive for Diversity team owners Bill McAnally Racing/Richard Childress Racing, Evernham Motorsports, and MB2 Motorsports.

"This has been a dream of mine for years," said Pedregon, the oldest of three Pedregon brothers competing in the NHRA's Funny Car class. "I get asked all the time why I'm the oldest Pedregon brother but I have the shortest drag racing career. The answer is I was at the circle tracks racing my heart out when my brothers were beginning their drag racing careers. I ran Midgets with Jeff Gordon back in the day.

"About a year ago, I decided to call [NASCAR President] Mike Helton himself and ask him how I should go about starting a team that would feature a minority driver. The timing of my call couldn't have been better as they were kicking off the Drive for Diversity program. It's taken 12 months of intense work, but to be here now at this combine selecting a driver with the full support of NASCAR behind me is a dream come true."

According to its mission statement, Drive for Diversity is an ethnic and gender minority driver and crewmember development program created and managed by Access Marketing & Communications of Charlotte, N.C., and fully endorsed by NASCAR. In 2005, the program supported seven drivers in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series, one driver in the NASCAR Grand National Division, and 12 crewmembers in the NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and NASCAR Grand National Division. Drive for Diversity is an initial step in a long-term solution to diversify NASCAR’s participant and audience base.

"Frank Pedregon Racing brings a unique experience and a wealth of knowledge to the program, and we are excited about the diverse audience of people we will reach together," said Greg Calhoun, who manages the Drive for Diversity program. "Pedregon brings his message of inspiration and success to millions of NHRA fans, encouraging young and old alike to have pride in their heritage and strive for success."

Pedregon spent the weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte as a VIP guest of NASCAR. During the various races run over the past several days, Pedregon was shepherded through the pits to meet all of his fellow team owners, as well as crew chiefs, crewmembers, and support personnel for each team.

"It was first class all the way," Pedregon said. "I was welcomed with open arms. People from top to bottom were more than happy to show us their operations and introduce us around. It was very cool. Our goal is clear; we want to run a Cup car one day. It's the biggest racing series in North America, and the fact NASCAR is helping minority and female racers get their start is phenomenal. I'm honored to be a part of the Drive for Diversity program.

"My dream has been diversity. The NHRA has been great, and I am so excited to join the NASCAR family, a sport that is truly working to bring us all together to do what we love. Tish Sheets (NASCAR director of diversity) and Brett Bodine, along with the entire NASCAR team, have made my experience great so far. I can't thank them enough."

Pedregon will continue to run his Funny Car in NHRA competition. He's hoping to convince existing NASCAR sponsors to cross over to the world of straight-line racing and spend some dollars in NHRA.