Tony Pedregon’s turbulent 2009 season has included the departure of longtime crew chief Dickie Venables and assistant Kurt Elliott, a much-publicized top-end skirmish with former boss John Force, and a violent body-destroying engine explosion in Memphis, yet with two events remaining, the streetwise and battle-ready Pedregon finds himself in contention for a third Full Throttle Funny Car world championship. He is just 48 points behind leader Robert Hight and 35 behind second-ranked Ashley Force Hood with two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.

“When I look at where we are, I wouldn’t use the word surprised,” said Pedregon, who has three wins this season, including a memorable victory in Brainerd that came just days after the departure of Venables and Elliott. “I think most people are more surprised than I am. That being said, I do feel that we are fortunate that after three [recent] first-round losses, I’m still even within two rounds of first place. In that regard, I would say that I’m a bit surprised.

It has been a season of highs and lows for Tony Pedregon. (Above) He was overcome with emotion after winning in Brainerd just days after losing his crew chief and assistant crew chief. (Below) The team had a setback in Memphis a few weeks ago with a body-tossing blower explosion.

Rahn Tobler, left, and Tony Shortall have gamely stepped in to help keep Pedregon's Funny Car in the championship hunt.

“Make no mistake, this has been a tough year,” he said. “Financially, it has been very challenging to keep up with some of the other teams. I think that says a lot about our team and people that have stuck with me. We do not have a lot of depth, but there is a lot of loyalty and determination and a lot of untapped talent here. That has made the difference in the second half. When Dickie and Kurt left, I think most people expected that we’d fall out of contention. That wasn’t the case. [Crew chiefs] Rahn Tobler and Tony Shortall along with the guys who stayed and knew our routing were able to refocus and carry on. I called on them in Brainerd to dig deep, and they have. The people who stuck with me are our biggest asset.”

Despite the upheaval, Pedregon is nothing if not optimistic as he prepares for next weekend’s NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, and why shouldn’t he be? Pedregon has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with three wins and two runner-up finishes. He also fondly recalls the 2007 Las Vegas event, where he nearly clinched his second NHRA Funny Car world championship. Pedregon entered that race locked in a multi-way battle for the top spot. In a bizarre twist, all of his rivals lost early, and Pedregon won the event. As a result, he had to do little more than qualify for the final race in Pomona to secure the title.

“Based on what happened in 2007, I know the possibility exists for a repeat [championship],” Pedregon said. “One of the reasons why I’m so optimistic is that there are so many good cars in the class right now. We can’t rely on ourselves to beat either Ashley or Robert, and I’m not going to try and go after either one of them. Our goal is simply to qualify and earn as many points as possible. Robert is very strong right now, but he’s not untouchable. The same goes for Ashley. They are both very good, but so is Del [Worsham], and so is Tim Wilkerson, and so is Jeff Arend. Any one of them could win one of the last two races. That being said, going into Las Vegas, I feel like we have a good opportunity to get to the final, and if we can do that, we have a fighting chance.”

With his close ties to the Palms Casino Resort and his love for competitive poker, Pedregon doesn’t need many additional reasons to look forward to the two annual stops that the NHRA Full Throttle tour makes in Las Vegas, but his career stats certainly help add to the track’s appeal.

“Sure, I have a good history in Las Vegas, but that doesn’t mean a lot,” said Pedregon. “I’m not superstitious, but maybe I should be. What matters now is what happens this year. If I do have an edge, it’s that I’ve got experience. I’ve been in this situation several times before, and I know what it takes to get it done. Now, we just have to execute. This sport has a tendency to mentally weigh on you. It can make you better or worse. I just need to rely on that experience and use it to my advantage.”

With his mind firmly focused on the job at hand, Pedregon won’t allow himself to look too far into the future. However, he does acknowledge that if he were to claim a third championship, it would rank as the greatest achievement of his career.

“That would be an amazing thing, and I hope that is the case Sunday night in Pomona,” he said. "We have put in our time and paid our dues, but I’m really not thinking that far ahead. For now, the game  plan is to make the final Vegas and get close. If I can go to Pomona and still have a fighting chance, I’ll gladly take it.”